Hawthorne Picks & Predictions — July 5, 2026
Happy post-Fourth Sunday, Hawthorne fans. The fireworks are done but the action is just getting started — we've got an 11-race card on tap today, and Mother Nature is crashing the party with steady rain and 76-degree temperatures. That means the dirt is likely playing wet and potentially cuppy, so pace scenarios and post positions are going to matter more than usual as the day unfolds.
The surface situation gets complicated in the middle of the card: a couple of turf races are on the schedule, and with rain coming down, keep an eye on any surface switches before you finalize your tickets. When grass goes to dirt, the whole complexion of a race changes — and that's where sharp bettors can find real value.
TrackWiz has you covered across all 11 races. The first three races are free for everyone, and our premium subscribers get the full breakdown — pace projections, exacta and trifecta structures, and multi-race angles — for the back half of the card.
Best Bets
Race 1
Starter Optional Claiming · 1 1/16 mi · Dirt
A starter optional claiming mile-and-a-sixteenth on dirt that sets up as a three-horse battle at the top, with the morning-line favorite carrying less TrackWiz firepower than two of his rivals.
Oliverio tops the TrackWiz ratings at 86.35 despite going off at 7/2 on the morning line — that's a value gap worth noting right away. He's posted a 18% career win rate and shares the field's best average speed figure at 53. Trainer Elias Lopez has the horse pointed here, and with jockey Frank Reyes up, the connections are serious. At a route distance where tactical positioning matters, Oliverio's rating edge over the favorite makes him our best bet to win.
Handsoffthegoods posts the second-highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 83.51 and carries a solid 19% career win percentage — actually the best in the race. He's the program-one horse with Olaf Hernandez in the irons, and at 3/1 on the morning line he offers real place value if Oliverio handles the top spot. His rating consistency suggests he'll be competitive deep into the stretch at 1 1/16 miles.
Little Steven is the morning-line favorite at 8/5 but ranks third in our ratings at 78.41, which is why he lands in the show slot rather than on top. He ties for the field's best average speed figure at 53 alongside several rivals, and trainer John Haran is a competent conditioner at this level. In exotics, he's hard to leave out given his public support, but we think the market slightly overrates him relative to the top two in our model.
Race 2
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A tight six-furlong claiming sprint headlined by a pair of closely matched speed types — the public will lean toward the slightly shorter-priced pair, but the pace setup could be a factor.
All About Tonite leads the field with a TrackWiz rating of 89.42 and goes off as the morning-line favorite at 7/5. Trainer Eduardo Rodriguez keeps this horse sharp, and jockey Johanis Aranguren is comfortable at Hawthorne. Her 12% career win rate is modest, but the rating dominance here is hard to dismiss — she's a full 5+ points clear of Mon Ami Fuzzie. At six furlongs on dirt, horses with her speed profile tend to be dangerous on the front end.
Mon Ami Fuzzie is the logical place play at 9/5 with a strong 83.83 rating and the field's best average speed figure at 55. Jockey Emmanuel Giles pairs with trainer Jose G. Rodriguez, a barn that knows how to get horses ready in claiming company. If All About Tonite hits early traffic or gets pressured hard, Mon Ami Fuzzie has the raw speed to track and pounce.
Devils Red is a legitimate show play at 9/2 with a 74.9 TrackWiz rating and a 15% career win percentage — the best winning rate among the top three. Luis Colon is a reliable pilot, and trainer David R. Reid isn't without tools at this level. He fits as a natural third-place finisher in exotics and adds some spread to your tickets without breaking the bank.
Race 3
Claiming · 1 mi · Turf
Grand Illusion is a massive standout on the numbers in this one-mile turf claimer, and the rest of the field is bunched tightly enough that the place and show slots are genuinely competitive.
Grand Illusion's 88.83 TrackWiz rating dwarfs the rest of this field — the next closest is Texas Cyclone at 52.57, a gap of more than 36 points. More impressively, he carries a 37% career win percentage, far and away the best in the race and a figure that signals elite consistency for this class level. Alexander Bendezu gets the call for trainer Maximino Quinonez, a combination that gives this horse every chance on the turf mile. At 9/5 on the morning line, he's a deserving favorite and our confident top selection.
Texas Cyclone rates as the second-best horse on our numbers at 52.57 and goes off at a generous 4/1 on the morning line. Trainer John Haran saddles him with E.T. Baird up, and while his 5% career win rate is low, he's clearly been pointing toward a good effort here. On a soft pace setup, he could stalk the leader and earn a piece at a price that rewards the patient place bettor.
Towering Storm is a fair show play at 5/2 with a 46.97 TrackWiz rating and the field's highest average speed figure at 54. Trainer Francisco Villa pairs with Ademar Santos, and at 13% career wins, Towering Storm has demonstrated the ability to finish in the money consistently. He's a natural inclusion in trifecta tickets if you're rolling the top two.
Our three free best bets today span the opener through Race 3, and they make for an interesting trio. Oliverio kicks things off in a Starter Optional Claiming route at 1 1/16 miles — a TrackWiz rating of 86.35 makes him our top number on the day's first race, and he's worth a look at a morning line of 7/2. In Race 2, All About Tonite draws our highest free-race rating (89.42) going 6 furlongs on the dirt, though the wet surface is worth factoring in if he's shown any preference issues in slop. Then Grand Illusion takes us to the turf in Race 3 — assuming the grass stays open — at 9/5 on the morning line with an 88.83 rating. Watch that surface call closely; if they pull the turf, the entire field flips.
The through-line on today's free picks: the rain is a genuine equalizer. Horses with demonstrated form on off tracks — or at minimum, no documented dislike of wet going — are getting an extra bump in our TrackWiz ratings today. That's a bias worth playing into as you build your tickets.
Full Card Analysis
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Bottom line: Hawthorne is dealing cards in the rain today, and the wet dirt is going to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Our top free plays — Oliverio, All About Tonite, and Grand Illusion — give everyone a solid starting point. For the full 11-race attack, including pace shapes, exotic structures, and that Kazoom value angle in Race 7, subscribe to TrackWiz premium. Good luck out there — and stay dry.