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Assiniboia Picks & Predictions — October 7, 2026
It's a crisp Wednesday night at Assiniboia Downs — 56°F under clear skies, which means fast footing and no excuses. Eight races on dirt, all at six furlongs except a pair of 7½-furlong allowance optional claiming tests in Races 6 and 7 that should draw out the best horses on the grounds tonight.
The card leans heavily claiming, so class evaluation and recent form are everything. When the conditions are this consistent — dry surface, no wind factor, cool but not cold — pace scenarios tend to play out close to the script. That's good news for handicappers who dig into split times and running styles, exactly the kind of edge TrackWiz analysis is built to deliver.
Three races are fully unlocked for every reader tonight. The rest of the full-card breakdown — including Races 4 through 8 — is available to TrackWiz subscribers.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A short field of five in this 6-furlong dirt claimer, but don't let the small number fool you — there's a massive rating gap between the top horse and the rest, making pace shape almost secondary to raw class.
Areunotentertained enters as the morning-line favorite at even money and backs it up with a TrackWiz rating of 90 — the highest in this field by a significant margin. That kind of separation at the claiming level usually means one thing: this horse is better than its competition on paper, and the 7% career win rate is likely a product of tougher company than what's on offer here. Jockey Kerron Khelawan gets the call, and with trainer Jared Brown sending this one out, there's plenty of reason to expect a sharp effort.
Little Tribune is a sneaky interesting piece at 10/1 on the morning line, sitting on a 64.24 rating that actually tops Silver Spiced and sits just below the top of this field. The 8% career win rate is modest, but Antonio Whitehall in the irons gives this longshot a competent pilot, and if the favorite draws any trouble early, Little Tribune has the numbers to hit the board.
Silver Spiced opens at 3/1 and carries a 63.79 rating that's right in the thick of the mid-tier battle for minor awards. Trainer Lise Pruitt has two horses in this race — the other being Jet Set Rebel — which tells you the barn is serious about hitting the board, and Shavon Townsend is a capable hand to navigate the six furlongs. At 3/1 this isn't a massive overlay, but the reliability factor makes Silver Spiced a solid show anchor in your exotic tickets.
Race 2
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
The morning-line favorite and the TrackWiz top-rated horse align here, which usually shortens the puzzle — but Mister McLean's speed advantage and a 2/1 price on the chalk make this a potential two-horse race worth framing carefully.
Delvecchio tops the TrackWiz ratings at 90 and opens at even money, and that combination is hard to argue with in a six-horse claiming field. A 20% career win rate is legitimately strong in this company, and the average speed figure of 54 ranks among the field's best. Trainer Tom Gardipy, Jr. doubles up in this race with Rick's Dancer, and when a barn throws two at a field, it often means the primary runner is genuinely meant. Javaniel R. Patterson gets the mount and should have options from wherever Delvecchio breaks.
Mister McLean has the highest average speed figure in this field at 56 — that's not a small edge, that's a full tick above the next group. The 2/1 morning line reflects public respect, and trainer Bruce Sanderson with Neville Stephenson up is a pairing worth noting. Even if Delvecchio wins this going away, Mister McLean's raw speed suggests he'll be in the mix for the place spot.
Shocking Malice at 5/1 might be the most interesting exotics piece in the race. The 64.25 TrackWiz rating leads the second tier, and trainer Lise Pruitt — who we saw double up in Race 1 — is clearly active on the card today. Jockey Sven Balroop has a live mount here, and a 5% career win rate means this horse probably needs everything to go right, but in a six-horse field the show spot is very much attainable.
Race 3
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
This is one of the most competitive claiming races on the card — four horses are rated between 82 and 88, and the morning line separates them by fractions, setting up what could be a genuine pace duel through the stretch.
Spunoutofmymind heads our TrackWiz selections with the field's top rating of 87.81 and the best average speed figure in the field at 54. Opening at 5/2, this isn't a throwaway favorite — it's a horse with measurable edges in both pace and overall ability. Trainer Larry Gourneau, Jr. and jockey Antonio Whitehall team up here, and Whitehall has been busy on today's card, suggesting he's riding sharp. In a race this tight, that extra tick of speed could be the difference.
J L Copper at 3/1 is right on Spunoutofmymind's heels with an 83.55 rating and a 16% career win rate that's the second-best in the field. Trainer Jared Brown is having a busy day at Assiniboia, and Sheldon Chickeness in the irons gives this horse a confident hand. If the pace gets honest early, J L Copper's profile as a closer or stalker type could set up beautifully for the place spot.
Run Matteo Run opens at 2/1 and holds an 82.37 rating, meaning the morning-line price is tighter than our numbers suggest for a show-spot play. What's notable is the 14% career win rate — solid for this level — and trainer Tiffany Husbands sends this one out with Damario Bynoe, a capable combination. At 2/1 the value isn't explosive, but in a four-way battle at the top, Run Matteo Run is a legitimate ticket anchor.
Tonight's free races set up beautifully as a pace-oriented trio on the front end of the card. Areunotentertained in Race 1 and Delvecchio in Race 2 both come in as even-money morning-line favorites with top TrackWiz ratings of 90 — as sharp a one-two punch as you'll see to open any card. Neither figure is padded; both horses have earned it. In Race 3, Spunoutofmymind steps in as a 5/2 shot with a rating of 87.81, offering a touch more value while still sitting at the top of our rankings.
On a consistent dirt surface like this, horses with early speed that can clear the field by the turn tend to dominate the six-furlong format. Watch for that front-running bias across all three free races — if the first few fractions are modest, closers get a longer look, but our free picks are positioned to handle either scenario.
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Eight races, clear skies, and a consistent Assiniboia dirt surface that rewards good handicapping. Start with Areunotentertained, Delvecchio, and Spunoutofmymind in the free plays, then let TrackWiz guide you through the premium half of the card where the exotic money is made. Good luck tonight — let's cash some tickets.