Century Mile Picks & Predictions — June 5, 2026
Century Mile kicks off Friday under partly cloudy skies and a crisp 57°F — decent conditions for a full eight-race dirt card. The temperature is mild enough that we're not expecting any significant surface changes through the afternoon, so whatever the track is giving early, it should hold.
All eight races go on the dirt today, ranging from six furlongs up to seven, and the mix of Claiming, Allowance, Starter Allowance, and Maiden Special Weight conditions gives us a wide spectrum of betting angles. Three of those races are free for every TrackWiz reader, with five premium races rounding out the full card.
Our top-rated horse on the day — American Farmer in Race 3 — carries a TrackWiz rating of 89.71 going into a Starter Allowance at seven furlongs, and he's drawing attention as the 6/5 morning-line favorite. But don't sleep on Knopfler in Race 2, who's right behind him at 89.42. Today's card has teeth.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
The morning-line favorite doesn't hold the top TrackWiz rating in this 6-furlong dirt claimer — creating a genuine overlay opportunity and a wide-open exotics race.
Machina tops the TrackWiz ratings at 84.9 — a significant edge over the rest of the field despite going off at 9/2 on the morning line. Trainer Gonzalo Anderson has Dane Nelson in the irons, a solid book-end combination, and Machina's rating advantage of more than 18 points over the next-best horse makes this a compelling best bet. At nearly 5-1, you're getting real value on what the numbers say is the class of the field.
Anothersunnyday draws plenty of attention as the 4/5 morning-line favorite, and a 20% career win rate is the best in this field — so the public respect is earned. Jockey Enrique Alonzo Gonzalez gets the call for trainer Tom Rycroft, and an average speed figure of 55 is tops in the race. The rating of 66.62 puts this horse solidly in the mix, and a place ticket here is a sensible hedge against the short price.
Licorice at 3/1 offers a logical exotics anchor with a TrackWiz rating of 62.82 — third-best in the field and well clear of the bottom half. Trainer Paul LeMasurier sends out a horse whose numbers suggest consistent competitiveness at this level, and Mauricio Malvaez has experience navigating six-furlong dirt sprints. For trifecta players, Licorice rounds out a core ticket nicely.
Race 2
Claiming · 7 fur · Dirt
A clear class standout tops this 7-furlong dirt claimer, but a savvy second choice at a juicy price makes the exacta worth targeting.
Knopfler is the standout here — a TrackWiz rating of 89.42 is the highest in this field by a considerable margin, and a 19% career win rate is respectable for a claimer. Trainer Barbara Heads sends out a horse who matches the field's top average speed figure of 55, and with Antonio Ambrosio Reyes up, there's every reason to side with the 7/5 morning-line choice. The rating gap alone makes Knopfler a confident best bet.
Holiday's Again brings a 21% career win rate — tied for the best in this field — and a TrackWiz rating of 71.57 that puts this horse clearly in second place on our numbers. Trainer Tim Rycroft has Jose Mariano Asencio in the saddle, and at 3/1 on the morning line, there's enough value to make a place ticket attractive. This horse looks like the natural main rival to the favorite.
You'reinthearmynow is posted at 2/1 on the morning line, reflecting public respect, and the top average speed figure of 55 in this field is worth noting. Trainer Tom Rycroft — who also saddles Holiday's Again through his brother Tim — clearly likes this distance, and Brian Boodramsingh is a capable rider to navigate 7 furlongs. The rating of 49.93 is a step below the top two, but this horse has the raw speed numbers to earn a check.
Race 3
Starter Allowance · 7 fur · Dirt
A heavy morning-line favorite with the top rating faces a legitimate speed threat in this 7-furlong starter allowance — the pace could shape up to benefit closers.
American Farmer carries the top TrackWiz rating in the field at 89.71 and is the 6/5 morning-line choice, making this the most consensus-backed selection on the card. Trainer Craig Robert Smith puts Kimal Santo up, and a 16% career win rate in allowance company signals a horse who fires regularly. The rating advantage is substantial — nearly 24 points clear of Tenth Street Don — so even at short odds, this is the horse to beat.
Tenth Street Don is an interesting angle here: a career-best average speed figure of 56 is the highest in the field, suggesting raw turn-of-foot that could make this horse dangerous on the front end. Trainer James R. Brown gives Richard Balgobin the call, and at 2/1 on the morning line, the public has taken notice. The rating of 66.33 is a clear second-best, and if the pace gets honest early, Tenth Street Don could be right there at the wire.
Viature at 6/1 presents a value case in the exotics — a TrackWiz rating of 52.9 puts this horse third in the field, and an average speed figure of 55 is competitive with the top horses. Trainer Tim Rycroft hands the reins to Ridge Balgobin, a jockey comfortable at Century Mile, and a 14% career win rate suggests this horse isn't just filling out the field. For trifecta players looking to stretch the price, Viature is worth including.
The three free races cover the first half of the card nicely. Machina opens things up in Race 1 — a six-furlong Claiming sprint where our 84.9 rating at 9/2 on the morning line suggests there's genuine value if the price holds. In Race 2, Knopfler steps into a seven-furlong Claiming route as the 7/5 chalk, and the 89.42 TrackWiz rating backs up that favoritism — this is a horse you can trust structurally. Race 3 is where it gets really interesting: American Farmer tops our entire card with an 89.71 rating in the Starter Allowance, and at 6/5 the public agrees. Seven furlongs on a cool, consistent surface should suit a horse with his profile.
Across these three free races, the pace scenarios lean toward horses that can settle and finish — nothing in today's conditions suggests an extreme speed bias, so expect honest fractions and late runners to have their say.
Full Card Analysis
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Bottom line for Friday at Century Mile: American Farmer is the marquee name to watch, Knopfler looks like a trustworthy favorite in Race 2, and Machina offers the best value angle among the free picks at 9/2. The full card — including pace projections, exotic tickets, and our premium race breakdowns — is waiting for subscribers. Head to /pricing to unlock everything before first post.