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Free Parx Racing Picks & Predictions — August 24, 2026
It's a pleasant Monday at Parx Racing — 77 degrees, partly cloudy skies, and a fast dirt strip that should play fair all afternoon. Nine races are on the board, all on the main dirt track, and the card has a nice mix of maiden claimers, straight claiming events, and starter optional claiming races to give bettors plenty of angles to work with.
The fields lean competitive throughout, with morning lines ranging from 2/1 chalk to a few enticing double-digit prices hiding in the deeper fields. Today's card rewards the patient handicapper — pace scenarios shift noticeably as the card stretches out from six-furlong sprints early on to a route-and-a-quarter closer in Race 8. That distance variety alone means you can't take a one-size-fits-all approach today.
TrackWiz has combed through every race and flagged the spots where the numbers line up — and a couple where the public price looks beatable. Let's get into it.
3 Free Races at Parx Racing
Race 1
Maiden Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A wide-open maiden claimer where every horse is winless, but two standouts — Miskita and Pom Pom — carry TrackWiz ratings 20+ points above the rest of the field, setting up a potential top-two battle.
Miskita (#3) owns the highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 82.71 and posts the best average speed figure (54) among the contenders, which is meaningful even in a maiden field where you're projecting rather than looking back at wins. Trainer Irving Rodriguez also saddles Anita Glassofwine, suggesting he's engaged in this race, and Bryan L. Torres takes the mount — a jockey who knows how to navigate a speed-heavy sprint. At 6/1 on the morning line, you're getting solid value on the top-rated horse in the field.
Pom Pom (#4) checks in at a 81.59 TrackWiz rating — just a hair behind Miskita — and figures to be live on the front end with Jesus M. Rios aboard. Like the top pick, she's winless by definition in a maiden race, but the rating gap between her and the rest of the field is significant enough to feel confident about her placing. At 9/2, she's a natural inclusion in any exacta combination here.
Anita Glassofwine (#6) is the third member of trainer Irving Rodriguez's two-horse barn entry in this race, and she hits the board with a 58.49 TrackWiz rating — comfortably ahead of Angel in Blue, Frosty for Ever, and Donna Light. Her average speed of 51 is modest, but in a maiden field this thin on talent, she doesn't need to run a big number to hit the board. Dexter Haddock has been active at Parx and gives her a fighting chance to fill out the exotics.
Race 2
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
Mona L and Lady Sriracha look like the class of this claiming sprint, but Briscoe County's 22% career win rate makes her a sneaky threat in what could turn into a pace battle.
Mona L (#2) is the clear top selection here with an 86.35 TrackWiz rating — the best in the field — and a 16% career win rate that's right in line with the top contenders. Paco Lopez takes the mount, and he's one of the most accomplished riders in the Mid-Atlantic circuit, adding meaningful confidence to the pick. Her average speed figure of 53 is tied for the best in the field, and off a 7/2 morning line she represents the kind of solid favorite you can comfortably anchor your tickets around.
Lady Sriracha (#4) is right on Mona L's heels with a 83.88 rating, and while her 9% career win rate is the modest side of the ledger, she's consistently competitive at this level. Magglio Sanchez gets the call for trainer Michael M. Moore, and the 9/2 morning line price suggests the market views this as a two-horse race at the top — which is exactly where we land. She's the natural place horse to pair with Mona L in exactas.
Miss Raucus (#6) posts a 80.06 TrackWiz rating — third-best in the field — and brings a 4% career win rate that looks low on the surface but may be partly a reflection of tough competition she's been placed against. Dexter Haddock takes the mount for Michael V. Pino, and at 4/1 she's not exactly a throw-in price, so she should be respected in the show slot and in any trifecta construction. She rounds out what looks like a solid top three in a race with a clear pecking order.
Race 3
Starter Optional Claiming · 6 1/2 fur · Dirt
If I Can Dream holds a commanding rating edge in this starter optional claimer going 6½ furlongs, but Jesse's undefeated record (however limited) adds an interesting wrinkle at 7/2.
If I Can Dream (#2) tops the field with an 87.08 TrackWiz rating and a 54 average speed figure — tied for the best in the field — while carrying only an 8% career win rate that suggests she may be coming into form at the right time. Mychel J. Sanchez, one of the busier and more effective jockeys at Parx, takes the call for trainer Michael V. Pino, a solid barn at this level. The 3/1 morning line makes her the clear public choice, and TrackWiz analysis agrees — the rating gap over the rest is substantial enough to make her a confident win selection.
Petey Motto (#3) comes in with a 61.01 rating and a 54 average speed figure that matches the top horses in the field, even if his overall rating lags behind If I Can Dream. His 9% career win rate is modest, but Eliseo Ruiz is an experienced hand who can coax a good trip out of a middle-of-the-pack closer type in a two-turn sprint. At 9/2, there's a touch of value here if the pace scenario sets up for closers.
Alastar (#4) rates at 58.28 with a 54 average speed figure — matching the field leaders on raw pace — and his 10% career win rate shows he's found the winner's circle before in similar company. Irving Rodriguez trains, and he's already got runners in multiple spots on today's card, suggesting he's firing live horses throughout the program. At 4/1, Alastar makes sense as the third wheel in trifecta tickets behind the top two.
The first three races are fully unlocked for everyone, and they cover a solid slice of what today's card is all about. Miskita opens things up in the maiden claimer at six furlongs, carrying a 6/1 morning line but a TrackWiz rating of 82.71 that suggests she's more competitive than that price implies — watch for potential overlay value at the windows. Race 2 shifts to open claiming company where Mona L (7/2 ML, 86.35 rating) profiles as the most consistent figure in the field for the distance. Then Race 3 brings us to a starter optional claiming route at 6½ furlongs, where If I Can Dream (3/1 ML, 87.08 rating) carries the top number and the race conditions set up in a way that should suit front-runners on a surface playing true today.
All three free races are on the dirt, and with the track in good shape under mild temperatures, speed figures should translate cleanly. No significant bias flags in our early-card data, so handicap the numbers straight and lean on class and consistency over pedigree guesswork in these early fields.
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Bottom line for today at Parx: the free races give you a strong foundation with Miskita, Mona L, and If I Can Dream as the top TrackWiz selections in Races 1–3. The premium half of the card is where the exotic opportunities stack up, headlined by Silver City Kitty's high rating and some intriguing pace dynamics in the route races. Full analysis — pace projections, ticket builds, and all nine races — is waiting for subscribers at /pricing. Good luck out there, and as always, bet smart.