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Free Mountaineer Picks & Predictions for Today — September 20, 2026
It's a wet Sunday at Mountaineer Park — rain is falling and temperatures are sitting at a cool 69°F, which means the dirt is going to be a factor all day long. Eight races are on the board, and the conditions are already shaping up to be as important as the form itself. When the strip gets sloppy or heavy, pace scenarios shift, closers can struggle to fire, and the horses that want to be on or near the lead early suddenly get a big edge.
The card is a deep claiming-heavy lineup — six of the eight races go at that level — so we're digging into class moves, workout patterns, and pace setups to find where the real value hides. We've also got a Maiden Special Weight sprint on dirt and a Starter Optional Claiming test stretching out to a mile on turf. That Race 1 turf question is the wild card today: if the rail gets pulled or the course plays wet, surface preferences become everything.
3 Free Races Today at Mountaineer
Race 1
Starter Optional Claiming · 1 mi · Turf
A wide-open Starter Optional Claiming mile on the turf with three horses clustered near the top of the TrackWiz ratings and a sneaky longshot lurking at double-digit odds — this one sets up as a prime exotic race.
Royal Salute tops our ratings at 82.67 and posts the field's best average speed figure at 55, a meaningful edge going a full mile on grass. Trainer Jay P. Bernardini saddles this one, and the 5/2 morning line suggests the market already respects the profile — but there's still value here relative to the rating gap over the field. Jockey Deshawn L. Parker gets the call, and a career win rate of 12% doesn't scream explosive, but the class and speed numbers do the heavy lifting in this analysis.
El Ondeado is an intriguing price play at 12/1 on the morning line despite posting a strong 73.96 TrackWiz rating — second-best in the field. Trainer Denis Cluley sends this one out with Kevin Gonzalez aboard, and a 16% career win rate at a generous price makes El Ondeado a legitimate place contender worth stacking in your exotics at overlay odds.
Letmeknowbeforeugo rounds out our top three with a 70.32 rating and a solid 25% career win rate — the best among any horse rated below Royal Salute in this field. Trainer Alejandro Gomez has his son, Alejandro Gomez Jr., in the irons, a family stable connection that sometimes signals extra attention to the prep. At 7/1, this horse offers show value and exotics depth in a wide-open turf route.
Race 2
Maiden Special Weight · 5 fur · Dirt
A first-time starter maiden sprint on the dirt with a dominant TrackWiz rating at the top and a competitive cluster of newcomers all searching for their first win — pace shape will be crucial over five furlongs.
Nessy stands alone at the top of this field with an 87.81 TrackWiz rating — a significant margin over the next-best horse — and ties for the top average speed figure in the race at 55. Trainer Nestor R. Rivera sends out his barn's best-rated runner with Luis Raul Rivera in the irons, a stable combination worth noting. The 5/2 morning line confirms the market agrees, and in a maiden sprint where raw ability tends to shine through early, Nessy looks like the one to beat.
Echo Bay checks in at a 53.33 rating and also posts a 55 average speed figure, matching Nessy for the best raw speed in the field. Trainer Juan Pablo Silva has Charle Oliveros up, and the 5/1 price offers solid place value in a maiden race where workout projections can vary wildly on race day.
Cerati rates out at 51.67 and clocks a 53 average speed figure — respectable numbers in a first-time starter field where many horses are quantity unknowns. Trainer Moises Valdez has Alejandro Gomez Jr. aboard, and the 6/1 morning line makes Cerati a sensible show play or exotics inclusion in a maiden sprint that could see early chaos.
Race 3
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
Three horses with TrackWiz ratings in the 78-87 range make this a legitimately competitive claiming sprint, but the top-rated runner draws the rail and figures to control the pace scenario over six furlongs.
Go Go Star leads all runners with an 86.35 TrackWiz rating and draws the rail in a six-furlong dirt sprint — the kind of setup where a quality front-runner can dictate terms. Trainer Scott R. Murphy sends the horse out with Bailey Weatherly up, and despite a modest 7% career win rate, the rating edge and pace position are the story here. The 7/2 morning line is fair value given the top rating in what shapes up as a pace-contested sprint.
Tammy's Cruiser owns the second-best rating in this field at 81.79 and is the morning-line favorite at 2/1, suggesting the market views this as a two-horse race at the top. Trainer Eddie Clouston uses Michael Y. Pagan, and a 53 average speed figure matches Dream Life for second-best in the field. At the likely short price, Tammy's Cruiser is best used in exacta combinations with our top pick.
Dream Life slots in at a 79.56 rating with a 25% career win rate — the highest among any horse in this field — and trainer Eric R. Reed has Charle Oliveros aboard. The 6/1 morning line is attractive for a horse with genuine class backing and a win percentage that speaks to consistency, making Dream Life a strong show ticket and exotics anchor.
TrackWiz is unlocking three races for all readers today, and they tell a nice story about how we're approaching this card. In Race 1, Royal Salute (morning line 5/2, TrackWiz rating 82.67) draws our attention in the Starter Optional Claiming mile on turf — keep an eye on any late course announcements given the rain. Race 2 sends us to the dirt for a 5-furlong Maiden Special Weight, where Nessy grades out as our top pick with an 87.81 rating, the second-highest mark among our three free selections. Then in Race 3, Go Go Star (7/2 morning line, 86.35 rating) takes on the 6-furlong claiming sprint — and with a wet, potentially speed-favoring track, the pace setup here is one to watch closely.
Across all three free races, the common thread is this: horses that can get position early without burning themselves out are going to have a structural advantage if the dirt plays cuppy or sealed. We're not blindly backing front-runners, but we're asking hard questions about any closer's ability to get through potential off-track ground today.
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Bottom line: Royal Salute, Nessy, and Go Go Star are our free best bets for the day, and the wet conditions at Mountaineer make pace positioning the story of the card from gate to wire. The real depth — five more races with tight ratings, exotic ticket breakdowns, and our full pace analysis — is waiting for subscribers. Head to TrackWiz premium to unlock the complete card before post time. Good luck out there, and watch that rail.