Delta Downs Picks & Predictions — July 18, 2026

Carter Baby Dont Cry is the morning line favorite at 2/1 and posts a solid 81.47 TrackWiz rating with a 25% career win rate — that's the best conversion rate in this field. Trainer Danny Hoda sends out Rene Hernandez, a capable pairing at Delta Downs. The rating gap between this one and our top pick is narrow, and in a six-horse field over a short sprint, both can hit the board together.

Scuttlebuzz opens at 5/1 with a 44.95 rating and a 22% career win rate. That win rate is actually encouraging for a show play — it tells you this horse competes regularly, even if the speed numbers don't jump off the page. Trainer Vann E. Haywood has two horses in this race and Everardo Rodriguez pilots this one; in a short-distance dash, the shorter the race, the more any horse's chance is compressed. Include in trifectas for coverage.

Jamies Secret Piloto at 10/1 is the value play of the race. The 56.38 TrackWiz rating isn't elite, but it's good enough for a place effort in a field where most of the competition checks in well below. Trainer Donald Rubin sends out Donell Blake, and a 6% career win rate means this horse hasn't won often — but 'place' doesn't require a win. At 10/1, the place payoff on this longshot could make the ticket worthwhile.

Away James owns a 33% career win rate — the best in this field — paired with a 56.1 TrackWiz rating and 5/1 morning line odds. Trainer Preston Jourdan with Ubaldo Luna is a combination we've seen throughout this card, and they clearly show up to compete. The class level of 440-yard allowance suits this profile, and a horse that wins a third of its starts has the competitive nature to board consistently.

Illegal Lady at 10/1 is a legitimate value play in this exotic. The 66.31 TrackWiz rating is second-best in a wide-open maiden field, and trainer David Bustamante puts Randy Edison Jr. in the irons — a jockey who is active throughout this card. In a ten-horse maiden race at 250 yards, the pace scenario compresses quickly, and a horse with this profile sneaking onto the board at big odds is exactly the kind of play that makes trifectas pay.

Inspyrational opens at 9/2 with a 62.05 TrackWiz rating — third in the field — and gets trainer Martin Trejo with Rolando Cabrera in the saddle. Cabrera is one of the busier jockeys tonight, suggesting he's in good form. The morning line respects this horse more than the double-digit outsiders, and for show ticket purposes, the 9/2 price means the show payoff has decent upside. A solid exotics piece underneath the top two.

Lm Mr Scarface rates 75.78 — second in the field — and also opens at 5/1, making this a second value opportunity in the same race. Trainer Luis R. Martinez, Jr. saddles Eddi Emanuel Martinez, and the 14% career win rate tells you this horse is consistently competitive without always closing the deal. In a nine-horse field, two above-average horses rated closely together often both find their way onto the board.

Jeantile Candy Train is the morning line's 5/2 second choice with a 64.17 TrackWiz rating — third in the field. Trainer Kenneth L. Roberts, Sr. is having a busy night at Delta Downs, and Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr. handles the riding. The 16% career win rate is on par for claiming level. This horse is likely to attract public money as a near-favorite, which means the show payoff won't be exciting — but it's a reliable ticket anchor.

El Piloto Ps at 8/1 is where the value lives in this race. The 71.96 TrackWiz rating is just a whisker behind our win pick — essentially a dead heat on the numbers — and trainer Braulio Hernandez puts Angel A. Fierro in the irons. In a ten-horse maiden sprint, a horse this close to the top of the ratings board at 8/1 is a gift for exotic players. This is a legitimate contender being overlooked.

Goldwynn draws the outside 10-hole and opens at 7/2, carrying a 55.83 rating — mid-pack in this field, but good enough for a show effort. Trainer Miguel Pizana hands the reins to Jorge Javier Garcia, and the gate position in a 300-yard dash matters: breaking clean from the outside post can neutralize traffic issues. At 7/2, this is a reasonable exotics piece if you're building a trifecta underneath the top two.

Jj Coronas Star is the morning line third choice at 7/2 and carries an 80.87 TrackWiz rating — just two points behind our win pick. Trainer Jose Carrizales has two horses in this race, but this one draws the call from Eddi Emanuel Martinez. A 12% career win rate is modest, but the tight ratings gap between first and second makes this a logical place contender, and the 7/2 morning line suggests the public agrees.

Stevin Got Even closes our top three with a 77.61 TrackWiz rating and opens at 3/1 — the second choice on the morning line. Federico Vargas takes the mount for trainer Rene Saias Vidana, and a 13% career win rate gives us some baseline confidence. The three horses at the top of our ratings (82.71, 80.87, 77.61) are packed closely enough that any order is plausible, making trifecta boxes with these three an appealing play.

Dj Ghostrider draws the outside 10-post with a 58.71 TrackWiz rating and 8/1 morning line odds — making this one of the better value plays of the card's closing races. Trainer Kenneth Weeks puts Servando Ramirez aboard, and while the rating isn't elite, it sits comfortably above mid-field in a bunch of similarly-rated maiden starters. The 8/1 price means the place payoff has real upside if this one can hold second.

Jp Valiant Blue rates 55.83 and opens at 7/2 — a solid morning line third choice that aligns reasonably well with our ratings. Trainer Fernando Lopez sends out Jorge Javier Garcia, who also has the mount on Goldwynn in Race 7. The 7/2 morning line suggests public money will follow this one, and in a maiden race where the field is bunched from position 2 through 10, this horse drawing the 2-hole gives a clean trip a fair shot at the show spot.