The formal start of the Saratoga summer with some familiar names and the introduction of a new voice highlight this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Horse Racing Nation writer and HorseCenter host Matt Shifman checks in from upstate New York to offer his thoughts about the upcoming meet, the potential rematch next month of Sovereignty and Journalism in the Grade 1 Travers and some tips for fans taking in the races this summer at the Spa.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux discusses She Feels Pretty, her four-time Grade 1 winner who is favored Saturday in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes. She also introduces Dr. Agne, the 2-year-old debutant named for the pioneering equine podiatrist who died in a bicycle accident nearly 10 years ago.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch zeroes in on Saratoga with his tips for the weekend.

There is listener and reader feedback, and regular co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times is joined by Fairmount Park announcer Keith Nelson, a new addition to the RFRP cast.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from platforms like Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

With Chicagoland racing on the decline, Fairmount Park near St. Louis has become the one track in Illinois where the sport is on the rise. This week the Collinsville venue plays host for this on-the-road episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Vince Gabbert, a former executive at Keeneland, talks about his decision to run Fairmount Park since it was bought last year by the publicly traded gaming company Accel. He also discusses the recent opening of a casino inside the 100-year-old site, making it the first racetrack in Illinois to take advantage of that revenue stream.

Jim Watkins, the president of the Illinois Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, discusses the challenges facing owners and trainers like him who continue to race their horses at both Fairmount and at Hawthorne in suburban Chicago. He also expresses his optimism about the potential expansion of racing at Fairmount beyond its current Tuesday-and-Saturday schedule.

With the Saratoga summer getting an early start, handicapper Ed DeRosa offers tips for the Saturday’s card highlighted by the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational. He also has analysis for other races from the holiday-weekend menu across the country.

Fairmount track announcer Keith Nelson fills in for John Cherwa as this week’s co-host.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

Hall of Fame trainer and racing icon D. Wayne Lukas is remembered on this special, pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

The late Hall of Fame trainer died Saturday at age 89. He appeared on the RFRP nine times, and those interviews plus others dating to his first Kentucky Derby victory with Winning Colors in 1988 are replayed on this special episode.

An indelible memory came in 2013, when Oxbow won the Preakness, a victory which marked a career renaissance for Lukas. He told the media if they wanted to talk to him the morning after that they had to show up at 4:30 a.m. EDT at the Pimlico stakes barn. Four of the people who took him up on that are on a panel discussion in this episode, including Alicia Hughes, Mike Gathagan, Steve Haskin and Flatter.

Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times brings the show together as do replays of old interviews with Lukas, who appeared on the RFRP nine times, most recently last month.

With regular episodes available every Friday morning, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.