Charles Town Picks & Predictions — August 14, 2026

Powered by Love opens at 9/5 and rates second in the field at 74.42 — trainer Kevin J. Joy gives Reshawn Latchman the mount. Her 13% career win rate is modest, but her average speed figure of 53 is right in the mix, and at nine furlongs the closer profile could set up well if Hard Stance gets into a pace battle up front. A solid exacta underneath at a workable price.

Holiday Cash comes in at 9/2 with a 71.18 rating and a 15% career win clip, trained by Ronney W. Brown who also runs Market Watch. Moises Santaella climbs aboard, and at 52 average speed he's in the same conversation as most of this field. As the third-rated horse in a race where the top two seem clear, he's a natural trifecta inclusion at a fair price.

A Notable Nature opens at 5/2 with a 57.5 rating, just a point behind the top pick, and trainer Ronald G. Sigler gives the mount to Denis Vicente Araujo — a rider who gets around Charles Town well. With no speed figure available, the case rests on trainer form and market confidence, but at 5/2 there's enough value to key underneath in exactas.

Kickin' With Caity and Crystal Veil are dead-level at 56.67 ratings and 3/1 on the morning line — our show pick is Kickin' With Caity based on program position and the fact that trainer Anthony Farrior has both her and Crystal Veil, suggesting the barn is throwing darts at a wide target. Nomar Arroyo Bueno gets the mount here, and Farrior has the horses to run 1-2 or scatter. Worth including in trifectas as a live show option.

Task Force rates second at 78.19 and opens at 4/1 with Nomar Arroyo Bueno up for trainer Anthony Farrior — yes, it's the same barn, which means this exacta could pay nicely if Farrior runs 1-2. His 14% career win rate and 51 average speed figure are the modest side, but in a race where his stablemate is drawing most of the money, Task Force could sneak into the exacta at a price.

Mr Scatter at 5/2 holds a 76.46 rating and sports a 22% career win rate — trainer Michael E. Jones, Jr. sends Denis Vicente Araujo out on a horse who clearly knows how to hit the board. His 51 average speed is in the mix, and as the only legitimate outside threat to the Farrior duo, he's worth including in trifectas. If one of the favorites gets into trouble, Scatter is the most likely beneficiary.

Whinny Miss Lynny at 8/1 is the value play here — a 79.79 rating makes her the second-best horse in the field by TrackWiz numbers, yet she's getting nearly 5-1 more than the favorite on the morning line. Trainer Ronney W. Brown gives her to Nomar Arroyo Bueno, and her 16% career win rate with a 51 average speed figure suggests a horse who competes consistently. At this price, she's a prime exacta partner.

Peaceful Union at 6/1 holds a 70.71 rating and gets Denis Vicente Araujo for trainer Tyler S. Shanley, who also saddles Elite Miss in the race. A 7% career win rate isn't alarming in a wide field like this, and her 52 average speed is respectable. She's the logical third choice on the board and worth slotting into trifectas as a deeper closer in a ten-horse sprint.

Changes is the surprise of this ticket — rated 81.77 by TrackWiz and opening at 6/1, she's the second-highest-rated horse but with a morning line that suggests the market hasn't fully caught on. Trainer Vanessa Peltroche puts husband Fredy Peltroche up, a family barn connection that often signals strong intent. The 7% career win rate leaves something to be desired, but the rating gap over the rest of the field is hard to ignore at that price.

Aim's Redirect rates 66.41 and opens at 4/1, giving trainer Stephen L. Reggetts and Victor Rodriguez a logical outside contender. His 4% career win rate is a red flag, but he's clearly capable of hitting the board in this company — the 51 average speed figure is consistent with the middle of this field. As the third-rated horse at a fair morning-line price, he's a natural trifecta anchor in an otherwise thin field.

Snitch Dorada is the other half of this two-horse race at 5/2 — rated 86.11, just behind Lino's Legacy, with the best available average speed figure in the field at 55. Trainer Anthony Farrior saddles another top contender tonight, pairing her with Jeiron Barbosa, who has been Farrior's go-to rider all card. At a shorter price than the win pick, she's a must-use underneath and potentially the single most dangerous horse in the spot.

Stryda opens at 6/1 with a 60.63 rating and a stunning 40% career win percentage — the highest of any horse on tonight's card. Trainer Alexander V. Naupac puts Jose Y. Diaz up, and while there's a gap between Stryda and the top two, a 40% career win rate is not a number you ignore in exotics. She's worth sprinkling into trifectas as a live third who clearly knows how to cross the wire first.

Lookingforahandout opens at 10/1 — a significant overlay given he rates fourth in the field at 59.55. Trainer Michael E. Jones, Jr. puts Denis Vicente Araujo up, a rider who has been busy all evening and clearly comfortable at Charles Town. A 51 average speed figure matches the mid-pack, and at double-digit odds he's a value play to hit the board in a wide-open maiden field where chaos is always a possibility.

Silent Sam opens at 7/2 with a 55.83 rating and a 52 average speed figure — trainer John C. Carlisle puts Antonio Lopez up on a horse who is rated third in our model despite a middle-of-the-road morning line. In a spread-out eleven-horse maiden, he profiles as a consistent show candidate and is worth including in trifectas across multiple combinations. At 7/2 he's not a longshot, but the rating-to-price relationship offers mild value.