Assiniboia Picks & Predictions — May 26, 2026
It's a beautiful Tuesday at Assiniboia Downs — clear skies, 76°F, and a fast dirt strip that should reward horses with early speed. Seven races are on the menu today, mixing maiden fields, claimers, and allowance company for a well-rounded afternoon of racing.
Conditions like these tend to favor front-runners at the Assiniboia sprint distances, so pace scenario is going to be a big conversation throughout the card. Keep that in mind as you handicap — who gets to the lead cheaply could matter more than usual today.
Three of today's races are free to preview right here, giving you a solid foundation before the competitive afternoon heats up. Premium subscribers get the full seven-race breakdown, including our pace projections, exotic tickets, and multi-race wager strategies.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Special Weight · 5 fur · Dirt
A wide-open maiden sprint where the top three TrackWiz-rated horses are separated by just two points — expect a genuine three-way battle to the wire at 5 furlongs.
Rise Again earns the top TrackWiz rating in the field at 58.67 and draws support from the morning line at 9/5, suggesting the market agrees with our numbers. Trainer Michael Nault also saddles stablemate Clippity Cop, but all the stable's ammunition looks to be loaded here with jockey Antonio Whitehall aboard. With an average speed figure of 53 — tied for best in the field — Rise Again has the raw tools to dictate pace and hold on over the short 5-furlong trip.
Brown Lite is razor-close in the ratings at 58.33 and draws the inside post, which on a short sprint can be a genuine advantage for a horse that can break clean. At 2/1 on the morning line, trainer Devon Gittens sends this one out with clear intent, and the matching 52 average speed figure suggests it can sustain a competitive effort throughout.
Category One (6) at 3/1 is a live underneath piece in this maiden opener. Trainer Mike Taphorn has a second runner in the field with Silvercreek Annie, but Category One draws the clear preference with a 56.67 rating and a 52 average speed figure — solid numbers in a field where several entrants have no recorded workable speed at all.
Race 2
Maiden Special Weight · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt
A maiden field that looks like a two-horse race on paper — until you notice the enormous rating gap between the top pick and the morning-line favorite, which sets up a potential overlay situation.
Grenache is the standout of this card on pure ratings, posting a 79.79 TrackWiz score that towers over the rest of this maiden field. The puzzling part is the 8/1 morning line — Off the Payroll opens as the 7/5 chalk despite a significantly lower 44.42 rating. Trainer Wendy Anderson's filly has a recorded average speed of 53, matching the top tier of this group, and jockey Damario Bynoe has the experience to get her into position early over the 5.5-furlong trip. If Grenache runs anywhere near her rating, this looks like a significant overlay.
High Miler opens at a fair 5/2 and backs it up with a 57.5 TrackWiz rating — second-best in the field behind only Grenache. Trainer Michael Nault and jockey Antonio Whitehall team up here, a reliable combo at Assiniboia, and the 53 average speed figure gives this one a legitimate shot to hit the board even if Grenache fires as expected.
Truthful Skies at 5/1 rates as a solid exotics inclusion with a 53.33 rating and a 52 average speed figure. Trainer Eugene Burns sends this one out at a price, and in a field where several runners have zero speed data, that kind of measurable form history gives you confidence she'll be running at the end.
Race 3
Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt
Lovely Sassicaia and You Vee Cee look like the class of this claiming sprint, but Saxon Saga lurks at a double-digit price with the field's highest career win percentage — don't overlook the board underneath.
Lovely Sassicaia enters with the highest TrackWiz rating in the field at a dominant 87.81, and her 54 average speed figure is tied for best on the board. Trainer Wendy Anderson has been active on today's card and clearly likes this spot, while jockey Damario Bynoe — who also rides for Anderson in Race 2 — has the horse positioned well from the two-hole. A 15% career win rate keeps expectations grounded, but the class edge here is real.
You Vee Cee opens as the morning-line favorite at 9/5 despite a slightly lower 71.11 rating than Lovely Sassicaia, which tells you the connections are confident. A matching 54 average speed figure and a 16% career win rate show consistent form, and from the four-hole with Shavon Townsend, this one should get a clean trip rating run-style in a short sprint.
Saxon Saga at 12/1 is the longshot angle here worth including in tri tickets. A 28% career win rate is the highest among horses with meaningful speed figures in the field, and the 63.73 rating is well clear of the remaining runners. Trainer Rick A. Wise drops this one in, and at double-digit odds, the value case for a spot finish is strong.
Our three free races today span maiden special weight action in Races 1 and 2, then shift into a 5½-furlong claimer in Race 3. Rise Again opens the card at a fairly short 9/5 morning line, but it's Grenache in Race 2 who really has our attention — an 8/1 morning line on a horse with a TrackWiz rating of 79.79 in a maiden field screams value, and that's exactly the kind of overlay we love to flag for our readers.
Lovely Sassicaia rounds out the free previews in Race 3 with the highest TrackWiz rating of the free trio at 87.81, going as the 5/2 morning line choice. With the track playing fast today, her profile fits the conditions well. These three races alone give you a nice foundation for a winning afternoon — but the card gets even more interesting from Race 4 onward.
Full Card Analysis
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A clear day, a fast Assiniboia strip, and a card full of live longshots starting with Grenache in Race 2 — today has the makings of a profitable Tuesday at the track. Rise Again, Grenache, and Lovely Sassicaia lead the free card, while Sophia's Storm, Gallant Oak, and the rest of the premium picks round out the full-card attack. Subscribers can access the complete Race 4–7 breakdown, pace projections, and exotic ticket structures right now — head to TrackWiz Premium and get in on the full card before post time.