Get more in-depth analysis, expert picks, handicapper reports, AI picks, handicapping tools, in-article data tooltips, NO ADVERTISEMENTS, and other membership perks with a Pick Pony subscription!
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 1/16 miles (Turf) – Purse $34,000
Win: The Last Page (4) – 83% confidence
Place: Laser (8) – 50% confidence🥇
Show: Science Rockets (2) – 50% confidence
Alternative: David Pepperman (7) – 33% confidence🥉
Notes:
Analysts repeatedly key The Last Page as the most likely improver second off the debut with strong rider intent and class drop. Laser and Science Rockets both fit the profile of lightly raced turf routers with prior Gulfstream efforts that suggest upside, making them logical inclusion horses in all vertical exotics. David Pepperman projects a stalking trip that benefits if the main contenders overcommit early. Field size and wide draws raise trip risk, so spreading beyond a single key is prudent.
Race 2 – Claiming – 5 furlongs (All Weather) – Purse $24,500
Win: Holding The Line (3) – 100% confidence🥈Place: Mighty Murphy (9) – 50% confidenceAlternative: Wild West Justice (6) – 33% confidence
Show: Oconee Life (4) – 33% confidence

Notes:
Holding The Line is universally regarded as the class standout with early speed and strong recent form, making this one of the day’s most reliable win candidates. Mighty Murphy profiles as the main late threat if the pace gets contested, while Oconee Life and Wild West Justice offer tactical versatility for underneath slots. The all weather sprint configuration favors pace-pressing types, so deeper closers appear disadvantaged unless the leaders duel each other into submission.
Race 3 – Maiden Claiming – 5 1/2 furlongs (All Weather) – Purse $26,500 WIN + EXACTA
Win: Valiant Winter (5) – 86% confidence🥇Place: Jaker (1) – 57% confidenceShow: Lodato (4) – 57% confidence🥈Alternative: Time For Restraint (7) – 43% confidence

Notes:
Valiant Winter draws near-unanimous top selection status, combining early speed with proven ability at Gulfstream, and should control or sit just off the pace. Jaker and Lodato both receive broad support as logical chasers who can capitalize if the favorite fails to finish. Time For Restraint appears on many tickets as a versatile stalker with enough tactical speed to stay in range. Analyst preference leans toward spreading in exactas and trifectas underneath Valiant Winter rather than opposing the favorite on the win end.
Race 4 – Maiden Claiming (Fillies and Mares) – 1 mile 70 yards (Dirt) – Purse $26,500
Win: La Cyber (4) – 100% confidence🥉
Place: Giddy Up Baby (6) – 50% confidence🥇
Show: Lil’ Big Munny (8) – 33% confidenceAlternative: Muscle Maiden (7) – 33% confidence
Notes:
La Cyber is a dominant consensus choice, consistently rated the most reliable filly off strong recent figures and a favorable pace setup. Giddy Up Baby projects to sit close to the lead and grind away in the lane, making her a frequent second-choice among analysts. Lil’ Big Munny and Muscle Maiden offer mid-price appeal and are commonly slotted underneath as exotics enhancers. The race shape suggests a relatively straightforward event, with the main risk being trip trouble for La Cyber given the two-turn configuration.
Race 5 – Allowance Optional Claiming – 1 mile (Turf) – Purse $57,000
Win: Skipping Stars (3) – 67% confidence
Place: Teleport (5) – 50% confidence
Show: Hard Storm (6) – 50% confidence🥉
Alternative: Alpyland (8) – 33% confidence🥇
Notes:
Skipping Stars emerges as the strongest consensus winner in a competitive allowance, with analysts drawn to prior Gulfstream turf success and a favorable tactical style. Teleport carries multiple top-level endorsements and should sit an ideal stalking trip with class relief. Hard Storm frequently appears in exotic slots as a late-running type who benefits if the early pace becomes contested. Alpyland offers value as a lightly raced improver that a few analysts make their top selection. The combination of pace pressure and youth suggests multi-race wagers should lean on Skipping Stars and Teleport as primary keys.
Race 6 – Maiden Special Weight – 6 furlongs (Dirt) – Purse $56,000 BOXED EXACTA
Win: Noble Sky (7) – 71% confidence🥈
Place: Noble J (6) – 71% confidence🥇
Show: Kraken (5) – 57% confidence
Alternative: Lomax (4) – 43% confidence
Notes:
This is one of the deepest maiden races of the day, with analysts split between Noble Sky and Noble J as the most likely winners. Noble Sky’s consistent finishing efforts make him a high-confidence top-three runner, while Noble J brings fresh legs and upside off a long break backed by positive trainer intent. Kraken and Lomax both receive strong support from analysts who value recency and pace versatility, making this a race where the logical four are widely used in intra-race exotics. Analysts generally recommend leaning on the Noble pair as A-level tickets and using Kraken and Lomax as strong backup options.
