Horse-Racing Fans Turn to Michelle Yu for Expert Analysis Ahead of Preakness
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 15 May, 2025

One of horse racing's most knowledgeable personalities bears little resemblance to those we typically associate with the sport.

It’s horse racing season.

While casual observers are tuning in to the Kentucky Derby, which was held two weeks ago, the Preakness which takes place this coming Saturday, and Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, true fans of the sport have been paying attention since at least the beginning of the year. 

And if they bet on horse racing expert Michelle’s Yu’s predictions, they’ve probably made a hell of a lot of money. Just in 2025, Yu has already correctly called the winners of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, the Saudi Cup, and the San Felipe stakes, all of which are smaller than the big three, but no less difficult to predict.

Michelle Yu is an on-air host, commentator, and analyst for some of the biggest sources for horse racing coverage including NBC, CBS, Fox Sports, Sportsline, and Santa Anita Park, where she heads the broadcast team. A native of Walnut, California, horse racing has been a part of her life since age three when she first saddled up. She has officially worked in the horse racing business for over two decades. 

Before her on-camera work, Yu was involved in some of the less-glamorous aspects of the equine industry. She began as a hot walker, which is a stable worker who walks hot and sweaty horses around a track to cool them down after they've just finished practicing or competing. 

Horse-racing now plays a role in nearly every aspect of Yu's life. She even married trainer Ryan Hanson. Yu herself owns a horse and helps with yearling pre-training, which is the early stage of training a young horse often beginning at nineteen months. 

I know I’m not alone in saying that when I think of events like the Kentucky Derby, I imagine an overweight white billionaire in a seersucker suit fanning himself as sweat drips from his white handlebar mustache. Yu is certainly not that. And while about 70% of jockeys in the Kentucky Derby are Latino, Asians and Blacks do not currently have much of a presence. 

Asian representation in US horse-racing did, however, make strides this year with the participation of two Japanese-owned horses in the Kentucky Derby: Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona. Luxor Cafe qualified for the Derby after winning four consecutive races in Japan and entered with 15-1 odds but was unsuccessful. This was the horse’s first race outside of the US. 

While Yu’s employer Sportsline will not divulge her picks for this Saturday’s Preakness to the general public, they’ve made it known that she is not picking Journalism, the odds-on favorite, and is instead high on a long shot who is "is heavy on the gas."

Yu isn’t just knowledgeable about horse-racing. She also has experience as a football commentator.