Horseshoe Indianapolis Picks & Predictions — June 17, 2026
Horseshoe Indianapolis sends out a nine-race Wednesday card under cloudy skies with temperatures sitting at a comfortable 77°F. No rain in the picture means the dirt should remain fast and the turf firm — ideal conditions for horses with consistent speed figures and clean running lines.
The card is a nice mix of claiming races, maiden special weights, and allowance company, capped by back-to-back turf routes in Races 7 and 8 that figure to attract the sharpest money of the afternoon. There's also a 350-yard sprint in the nightcap — a format that rewards explosive early speed and keeps things interesting right to the wire.
Three races are open to every TrackWiz reader today. The first three races on the card are on us, so let's get into it.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A six-furlong dirt claimer where the TrackWiz ratings separate a clear top three from the rest of the field — but the pace scenario could scramble things if the speed horses tangle early.
Save My Town draws the top TrackWiz rating in the field at 84.94 and comes in at a reasonable 5/2 morning line — not a chalk play, but not a value long shot either. Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. gets the call for trainer Genaro Garcia, and with an average speed figure of 54, this horse is competitive on paper against this claiming group. The 14% career win rate is modest, but our rating model suggests this is the best overall profile in the field, making Save My Town the most logical win pick in Race 1.
Einstein's Ghost has the second-highest TrackWiz rating (82.73) and a 22% career win rate — solid credentials for a claiming horse. Trainer John Haran has multiple runners on the card today, suggesting he's confident in his horses' conditions, and jockey Jose Ramos Gutierrez should have a good read on the pace from the 4-hole. At 5/1 on the morning line, there's genuine place value here if Save My Town leads this one home.
Lambay is the sneaky inclusion at 8/1 morning line with a TrackWiz rating of 79.79 — actually the second-highest raw rating in the field, which makes the odds a bit of a gift. The 28% career win rate is the best among all horses in this race and suggests Lambay delivers when conditions are right. Trainer Tracey J. Wisner and jockey Joseph M. Romero make this one worth plugging into exactas and trifectas as a live price.
Race 2
Starter Optional Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt
This Starter Optional Claiming sprint at 5½ furlongs features a trio of closely-rated contenders at the top, with the Randy Klopp barn sending out two runners — but it's the outsider from the Haran barn that holds the edge on the numbers.
Luckies Joy tops the TrackWiz ratings at 87.81 — a meaningful gap over the rest of this field — and posts a 26% career win rate that's right in line with a reliable claimer. Trainer John Haran and jockey Jose Ramos Gutierrez are paired again, the same combination going in Race 1, and that barn confidence carries weight. The 5/2 morning line is fair for the top-rated horse, and the average speed figure of 56 gives Luckies Joy an edge in raw pace.
Ismybusiness sits right behind the top pick with a 84.15 TrackWiz rating and a solid 33% career win rate — one of the better win percentages in today's full card. Mitchell Murrill is a capable rider and trainer Tim Eggleston knows this horse well. At 3/1, Ismybusiness has the profile of a horse that will be competitive every step of 5½ furlongs and is a natural place backup if anything goes wrong at the front.
Cupid's Runaway is hard to ignore with a staggering 77% career win rate — by far the highest on the card today — and a TrackWiz rating of 83.91 backing up that record. Trainer Randy Klopp also sends out Follow the Money, but Cupid's Runaway is clearly the barn's best hope at 7/2. At that morning line, there's show value here, and the horse rounds out a logical trifecta key with the top two picks.
Race 3
Maiden Special Weight · 6 fur · Dirt
A wide-open maiden field where nobody has won before, and the morning line is scattered from 5/2 all the way out to 30/1 — the TrackWiz ratings, however, point to one horse standing well above the competition.
Jr Miss Buttercup leads all comers with a TrackWiz rating of 85.59 — the highest in this maiden field by a substantial margin — and draws post 5 with Hannah Leahey aboard for trainer Joseph D. Davis. In a maiden race where no horse has ever hit the winner's circle, ratings and preparation become the primary separator, and this filly's profile stands out clearly. The 7/2 morning line offers fair value for what our analysis identifies as the class of this field.
Somnambulist rates second on the TrackWiz model at 71.47 and carries the support of trainer Kelsey Danner with Adam Beschizza in the saddle — a combination that should have this horse ready to run. The 4/1 morning line makes Somnambulist a solid place investment, especially in a maiden sprint where pace can collapse. This one fits perfectly as the place horse underneath Jr Miss Buttercup in exactas.
Deyemond is the morning line favorite at 5/2, trained by the well-regarded Brad H. Cox, and that barn connection alone demands respect in a maiden race. The TrackWiz rating of 57.5 is middle of the pack, but Cox maidens often outrun their numbers first time out, and Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. is a live rider. As a show hedge, Deyemond's connections give this horse the pedigree of a sneaky exacta and trifecta inclusion.
Our free coverage today spans the opening three races — a Claiming sprint, a Starter Optional Claiming, and a Maiden Special Weight, all on dirt. Save My Town (5/2 morning line, TrackWiz rating 84.94) leads off our card, and the pace scenario in that six-furlong opener sets up cleanly for a presser-type. In Race 2, Luckies Joy earns our highest TrackWiz rating among the free races at 87.81 — that's a number that commands attention in a field of this class level. And in Race 3, Jr Miss Buttercup goes off at 7/2 in a maiden field where our models project she holds a meaningful edge at the six-furlong distance.
The common thread across these three free races: firm footing that rewards horses who rate well early and finish with purpose. No dramatic surface curveballs today — what you see in the numbers is what you're likely to get at the windows.
Full Card Analysis
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Horseshoe Indianapolis has a sharp Wednesday card on tap, and our top free plays — Save My Town, Luckies Joy, and Jr Miss Buttercup — give every reader a solid starting point. For the full picture, including Night Kiss, the turf routes, exotic ticket structures, and that late-race longshot angle, the complete breakdown is available to TrackWiz subscribers. Good luck out there, and as always, bet what you can afford to lose — but make sure it's backed by the best numbers in the game.