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Pick Pony takes pride in providing the most accurate expert picks available today. Pick Pony Expert Picks are carefully selected by our team of analysts based on analytics from our advanced Past Performance Sheets and Racing Forms. For potential longshot selections, check out Pick Pony’s AI Picks.
Race #1 – Maiden Claiming | 1 1/8 miles | Turf WIN
Win: Always Ready – 100% confidence🥇Place: Mappy – 67% confidenceShow: Sliceaway – 17% confidenceAlternative: Adsila – 33% confidence
Always Ready dominates the win position across all handicappers. This horse finished three lengths off the winner at Belmont Park and appears well-suited for the turf. Mappy shows consistency and draws ideally. Look for Always Ready-Mappy exacta as a strong play.
Race #2 – Maiden Claiming | 7 furlongs | Dirt WIN
Win: My Favorite Bird – 67% confidence🥇
Place: California Swag – 50% confidence
Show: Spectacle – 33% confidence🥈
Alternative: Witcha Wish – 17% confidence
My Favorite Bird has the strongest consensus as a step-down horse with recent form advantage. California Swag shows consistency at this level. The consensus varies with Spectacle receiving support from multiple analysts. This race appears competitive with several solid contenders, making exotic combinations worth considering.
Race #3 – Claiming | 5.5 furlongs | Dirt WIN
Win: Likely Perspective – 80% confidencePlace: Parade Ring – 40% confidence🥉
Show: Shesinamood – 20% confidence
Alternative: Neodera – 20% confidence🥇
Likely Perspective is a standout win pick with strong consensus support. The horse ran third at this track and steps back to non-metro class on a Saturday. Parade Ring offers an alternative play with placing form. At 5.5 furlongs on dirt, pace will be crucial early, which could benefit an animal with early speed advantages.
Race #4 – Maiden Special Weight | 1 mile | Dirt WIN
Win: Steeze – 83% confidence🥇
Place: Kiss Me Slow – 33% confidence🥉
Show: Plum Perfect – 33% confidence
Steeze is the clear pick from most analysts, returning to a dirt surface where the horse has recorded top times. Kiss Me Slow and Wheelhouse offer alternative perspectives. Plum Perfect running her second race with a top rider merits consideration in exotics. The straight pick consensus heavily favors Steeze with supporting runners offering values in exacta and trifecta plays.
Race #5 – Claiming | 1 1/16 miles | Dirt WIN + EXACTA
Win: No Time To Wait – 33% confidencePlace: White Claw Woman – 33% confidence🥇Show: Princess Irene – 33% confidenceAlternative: Pocket Pair – 17% confidence🥈
This race shows less consensus uniformity but offers interesting pairings for exacta bettors. No Time To Wait placed as a favorite at Gulfstream and owns a win at the track. White Claw Woman, returning to route distance where she ran well, attracts multiple analysts. Princess Irene shows winning form at other venues. The lack of strong consensus suggests value exists in boxing strategies or multiple-horse exactas around the top contenders.
Race #6 – Maiden Claiming | 1 mile | Turf
Win: Hot Lead – 83% confidence
Place: Astin Style – 33% confidence🥈
Show: Ski Bum – 33% confidence🥉
Alternative: Replevin – 17% confidence🥇
Hot Lead is a commanding pick running third off a layoff for strong connections with turf pedigree. The horse drops in class and commands respect. One analyst favors Astin Style as the pick, offering potential value. Replevin’s track record at Gulfstream when included in exotics merits consideration. The consensus heavily supports Hot Lead to wire, with multiple horse exactas offering value plays.
Race #7 – Claiming | 5 furlongs | Dirt
Win: Fulanito – 50% confidencePlace: Chaplin – 17% confidence
Show: Hottakejake – 33% confidence🥇
Alternative: Winfromwithin – 17% confidence
Fulanito emerges as the slight consensus pick, arriving as a recent winner at this track with pace advantage. Winfromwithin, dropping from a seven-week layoff, generates opposing picks and could represent value in exotic plays. The split between Winfromwithin and Fulanito at five furlongs on dirt suggests the field has different interpretations, making this one of the less certain races. Daily doubles involving the previous race choices should reflect this variance in opinion.
Race #8 – Maiden Optional Claiming | 6.5 furlongs | Dirt WIN + BOXED TRIFECTA
Win: Rockies Balboa – 67% confidence🥇
Place: Simo At The Big A – 33% confidence🥉
Show: Project Pat – 33% confidence🥈
Alternative: Bolero Bay – 17% confidence
Rockies Balboa commands the win position with strong early speed and class relief. One analyst offers Simo At The Big A as the pick from the standout position, presenting an alternative angle. Project Pat, debuting for solid connections, generates interest from analysts as an overlay option. The consensus favors Rockies Balboa but respects the alternatives in multiple-horse combination plays.
Pick Pony Exotic Recommendations
Race 1-2 Daily Double Value Play
Wheel combinations around Always Ready (Race 1) with My Favorite Bird and Spectacle (Race 2). The strong confidence on Always Ready provides a foundation, while the Race 2 split offers flexibility.
Race 5 Exacta Box Strategy
Box No Time To Wait with White Claw Woman and Princess Irene. All three horses generate meaningful analyst support with roughly equal confidence levels. This race offers value in multi-horse boxes rather than singles.
Race 6 Hot Lead Exacta
Hot Lead to Astin Style or Hot Lead to Ski Bum offer strong exacta options. The consensus win support combined with multiple viable place horses creates predictable value.
Race 7 Contrarian Play
Consider Winfromwithin in the win position as a contrarian alternative to the consensus Fulanito. The split consensus and dropping class suggest value exists for bettors seeking price movement.
Late Pick 5 (Races 4-8) Combination
Base the ticket on strong consensus picks: Steeze (Race 4) and Hot Lead (Race 6) paired with multiple runners in Races 5 and 7 where consensus is weaker. The variance in expert opinion on the middle races should lower the cost of combinations while maintaining exposure to the heavy favorites.