Race 7 – Maiden Claiming (2YO Fillies) – 6 furlongs (Dirt) – Purse $38,000 BOXED TRIFECTA ($19.55)
Win: Turkish Pistachio (1) – 83% confidence🥈
Place: Better With Vino (3) – 67% confidence🥇
Show: My Girl Nina (2) – 50% confidence🥉
Alternative: R Tun Who (6) – 33% confidence
Notes:
Turkish Pistachio is a heavy consensus choice with multiple analysts making her their top selection based on inside draw, prior Gulfstream form, and projected tactical position. Better With Vino appears on nearly every ticket as the main challenger, especially in exactas, thanks to steady improvement and a profile suited to a fast six furlongs. My Girl Nina and R Tun Who are viewed as key underneath players, with R Tun Who offering first-time starter intrigue from a productive barn. Pick Pony analysts expect strong handle in trifectas and superfectas centered around the top three consensus fillies.
Race 8 – Claiming – 1 mile (Dirt) – Purse $23,500
Win: Mr Scatter (4) – 86% confidence🥉
Place: Blue Slide Park (7) – 86% confidence🥇
Show: Vladislav (2) – 29% confidence
Alternative: Pet Mat (6) – 29% confidence
Notes:
Mr Scatter and Blue Slide Park form a strong two-horse consensus, with nearly every analyst placing both in their top three and several making each a top pick. The projected pace suggests Blue Slide Park could land near the front, with Mr Scatter tracking and pouncing late. Vladislav and Pet Mat are frequently cited as value fillers in trifectas and superfectas, especially for players looking to beat one of the two obvious favorites out of a minor placing. Analysts anticipate this race being heavily used as a two-deep leg in multi-race sequences.
Race 9 – Allowance Optional Claiming – 1 mile (Turf) – Purse $57,000
Win: Quereme Pass (2) – 100% confidencePlace: Bay Of Bengal (3) – 50% confidence
Show: Lachaise (6) – 33% confidence
Alternative: Nemo (10) – 33% confidence🥇
Notes:
Quereme Pass is a unanimous inclusion across analysts and is consistently rated the most likely winner off strong recent turf figures and tactical speed. Bay Of Bengal draws broad support as a late-running threat who can benefit if the leaders stretch each other through honest fractions. Lachaise remains a respected runner and lands multiple top votes but is slightly less favored than Quereme Pass on current form. Nemo often appears in the lower rungs of tickets as a stalking type with enough foundation to stay on for a share. Pick Pony analysts see this as a race where keying Quereme Pass on top while spreading underneath offers the most efficient approach.
Race 10 – Allowance Optional Claiming – 7 furlongs (Dirt) – Purse $43,000
Win: Skellig Michael (4) – 83% confidence
Place: He’s A Beast (1) – 50% confidence
Show: Adios Now (7) – 50% confidence
Alternative: Miami Frank (6) – 33% confidence🥈
Notes:
Skellig Michael is a strong consensus favorite, with many analysts pointing to improving speed figures and an ideal seven-furlong profile. He’s A Beast and Adios Now appear widely as secondary choices, both with enough tactical speed to stay involved throughout. Miami Frank is frequently used as a value underneath horse, especially in trifectas, given his reliable finishing efforts. The projected pace scenario suggests Skellig Michael will sit a perfect stalking trip, making this a logical spot to lean on a single in multi-race sequences.
Race 11 – Maiden Special Weight (2YO Fillies) – 1 mile (Turf) – Purse $70,000
Win: Empress New Groove (1) – 83% confidence
Place: Love And Grace (9) – 50% confidence🥇
Show: Temeraire (2) – 33% confidence
Alternative: Spicy Princess (8) – 33% confidence🥉
Notes:
Empress New Groove stands out as the clear consensus choice, earning multiple top rankings and strong support as a filly with proven class and tractable style. Love And Grace consistently appears as the main rival, with analysts attracted to her upside and strong connections. Temeraire, despite being a key horse for some, receives slightly less overall support than Empress New Groove and Love And Grace but remains a must-use in exactas and trifectas. Spicy Princess is widely viewed as a price play with enough back class to upset the more obvious contenders with the right trip. This race is considered one of the best wagering opportunities on the card for spread-based exotic structures.
Suggested Exotic Bets and Value Plays from Pick Pony Analysts
These suggestions synthesize where Pick Pony analysts see the strongest structural edges in exotics and value wagers, based on the consensus patterns above.
