Emerald Downs Picks & Predictions — June 26, 2026
It's a crisp Friday afternoon at Emerald Downs — partly cloudy skies and 64°F temperatures are about as good as it gets in the Pacific Northwest for racing. Conditions look ideal for the dirt surface, and with seven races on the card, there's plenty of action to work through from first post to finale.
Today's card is heavy on claiming races, which means trainers are maneuvering for position — class drops, sneaky layoff horses, and pace matchups are all in play. We've got a mix of sprint distances dominating the card (mostly 6 furlongs), plus a route to close things out in Race 7. Plenty of angles to attack.
Our TrackWiz ratings have separated some clear top horses across the card, but there's also legitimate intrigue in the morning lines — including an 8/1 shot in Race 1 carrying one of our stronger ratings on the day. Don't sleep on the overlays.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A wide-open maiden claimer where the morning-line favorite gets outrated by two rivals — TrackWiz numbers point to a potential upset in the opener.
Colonel Brock is the most intriguing play in this maiden claimer at 8/1 on the morning line. His TrackWiz rating of 79.79 tops every horse in the field by a meaningful margin, yet the oddsmakers have him as a mid-range price — that's the kind of disconnect we love. With an average speed figure of 56, he's got the fastest feet in the field heading into the six-furlong dirt sprint, and trainer Heath Lawrence is sending him out with Silvio Ruiz Amador aboard, a capable pilot who knows how to rate a horse in a maiden field. If he breaks cleanly and sits off the pace, he could be finishing strongest of all.
Bull Tiz is the morning-line favorite at 6/5, and while his TrackWiz rating of 69.31 trails Colonel Brock's by ten points, he's still a cut above the bottom half of this field. Kevin Krigger is a reliable hand in these spots, and an average speed figure of 55 keeps Bull Tiz competitive at this maiden claiming level. He's a solid place coverage play, particularly if he gets the early jump and avoids traffic.
Love Da Gig is the second choice on the morning line at 9/5 and posts the field's top average speed figure at 57 — that's a legitimate edge in a sprint. Her TrackWiz rating of 61.23 is third-best in the field, and with Alex M. Cruz in the irons, she profiles as a horse that could be on or near the lead throughout. She's worth including in the show slot of any exotics ticket as a pace-controlling factor who could hold on for a piece.
Race 2
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
Eyelight looks like a horse in a class of her own here — the question is whether any of the closers can muster enough to make it interesting at the wire.
Eyelight is a clear standout in this six-furlong claiming sprint, and the TrackWiz numbers back it up loudly. Her rating of 88.83 is the highest in the field by more than 20 points, and a career win percentage of 47% is absolutely elite for this level — nearly one in two starts results in a win. Trainer Frank Lucarelli is running two horses in this race, which signals confidence, and Isaias D. Enriquez gets the mount on the barn's top choice. Even at 9/5, the form here is hard to argue with.
Ms Flashy Harbor offers a bit of a value angle in the place slot at 5/2 on the morning line. Her TrackWiz rating of 65.92 is second-best in the field, and she posts the highest average speed figure of any runner at 56 — meaning she may be faster in the open than her win percentage of 11% suggests. Karlo Lopez, a consistent rider at Emerald, gets the call for trainer Steve Bullock, and she could find herself in the right spot tracking the pace.
Flyin By at 9/2 morning line is a sneaky show play with an average speed figure of 57 — the best in this field. Her TrackWiz rating of 63 is third-best, and she's won 21% of her career starts, which gives her legitimate credentials at this level. If Eyelight goes to the front and gets pressured, Flyin By's closing ability could punch her ticket for a piece of the purse.
Race 3
Claiming · 5 fur · Dirt
Three horses are bunched within a razor-thin two-point spread at the top of the TrackWiz ratings — pace scenario and post draw could decide this one.
Bella Ciao Ciao heads our analysis with a TrackWiz rating of 81.62, the top mark in the field, though Obsidian Storm is just half a point behind at 81.04 — so this is genuinely close. The edge we give Bella Ciao Ciao comes from the connections: trainer Faustino Patino hands the reins to Kevin Krigger, who is one of the most experienced and decorated riders in the Pacific Northwest circuit. Her average speed figure of 55 is right in the mix for a five-furlong sprint, and at 8/5 the market agrees she's the one to beat.
Obsidian Storm is an outstanding place pick at 5/1 on the morning line, offering real value relative to his rating of 81.04. The one concern is his average speed figure of 51 — the lowest among the top contenders — but his career win rate of 11% on a tough circuit suggests he knows how to be competitive. Trainer Francisco Rodriguez has him ready, and Blake Nunnally is capable of engineering a trip from the fourth post that keeps him in striking range.
Omache Girl is a price play worth adding to your exotics at 8/1 morning line, backed by a TrackWiz rating of 79.79 — third-best in the race and only two points off the top. She's won 16% of her career starts, which is respectable, and her average speed figure of 55 matches the pace setters evenly. Silvio Ruiz Amador aboard gives her a strong pilot, and if the two favorites get into a speed duel up front, Omache Girl has the profile to collect a piece late.
The first three races are fully unlocked for every reader, and they're a solid warm-up to the card. Eyelight in Race 2 carries our highest rating among the free picks at 88.83 — on a 6-furlong dirt sprint, that kind of edge in a claiming field is worth noting. In Race 3, Bella Ciao Ciao opens as the 8/5 morning line favorite at 5 furlongs, and our numbers back that up at 81.62. Short sprints on this surface tend to favor horses with early foot, so pace shape will matter.
The real eyebrow-raiser in the free races is Colonel Brock in the opener — an 8/1 morning line in a maiden claiming sprint with a 79.79 TrackWiz rating suggests the market may be underestimating him. Maiden claimers can be volatile, but when our model and the price point in the same direction, it's worth a hard look before you dismiss it.
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Bottom line for today at Emerald Downs: Eyelight is our top-rated free pick and a name to anchor your early tickets, while Colonel Brock at 8/1 in the opener is the kind of overlay we love to highlight. The premium side of the card is stacked with competitive claiming races where our pace models and ratings give subscribers a real edge. Get the full story at /pricing and make every race count today.