Horseshoe Indianapolis Picks & Predictions — September 8, 2026

Tazzy is our place pick at 5/1, rated 68.17 by TrackWiz with a 16% career win rate and a speed figure of 56 that ties for best in the field. Trainer Antonio Duran saddles Tazzy with Santo Sanjur up, and this runner has shown enough consistency at this level to warrant exotic inclusion. The price makes Tazzy a smart underneath play in exactas.

Mister Banderas comes in at 7/2 with a TrackWiz rating of 65.16 and a 15% career win rate for trainer Kenneth G. Miller. Adam Beschizza gets the mount, and while Mister Banderas trails both Delta Tau Chi and Tazzy on our model, this is a horse with legit allowance form that could easily hit the board. A solid trifecta anchor at a fair price.

School Spirit rates second at 75.88 for trainer Cipriano Contreras and carries the best career win percentage in the field at 20% — that's a horse who knows how to win when conditions are right. Evin A. Roman rides, and with a speed figure of 54, School Spirit is a pace threat who could put Momentario under pressure early. The 4/1 morning line makes this a solid exacta partner.

Here's the head-scratcher of the race: Cloudy Lass is listed at 15/1 on the morning line yet checks in with a TrackWiz rating of 69.58 — third-best among all eight runners. Alberto Burgos takes the mount for trainer Kenneth G. Miller, and if that 15/1 price holds anywhere near post time, Cloudy Lass represents real overlay value for trifecta bettors. At a 10% career win rate, the horse isn't dominant, but the rating-to-odds discrepancy is too wide to ignore.

Lady Maximum is the 2/1 morning-line chalk and our place pick at a TrackWiz rating of 63.54, a solid mark in this field that earns second place in our model rankings. Evin A. Roman gets the mount for trainer Sergio Donjuan, and with an average speed figure of 53, Lady Maximum has some tangible form to build on. If Angel Life hits any traffic on the turf, Lady Maximum is the most likely beneficiary.

Moxie Girl is worth a look at 8/1 for a notable reason — trainer Doug F. O'Neill sends this runner out, and O'Neill is a seasoned conditioner who often spots horses in spots where they can fire fresh. Rated 48.33 by TrackWiz with no average speed figure recorded (suggesting a first-timer or limited form), Moxie Girl is a speculative show play, but 8/1 buys plenty of forgiveness in a field this unsettled.

Little Jake is our place selection at 8/1, rated 72.92 by TrackWiz for trainer Tim Eggleston — and here's the angle: Eggleston also trains Purdy Darn Good, the win pick. A trainer running two horses in the same race often gives sharp attention to the bigger-priced runner as a secondary option. Orlando Mojica rides, and an average speed figure of 52 suggests Little Jake may rate off the pace and come on late — a profile that fits a route at this distance.

Gettysburg Address checks in at 4/1 with a TrackWiz rating of 69.38 and the best career win percentage among the top three selections at 17%. Emmanuel Esquivel rides for Cipriano Contreras, a trainer who regularly competes at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The average speed figure of 53 is right in the mix, and at 4/1, this is a legitimate show threat and trifecta player in a deep field.

Turbo Duck is fascinating at 6/1 — rated 82.71 by TrackWiz and carrying a 25% career win rate that ranks second only to Vienna Charm among the top contenders. Hannah Leahey rides for trainer Tracey J. Wisner, and on the turf at a mile, a horse with proven winning ability at a double-digit price is exactly the kind of overlay that makes exactas profitable. This is a legitimate win contender that's going off at a place price.

U R Not the Father sits third in our ratings at 78.46 and is assigned a 4/1 morning line for trainer Tianna Richardville, with Fernando De La Cruz in the irons. The 7% career win rate is the soft spot here, but the raw rating holds up in this field. In a turf mile where pace can be unpredictable, a closer with good numbers is always worth a spot in the trifecta.

Gray Mike is our place pick at 8/1, rated 65.86 by TrackWiz with an average speed figure of 54 — one of the better figures among the ten runners here. Rodney A. Prescott rides for trainer Carlos Ramirez, and this horse's speed figure makes it a legitimate place contender in maiden claiming company. The 8/1 price on a second-best-rated horse is the kind of overlay that makes exactas click.

C U Whenugetthere is assigned a 6/1 morning line and comes in rated 56.99 by TrackWiz, with an average speed figure of 54 that matches the top figures in the field. Joseph C. Bealmear has the mount for trainer Gregory R. Bland, and while this isn't a horse our model puts at the top, the combination of a solid speed figure and a fair price makes C U Whenugetthere a reasonable trifecta inclusion. In maiden claiming sprints, pace scenarios shift quickly, and having a speed figure horse on your ticket is smart coverage.

Coaltrain Sm is the value play underneath at 8/1, rated 77.76 by TrackWiz — a meaningful second in a field that drops off quickly below the top two. Yovani Flores-Munoz rides for trainer Cesar Esqueda, and at 8/1 odds with the second-highest rating in a twelve-horse maiden sprint, this is a genuine overlay for exacta players. If Jess a Lookin wins and Coaltrain Sm hits the board, that exacta should pay handsomely.

He Stops Road Rage sits third in our ratings at 56.36 and is priced at 6/1 on the morning line, making this a reasonably fair ticket for the show spot in trifectas. Jimmy Dean Brooks rides for trainer Mallory Norton, and in a 350-yard sprint with twelve runners, the chaos factor is real — having three solid ratings-based horses on your ticket is good insurance. At 6/1, He Stops Road Rage offers a nice price for the show position.