Evangeline Picks & Predictions — May 28, 2026
Happy Thursday from Evangeline Downs, where the Louisiana heat is getting a good soaking today — rain is falling and temps are sitting at 81°F. That wet weather is going to be a major storyline throughout this 8-race card, particularly on the dirt, where a rain-affected track can completely scramble the pace picture and reward horses with the right running style.
Worth flagging right away: Race 1 goes on the turf, and with rain in the air, keep a close eye on any potential surface switch before post time. The remaining seven races are all on the dirt, where the footing figures to be sloppy or at minimum good-and-wet by the time the later races roll around. Bias watch is officially on.
Today's card is a solid mix of maiden claimers, straight claimers, and a Allowance Optional Claiming sprint to close things out — nothing graded, but plenty of angles to attack. TrackWiz has you covered on all 8 races.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Claiming · 5 fur · Turf
A maiden claimer on the turf with a heavy favorite standing head and shoulders above the field on TrackWiz ratings — but maiden turf sprints can be chaotic, and there's a cluster of similar types lurking just below.
Sassi Royal is the clear class of this field according to our ratings, posting an 88.54 — more than 30 points clear of the next competitor. She shows a 55 average speed figure, best among horses with recorded figures in the race, and trainer Lee Thomas saddles her alongside stablemate Diodorus, suggesting confidence in the barn. The 2/1 morning line makes her the obvious public choice, but the figure gap here is too wide to argue against — she's our top selection.
My Touch checks in with a 55.83 TrackWiz rating and a 53 average speed figure, putting her firmly in the second tier of this field. Trainer Keith G. Bourgeois sends her out with Juan P. Vargas in the irons, a recognizable local combination, and she figures to be on or near the pace in this 5-furlong turf sprint.
Diodorus edges My Touch slightly on average speed figure at 54 and shares trainer Lee Thomas with the top pick — that barn clearly entered two live horses here. At 4/1 on the morning line, he's a reasonable exotics anchor for a race where the pace could shake things up in the final furlong.
Race 2
Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt
A one-mile dirt claimer where two horses have separated themselves from the pack on ratings, setting up what looks like a battle between a top-rated closer and a solid pace presser — but Knocked Out's standout 35% career win rate adds a wrinkle worth noting.
Roll Gypsy Roll tops this field with an 87.08 TrackWiz rating and is trained by Richard L. Mocklin, Jr., who sends him out with C.J. McMahon aboard. His 52 average speed figure matches the field's best, and at 3/1 on the morning line, he offers fair value relative to his rating advantage. Over a one-mile route on dirt, consistent horses tend to sort themselves out late, and our analysis has Roll Gypsy Roll as the horse to beat.
Im Singled Up sits at 75.31 on the TrackWiz scale with a matching 52 average speed figure and goes with trainer Antonio Alberto and Harry Hernandez up. His 14% career win rate is respectable in a field like this, and at 5/2 on the morning line, he's installed as the public second choice — he should be grinding toward the lead throughout and is a natural place candidate.
Knocked Out may be the most interesting piece of this puzzle — his 35% career win rate is the highest in the race by a wide margin, meaning when he's right, he wins. His 67.5 rating trails the top two, but a 4/1 morning line price offers some overlay value in the exotics, particularly for trifecta construction.
Race 3
Claiming · 6 1/2 fur · Dirt
A wide-open 12-horse claiming field at 6½ furlongs on dirt — Beamer stands out as a clear top selection, but mid-pack there's a tight cluster of five horses within five rating points of each other, making the underneath spots genuinely competitive.
Beamer brings the best package in this field — an 87.08 TrackWiz rating, a 55 average speed figure (tops in the field), and a 26% career win rate that says he closes the deal when he belongs. Trainer Jervon Broussard sends him out with Jamison Mudd, and at 3/1 on the morning line, there's no need to overthink this one. That 55 speed figure is a full point better than anyone else here, and in a 6½-furlong sprint on dirt, raw speed often tells the story.
Madelyn's Hit pairs a 71.73 rating with a 54 average speed figure and a 20% career win rate — she's consistent and capable. Trainer Randy Degeyter, Jr. puts Jansen Melancon on board, and at 5/1 on the morning line, she represents genuine value in the exacta and trifecta slots against this field.
Uno Pea shows a 28% career win rate — second-best in this race — and carries a 70.26 rating with a 51 average speed figure. Trainer Juan Munoz Cano also enters Front and Silver in this same race, but Uno Pea's superior rating and win percentage make him the preferred stable runner for our analysis. At 4/1, he's a fair price to round out the exotics.
The first three races are on the house. Race 1 kicks things off on the turf with Sassi Royal drawing our top rating at 88.54 — the highest score among the free picks — off a 2/1 morning line that suggests the market agrees. If this one stays on the grass in the wet, it gets more interesting, not less. Then we shift to the dirt for a pair of claiming sprints and routes where Roll Gypsy Roll (Race 2, 1 mile) and Beamer (Race 3, 6½ furlongs) both check in with matching 87.08 ratings at 3/1 on the morning line.
The connecting thread across these three free races is pace — on a wet track, early speed can either wire the field or come back to the closers depending on how deep the kick is. All three of our top picks here profile as horses capable of rating off the pace, which is exactly the style you want to back when the ground gets soft and the frontrunners are grinding through slop. Solid spot to open your card.
Full Card Analysis
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Eight races, a wet track, and some genuine angles across the full card — today at Evangeline Downs is worth your attention. Sassi Royal in Race 1 is our top-rated play of the free card, and the dirt trio that follows is worth structuring into a small early Pick 3. For the back half of the card including pace projections, exotic plays, and our full premium ratings on Races 4–8, subscribe to TrackWiz and get every angle we've got. Good luck out there — and watch that weather wire before you finalize any turf bets.