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Canterbury Park Picks & Predictions — August 27, 2026

August 27, 20267 racesAll Canterbury Park picks

Clear skies and 79°F at Canterbury Park — about as good as a late-August afternoon in Shakopee gets. The ground is playing fast, the turf should be firm and true, and we've got a seven-race card that blends sprint speed from the quarter-horse chutes with a pair of turf routes that could get interesting late.

The card opens with two short-format sprints — 250 and 300 yards of pure launch-pad racing — before shifting gears into routes on both turf and dirt. There's something for every kind of bettor today, whether you're hunting value in the maiden ranks or looking to structure a multi-race sequence through the backend.

TrackWiz has ratings on every horse in the field. Three races are fully free today, giving all readers a solid foundation before the card heats up.

Best Bets

Race 1

10:10 PM EDT

Maiden · 250 yd · Dirt

A wide-open quarter-horse maiden dash at 250 yards where TrackWiz ratings separate a clear top tier from the rest of the field — but first-time starters always carry a wildcard factor at this sprint distance.

win3Six JetzML 8/5

Six Jetz tops the TrackWiz ratings in this race with an 89.12, the highest mark in the field and a significant gap over the morning-line second choice. Trainer Haley N. Hobbs saddles this one and also has Muddy Man in the race, suggesting she's confident enough to split her attention — that usually means she likes what she sees in the morning works. The 8/5 morning line reflects public respect, and in a 250-yard dash there's simply no margin for error, which is why we lean on the horse with the biggest rating edge.

place4Relentless PrinceML 2/1

Relentless Prince carries a 75.48 TrackWiz rating and draws the 2/1 morning line, making him the market's second choice and our place pick. Trainer Tyler Stein and jockey Angel O. Ramirez team up here, a pairing worth noting in these short-format quarter-horse sprints where a clean break is everything. He's right in the mix if Six Jetz has any trouble out of the gate.

show5Yep YepML 6/1

Yep Yep sits just a tick below Relentless Prince at a 74.48 rating and offers real value at 6/1 on the morning line — that's three points of separation from our place pick but nearly triple the odds. Trainer Victor Hanson sends her out with Kelsi Harr, and at these short distances the margin between third and fourth can come down to gate luck alone. She's a logical show-ticket anchor and a nice way to round out exacta and trifecta combinations.

Race 2

10:38 PM EDT

Allowance · 300 yd · Dirt

The 300-yard allowance features two standout performers separated from a mid-pack cluster, setting up a potential duel at the top while a longshot lurks with surprising credentials.

win7Corona DownhillML 2/1

Corona Downhill is our top play here with an 88.54 TrackWiz rating — the highest in the race — and a 10% career win rate that gives her a legitimate résumé in the allowance ranks. Trainer Jason L. Olmstead also has McGreggor and Spicy Cartel in this race, but Corona Downhill drew Armando Alvidrez, Olmstead's likely top call. At 2/1 on the morning line, she's appropriately priced as the favorite and the rating edge at 300 yards makes her a strong win single.

place5HotskevinML 5/2

Hotskevin rates second in the field at 82.01 and comes in at 5/2 on the morning line, making him nearly co-favorite. A 9% career win rate is respectable in this company, and trainer Tyler Stein has shown an ability to spot horses well at Canterbury. If there's any pace heat between the top two, Hotskevin could be the one picking up the pieces.

show2Can You Here Me NowML 12/1

Can You Here Me Now is our show-ticket value with a 63.80 rating and a 9% career win percentage — solid numbers for a horse listed at 12/1 on the morning line. Trainer Tyler Stein runs this one alongside Hotskevin, which suggests the barn is doubling up with confidence. That kind of longshot price in exotics can pay handsomely if the top two fight it out and leave the door open.