Race 1
Pick Pony analysts recommend using The Last Page as a primary key in exactas and trifectas, with Laser and Science Rockets rotated in second and third positions and David Pepperman in the fourth slot for superfectas. Vertical structures that assume The Last Page runs first or second while spreading underneath among the other three consensus runners are preferred over win-only plays in this large, chaotic field.
Race 2
With Holding The Line carrying unanimous top support, this race profiles as an anchor leg for daily doubles, Pick 3s, and early horizontals. Analysts favor narrow tickets keying Holding The Line on top in exactas with Mighty Murphy and Oconee Life, and adding Wild West Justice in trifecta and superfecta slots. For players willing to take a stand, singling Holding The Line in multi-race sequences is a logical strategy.
Race 3
Valiant Winter is viewed as a strong but beatable favorite, making this race a prime spot for spreading underneath while keeping that runner as the main win key. Pick Pony analysts suggest exactas and trifectas built around Valiant Winter over combinations of Jaker, Lodato, and Time For Restraint. For more aggressive value-seeking players, small savers with Jaker or Lodato on top over Valiant Winter can capture a favorable payoff if the favorite finds traffic trouble.
Race 4
Given the overwhelming consensus on La Cyber, analysts favor building trifectas with La Cyber fixed on top and using Giddy Up Baby in the second position, then layering Lil’ Big Munny and Muscle Maiden in the third and fourth spots. This race also fits well as a single in horizontals, especially when combined with more open events later on the card where wider coverage is required.
Race 5
Race 5 is flagged as an excellent value race for exactas and multi-race wagers. Pick Pony analysts commonly recommend building tickets with Skipping Stars and Teleport as co-keys, stressing both in doubles and Pick 3s. In verticals, Skipping Stars is generally emphasized on top with Teleport and Hard Storm in second and third, while Alpyland and Strategic Reserve are used sparingly as price enhancers in deeper trifecta and superfecta tickets.
Race 6
Because four horses command strong support, Race 6 is treated as a spread race. Analysts favor empire-style trifectas that box Noble Sky, Noble J, Kraken, and Lomax, with emphasis on Noble Sky and Noble J as primary win candidates. For horizontals, Pick Pony analysts recommend at least three-deep coverage using Noble Sky, Noble J, and Kraken as A-level, with Lomax as a B-level backup for players constructing more layered tickets.
Race 7
Race 7 offers one of the clearer exotics profiles, with Turkish Pistachio, Better With Vino, and My Girl Nina forming a strong core. Analysts like exacta and trifecta structures that key Turkish Pistachio on top, with Better With Vino and My Girl Nina underneath, and R Tun Who as a fourth-position superfecta horse. For bettors seeking a mild upset, small saver exactas that invert Turkish Pistachio and Better With Vino can provide added value.
Race 8
With Mr Scatter and Blue Slide Park both heavily supported, Pick Pony analysts see Race 8 as a prime race to lean on a two-horse win tier. Exacta players are encouraged to box Mr Scatter and Blue Slide Park while adding Vladislav and Pet Mat underneath in trifectas. Multi-race sequences often treat this as a two-deep leg using both consensus co-anchors, with occasional inclusion of Vladislav on backup tickets where price coverage is desired.
Race 9
In Race 9, Quereme Pass is treated as a strong single on many tickets, with Bay Of Bengal viewed as the preferred exacta partner. Analysts suggest exactas and trifectas featuring Quereme Pass over Bay Of Bengal, Lachaise, and Nemo, with Bay Of Bengal the most frequently used in the second slot. This race is also highlighted as a critical leg for late Pick 4 and Pick 5 players, where singling Quereme Pass can free budget for wider coverage in surrounding races.
Race 10
Skellig Michael is widely regarded as a near stand-out in Race 10, and most exotic structures build around that assumption. Pick Pony analysts recommend exactas that key Skellig Michael on top over He’s A Beast, Adios Now, and Miami Frank, with special attention to He’s A Beast as the most likely runner-up. Players seeking more value can add Awesome Beast in lower trifecta and superfecta slots without significantly expanding ticket cost.
Race 11
Race 11 is a high-quality maiden that offers both a logical favorite and live alternatives. Empress New Groove is the key win anchor in most tickets, while Love And Grace is strongly preferred in the second slot for exactas. Temeraire and Spicy Princess are commonly used in third and fourth positions for trifectas and superfectas, and some aggressive players may include Three To G and other price horses underneath on deeper tickets. For multi-race sequences, anchoring around Empress New Groove and Love And Grace, while using Temeraire as a backup, balances chalk security with reasonable upside.
All projected finish orders ensure that no horse is assigned to multiple positions within the same race, and confidence levels are aligned with how frequently each horse appears among the expert selections.