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Finger Lakes Picks & Predictions — May 20, 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 20268 racesFinger Lakes

We're out at Finger Lakes on a pleasant Wednesday — partly cloudy skies and 61°F make for ideal conditions on a fast dirt track. Eight races are on the slate, and the card skews heavily toward sprint distances, with six of the eight races going at 5½ furlongs or 6 furlongs. That kind of card rewards horses with early speed and sharp pace instincts, so pace scenario is front and center in our analysis today.

The claiming ranks dominate the afternoon, but Race 6 (Maiden Special Weight) and Race 7 (Allowance) give us a couple of spots where class and raw ability tend to separate contenders more cleanly. It's not the flashiest card of the year, but there's real wagering value buried in here — and our ratings surface two horses tied for the highest score on the card that are worth building your tickets around.

Best Bets

Race 1

4:59 PM EDT

Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

A clear class standout tops this 5 1/2-furlong dirt claimer, but mid-pack prices could make the exotics interesting if the favorite gets tested early.

win1Adjustable RateML 2/1

Adjustable Rate (No. 1) is the horse to beat here and it's not particularly close on paper. A TrackWiz rating of 88.54 leads the field by a wide margin, and that 40% career win rate is elite at this level — nearly triple the field average. Jockey Kevin Navarro gets a live mount and trainer Jonathan B. Buckley has a solid win percentage worth respecting. The worry is whether that morning line of 2/1 will compress even further at post time, so if you're playing singles, grab early value. La Indecente (No. 3) is a sneaky underneath piece at 8/1 ML — she shows the field's best average speed figure at 54 and trainer Luis Gutierrez knows this track well.

place3La IndecenteML 8/1

Rating board at 73.6. Ridden by Michael A. Davila, Jr.. Ranked 1st for recent race speed at 12.43 sec/furlong. Has placed in the last 2 races.

show5Je T'adoreML 4/1

Rating board at 62.8. Ridden by Oscar Gomez. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.59 sec/furlong. Jockey & Horse combo has a 13% win rate and finished in the money in 38% of races.

Race 2

5:27 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

The Chris Englehart barn sends out two live arrows in a six-furlong dirt claimer, setting up a potential stable showdown at the top of the ticket.

win6Ace Up Her SleeveML 7/2

Ace Up Her Sleeve (No. 6) edges out stablemate Lady Serenity as our top choice, posting an 86.35 TrackWiz rating — the field's best — while sharing the top average speed figure of 54 with Tekila. Reylu Gutierrez takes the mount for trainer Chris Englehart, and that barn's dual presence in the top two spots suggests confidence from the connections. Lady Serenity (No. 5) isn't far behind at 80.95 and morning-line favorite at 2/1, so if you're constructing exactas, an Englehart 1-2 makes plenty of sense. Tekila (No. 4) at 5/2 ML also shows a 54 average speed and could press the pace, which sets up nicely for a closer if the front end battles it out.

place5Lady SerenityML 2/1

Rating board at 81.0. Ridden by Andre Shivnarine Worrie. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.51 sec/furlong. For past year, Jockey has a 22% win rate and finished in the money in 58% of races.

show1Rubys MissionML 8/1

Rating board at 59.2. Ridden by Michael A. Davila, Jr.. 3 wins and placed in 17 of 31 races on Dirt tracks. Has 1 wins and placed in 6 of 9 races at 6 fur.

Race 3

5:55 PM EDT

Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

With Fedalia scratched, this five-horse 5 1/2-furlong affair becomes a fascinating three-way battle at the top, with the morning-line underdog making a compelling case.

win2Diva BankerML 3/1

Diva Banker (No. 2) leads our TrackWiz ratings at 87.08 and clocks a 54 average speed — tied for the field's best among active entrants. Trainer David Oyola puts Michael A. Davila Jr. up, and the 3/1 morning line looks like fair value given the rating edge. Love Thyself (No. 4) at 2/1 ML is the public's choice but comes in slightly lower on our ratings at 82.8, and her 52 average speed trails the leaders. Don't overlook Red Butterfly (No. 1) at 7/2 ML — she matches Diva Banker's 54 average speed and her 82.2 TrackWiz rating makes this race genuinely competitive at the top. Steven Fret has been getting good results in the irons and this could be a race where the chalk gets picked apart.

Our three free races give you a solid foundation for the day. Adjustable Rate (Race 1, 2/1 morning line) posts our highest TrackWiz rating on the entire card at 88.54 — that kind of number at a fair price is exactly the spot we want to anchor an early Pick 3. In Race 2, Ace Up Her Sleeve grades out at 86.35 and offers a touch more value at 7/2 on the morning line, which could mean real mutuel upside if the favorite stumbles. Diva Banker in Race 3 closes out the free trio at 87.08 — a strong figure for a 5½-furlong claiming sprint. With all three free picks landing on dirt sprints in similar conditions, the pace bias we're tracking today applies equally to each: front-running speed has been rewarded at Finger Lakes on days like this, and all three of our top picks profile favorably from that angle.

Full Card Analysis

Race 4

6:28 PM EDT

Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

The scratch of morning-line favorite John's in Charge blows this 5 1/2-furlong claimer wide open, with multiple live contenders now in striking range of the top spot.

win1Yoheda Money MakerML 5/1

Yoheda Money Maker (No. 1) now looks like the horse to beat after the field was reshuffled by John's in Charge scratching out. Her 77.73 TrackWiz rating leads active runners, and trainer Julie Pierson hands the reins to Reylu Gutierrez — a jockey who knows this track. The 5/1 ML could tighten, so watch the board. Deputy Tramon (No. 5) is the main threat at 74.22 and shows the field's best average speed among starters at 54 — Oscar Gomez is a capable pilot who can rate a horse well over this sprint distance. Burning Munny (No. 3) at 4/1 ML is worth a look underneath at 63.72 with Michael A. Davila Jr. aboard — if the top two set up a pace duel, he could be picking up pieces late.