Race 3

11:08 PM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

A maiden claiming mile on turf where the top two rated horses are separated by less than a point, setting up a fascinating duel between a narrow favorite and a well-regarded closer — with a third contender lurking at a fair price.

win3Miracle MindedML 8/5

Miracle Minded tops the TrackWiz ratings at 89.12 and carries an average speed figure of 53, matching Alltail at the same number while posting a slightly higher composite rating. Trainer Tony Rengstorf pairs with jockey Sachin Parris, and on a one-mile turf course there's room for pace to develop in their favor. The 8/5 morning line says the public has found this horse, and our ratings agree — this is the most complete profile in the race.

place5Not Today BossML 9/2

Not Today Boss rates 80.0 with an average speed of 52 and comes in at a very workable 9/2 morning line, making trainer Troy A. Bethke's runner one of the better value plays on the card. Bethke also runs Crypto Soleil, but Manuel Americano takes the call on Not Today Boss, which reads as the barn's preferred shot. On a turf mile where pace can collapse late, this horse's profile fits a stalker role perfectly.

show2AlltailML 2/1

Alltail rates 79.74 and carries a 53 average speed figure, putting her right in line with the top of the field. The 2/1 morning line suggests the market likes her, and trainer Edgar Espinoza puts Kelsi Harr up — a strong local rider. She's a natural show anchor and rounds out a sensible trifecta ticket with the top two rated horses in the field.

The first three races give us a nice cross-section of the day's themes. Six Jetz draws our eye in the opening maiden sprint — an 89.12 TrackWiz rating at 8/5 on the morning line suggests the market and our model are closely aligned, and on a fast track at 250 yards there's very little room for pace scenarios to unfold in unexpected ways. It either breaks clean and wins or it doesn't. Corona Downhill steps up to 300 yards in Race 2 with an 88.54 rating — a shade lower, but still a strong number for an allowance field, and the slightly longer trip could reward a runner who finds a rhythm out of the gates.

Race 3 switches it up entirely with a one-mile turf maiden claiming. Miracle Minded carries an 89.12 rating — matching Six Jetz at the top of our free-race leaderboard — and on firm turf at a mile, pace shape and trip luck become much bigger factors. The 8/5 morning line hints the crowd agrees, but maiden claiming turf routes have a way of producing surprises. Keep an eye on early pace development here; a hot tempo up front could set up a closer the public hasn't fully discovered yet.

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Full Card Analysis

Race 4

11:38 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt

A one-mile dirt claimer featuring a significant class standout at the top of the ratings — but a field loaded with horses carrying high career win percentages means the pace could be contested and nothing is a lock.

win4Prince RamaML 5/2

Prince Rama is the class of this field on multiple fronts: an 87.81 TrackWiz rating, a 28% career win rate that leads all starters, and a 54 average speed figure. Trainer Tony Rengstorf also conditions Words of Wisdom in the race, but Eduardo Gallardo gets the mount on Prince Rama — typically the stable's top pick when splitting horses. At 5/2, this is a fair price for a horse who wins at more than one-in-four career attempts.

place5Lace UpML 3/1

Lace Up rates 76.26 with a 53 average speed and a 12% career win rate, sitting comfortably in second in our ratings. Trainer Tim P. Padilla sends Luis A. Fuentes out on this one, a solid jockey/trainer combo at Canterbury. The 3/1 morning line gives you real overlay value compared to Prince Rama if you're building exacta tickets — if the favorite faces any trouble on the far turn, Lace Up is ideally positioned to benefit.

show2Lightning StruckML 5/1

Lightning Struck is worth including in your exotics with a 15% career win rate — second-highest in the field — and a 54 average speed that matches Prince Rama's figure. Trainer Edgar Espinoza has multiple runners in this race, but Lightning Struck at 5/1 on the morning line is the one worth targeting for show bets and trifecta coverage. That career win percentage tells you this horse has been to the winner's circle before and knows how to finish.

Race 5

12:08 AM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 5 fur · Turf

Five furlongs on turf in an allowance optional claiming field where one horse stands head and shoulders above on career win percentage — and his speed figures back up the narrative completely.

win2Big PopML 7/2

Big Pop is simply in a different class here when it comes to career win percentage: 46%, which is nearly 13 points clear of the second-best in the field. His 58 average speed figure is also the best in the race by a meaningful margin, and trainer Esteban Martinez hands the reins to Manuel Americano, one of the sharper jockeys on the Canterbury circuit. At 7/2 on the morning line, there's still value here despite the gaudy credentials — this horse wins nearly half the time for a reason.

place7September MagicML 3/1

September Magic rates 79.11 with a 57 average speed figure and comes in at 3/1 — a fair price for a horse that figures to sit just off any early pace on a five-furlong turf sprint. Trainer McLean Robertson also runs Call'em All in the race, but Eduardo Gallardo gets the call on September Magic, suggesting this is Robertson's A-horse in the barn split. A stalker profile suits this distance on turf, and 3/1 represents honest value for the place slot.

show6Call'em AllML 5/2

Call'em All rates 73.0 with a 57 average speed figure and a 26% career win rate, numbers that make the 5/2 morning line a little short for show purposes — but this horse has legitimate form. Trainer McLean Robertson doubles up with September Magic here, and Kelsi Harr handles this one. The speed figure matches September Magic's, and at five furlongs on turf a horse with a 26% win rate is never just making up the numbers.

Race 6

12:38 AM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

A compact five-horse field at six furlongs on dirt with two horses rated nearly identically at the top — but the morning line makes one of them nearly a two-to-one underlay, which tells you something about where the sharp money may flow.

win2RiversideML 6/5

Riverside leads our ratings at 89.71 — the top mark across all races today — and backs it up with a 55 average speed figure and a 19% career win rate. Trainer Jose Silva Jr. has two horses in this race, with Luis A. Fuentes taking the call on Riverside, which looks like the stable's primary weapon. The 6/5 morning line is short, but when a horse carries the top rating in the field and the top composite score of the entire card, you lean in.

place4Mission BeachML 2/1

Mission Beach is a standout at 88.0 on our ratings — just 1.7 points behind Riverside — and carries the best career win percentage in the field at 32%, plus a 56 average speed figure that leads all runners. Trainer Jose Silva Jr. runs both Mission Beach and Riverside, but Manuel Americano is aboard here at 2/1, which gives you a shot at a much more rewarding exacta if the stablemates run one-two. The credentials demand respect.

show5Dual MonarchyML 5/1

Dual Monarchy is our show play at 5/1 on the morning line, offering real overlay value in what shapes up as a top-heavy race. The 47.3 rating is well behind the top two, but in a five-horse field there are only two horses in front of you to beat for the show slot. Trainer Robert N. Cline and jockey Kelsi Harr team up, and a 55 average speed figure keeps this horse within range if the top two beat each other up on the front end.

Race 7

1:08 AM EDT

Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

The 5.5-furlong dirt closer is a wide-open claiming affair where the morning-line favorite doesn't match up as the top-rated horse — creating a prime overlay opportunity for players willing to go against the crowd.

win6Smart With HeartML 5/1

Smart With Heart is our top selection at 84.17 on the TrackWiz ratings despite being listed at 5/1 on the morning line — a significant gap from the 2/1 morning-line favorite Miss Mikos. Trainer Edgar Espinoza puts Leslie Mawing up, and while the 7% career win rate looks modest, the rating here is what matters — our model sees something the morning line doesn't fully price in. At five-and-a-half furlongs on dirt, a horse with this kind of rating edge at plus-money is exactly the type of play the TrackWiz methodology is built to find.

place1I C GoldML 4/1

I C Gold carries the highest career win percentage in the race at 30% and rates 80.37, which is second in the field. Trainer McLean Robertson sends Manuel Americano out on this one, and at 4/1 on the morning line there's genuine place value here. A 54 average speed figure is competitive, and a horse that wins nearly a third of the time over a career is never just filling out a field.

show3Miss MikosML 2/1

Miss Mikos is the public's 2/1 morning-line choice and rates 79.24, placing her third in our ratings — which means our model thinks the public may be slightly overweighting her chances to win but she's still a legitimate contender. The 56 average speed figure is the best in the field, and a 20% career win rate gives her a real résumé. She's a logical show anchor and rounds out a trifecta ticket nicely at a modest price.

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Today's card gives you a little of everything — blistering short sprints, a turf route with pace intrigue, and a premium closer headlined by Riverside, our top-rated horse on the card. Start with the three free races to get a feel for how the track is playing, then let the full subscriber analysis guide your multi-race wagers through the afternoon. Full card breakdowns, pace projections, and exotic ticket strategies are waiting at TrackWiz Premium — good luck out there.

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