Race 5

6:59 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi 40 yd · Dirt

A full field goes two-turn in this one-mile-plus dirt claimer, and the pace scenario figures to be contested — which should favor horses with stamina and a clean trip.

win3Street Cop OfficerML 3/1

Street Cop Officer (No. 3) is our top selection, posting an 87.08 TrackWiz rating that towers over this field and drawing trainer M. Anthony Ferraro, who also saddles Four Top in the same race — a sign the barn has serious firepower here. Luis E. Perez gets the call and the 3/1 morning line is fair. What's interesting is stablemate Four Top (No. 4) at 7/2 ML also rates well at 74.70 with a 13% career win rate and Kevin Navarro up — if you're playing exactas, a Ferraro barn 1-2 looks attractive. October Bliss (No. 1) at 5/1 brings a 15% career win rate and 66.89 rating — not to be ignored in a wide-open bottom half of the field.

Race 6

7:29 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

With two scratches thinning the maiden special weight field to four, this sprint becomes a short-field puzzle where ratings and works take on extra weight.

win1Probably FlatteryML 7/2

Probably Flattery (No. 1) is the standout in this shrunken field, carrying an 86.35 TrackWiz rating that's comfortably ahead of the remaining contenders. Trainer M. Anthony Ferraro is having a strong card today and Luis E. Perez takes the mount — that combo has delivered in the earlier races. The 7/2 morning line was set before the scratches, so expect money to come in. All Busted Up (No. 6) at 3/1 ML is the one to watch underneath — he carries no average speed figure on file, which suggests a first-timer or limited PP history, making him a wild card. Captain Zane (No. 2) shows a solid 54 average speed and a 55.0 rating — in a four-horse field, he's a legitimate exacta threat at 4/1.

place6All Busted UpML 3/1

Rating board at 56.7. Ridden by Jeremias Flores. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.61 sec/furlong. For past year, Jockey has a 21% win rate and finished in the money in 56% of races.

show2Captain ZaneML 4/1

Rating board at 55.0. Ridden by Emanuel De Diego. Ranked 1st for recent race speed at 12.55 sec/furlong.

Race 7

7:58 PM EDT

Allowance · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

Three scratches in this allowance sprint reshuffle the order of preference, and Lifeisbutadream now stands alone at the top of the TrackWiz ratings with a clear path.

win1LifeisbutadreamML 5/1

Lifeisbutadream (No. 1) is our best bet of the race. The 84.17 TrackWiz rating leads all active runners by a meaningful margin, and a 33% career win rate in allowance company is genuinely impressive — that's a horse who fires consistently. Keiber J. Coa takes the mount for trainer M. Anthony Ferraro, who is having an excellent card today. The 5/1 morning line feels generous given the scratches of the 2/1 and 20/1 threats, and we'd expect that number to come down. Classiwest (No. 8) at 10/1 ML is worth a flier in deeper tickets — the 60.62 rating and 54 average speed give trainer Chris Englehart a live longshot angle in the wide-open mid-tier of this field.

place3Sugartown SweetieML 7/2

Rating board at 65.1 • 25% career wins. Ridden by Jeremias Flores. For past year, Jockey has a 21% win rate and finished in the money in 56% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 21% win rate and finished in the money in 59% of races.

show8ClassiwestML 10/1

Rating board at 60.6. Ridden by J. M. Rohena. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.37 sec/furlong. 1 wins and placed in 5 of 8 races on Dirt tracks.

Race 8

8:29 PM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

Im Gunna brings an eye-catching speed figure into a maiden claiming sprint and looks like the class of the field — but can the heavy favorite handle the pressure at low odds?

win2Im GunnaML 2/1

Im Gunna (No. 2) is the clear selection. An 88.54 TrackWiz rating is the highest mark on the entire card today, and a 55 average speed — the best in the race by three points — gives trainer Troy Smith's runner a significant edge over this field. Laird O. Bailey takes the mount and the 2/1 morning line will almost certainly compress further. The risk, as always with maiden claimers, is that the past performance tells you more about consistency than ceiling — these horses haven't broken their maiden yet for a reason. Chicago Charlie (No. 4) at 5/1 ML rates second at 65.44 for trainer Luis Gutierrez and Nazario Alvarado — if Im Gunna gets shuffled back or faces early heat, he's the prime beneficiary.

⚡ Longshot1Not My TypeML 12/1

Rating board at 35.5. Ridden by Oscar Gomez. Has not raced in 246 days, may just be looking for a race to tighten up. Ranked 2nd in workouts over last month at 12.05 sec/furlong.

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Finger Lakes serves up a workmanlike eight-race dirt card today with legitimate value hiding in plain sight. Adjustable Rate and Im Gunna are your two highest-rated horses on the card — both worth featuring in win tickets and multi-race sequences. Diva Banker and Ace Up Her Sleeve round out a free-race trio that gives casual bettors a clean, data-backed starting point. For pace projections, exotic ticket breakdowns, and the full Race 4–8 analysis, subscribers have everything they need. Good luck out there — and as always, manage your bankroll and trust the process.

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