Lone Star Picks & Predictions — June 26, 2026
It's a scorcher at Lone Star Park today — clear skies, 93°F on the thermometer, and eight races spread across both dirt and turf. That kind of heat in North Texas can play a bigger role than handicappers give it credit for, so hydration status and post-parade behavior are worth watching in the walking ring before you punch any tickets.
Today's card mixes Maiden Claimers and straight Claimers on the front end with Allowance and Ratings Handicap company deeper into the afternoon — a nice range of competition levels that creates real betting opportunities at multiple price points. Three of those races are completely free to preview right here, no subscription needed.
The turf course is active throughout the card, which is always welcome on a summer day in Grand Prairie. Keep an eye on rail position and any late scratches that shift the pace picture on the lawn.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt
A maiden claiming mile on the dirt with a clear TrackWiz rating gap at the top — Down Periscope separates himself from the field, though Kochan and Passion D Oro have enough profile to complicate exacta construction.
Down Periscope draws the rail and carries the highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 86.35, a meaningful edge over the second-best runner here. Richard Eramia gets the call for trainer Scott Young, and at 7/2 on the morning line this is a horse priced well above where our analysis suggests he belongs. In a maiden field where all runners share identical average speed figures of 52, it's the overall composite rating that tips the scales — and Down Periscope tips them convincingly.
Kochan (No. 5) holds the second-best TrackWiz rating in the race at 79.14 and flashes a slightly better average speed figure of 53, matching Carl Erskine as the only other runner at that level. Trainer Terry Eoff sends him out with Weston Hamilton up, a reliable pairing at this level. At 3/1 morning line, he's a solid anchor for exacta and quinella plays underneath Down Periscope.
Passion D Oro is the lukewarm morning-line favorite at 2/1, so she doesn't offer much overlay value to win — but she fits naturally as a show play given her 76.21 rating and the best average speed figure in the field at 54. Trainer Robertino Diodoro is a name that commands respect at Lone Star, and Geovanni Franco is a polished rider in short fields. If the top two stumble, she's likely picking up a check.
Race 2
Maiden Claiming · 5 fur · Turf
Eagle Vision looks like the class of this maiden turf sprint, but a loose field with unpredictable debut runners makes the underneath spots genuinely interesting — especially one massive price standout.
Eagle Vision (No. 9) is the clear top selection here, carrying a 78.62 TrackWiz rating that leads the field by a healthy margin and the best average speed figure in the race at 56. Trainer Allen Dupuy sends him out at 8/5 — a relatively short price for a maiden — but the numbers back it up. Weston Hamilton gets the mount and should have this horse in a comfortable spot early in a 5-furlong turf sprint where gate speed matters.
Here's the number that makes you do a double-take: Clarisit (No. 1) sits second in TrackWiz ratings at 73.96 and goes postward at 12/1 on the morning line. That's a significant disconnect between our analysis and the morning-line odds, making her the most interesting value play on the ticket. Trainer Tina Hurley and Lane Luzzi get her from the rail, and a clean break in a short field could put her right in the mix.
Chargenlucky (No. 3) rates third in the field at 69.12 and sits at 4/1 on the morning line, representing fair value in the show spot. DeShawn Parker rides for trainer Jaylan Clary, and the 53 average speed figure is solid for this level. She rounds out the exacta box nicely and gives you coverage if the pace scenario sets up for a closer.
Race 3
Claiming · 6 1/2 fur · Dirt
Doublebarrelvinny owns the top TrackWiz number AND the standout career win rate in a field of experienced claimers — but she's going off at 5/1, which means the market isn't fully on board yet and value is very much alive.
Doublebarrelvinny (No. 6) leads all horses in this race with an 84.17 TrackWiz rating and, more impressively, a 37% career win rate — the highest in the field by a wide margin. That's not a fluke number; it signals a horse that consistently closes out races when eligible. Trainer Danny Pish puts Lane Luzzi up, and at 5/1 on the morning line for the top-rated runner, this looks like one of the better overlays on the card.
Nang Singha (No. 5) is the morning-line second choice at 5/2 with a 76.56 rating and a career win rate of 30% — another strong conversion number. Richard Eramia gets the mount for trainer Martin Manuel Valdez-Cabral, a barn that's active at Lone Star. The 54 average speed figure matches Doublebarrelvinny, so the gap between them isn't as wide on raw speed as the ratings suggest, making her a serious contender to land the place spot.
Avalon Girl (No. 3) comes in with a 74.57 TrackWiz rating and a 23% career win rate, which is a respectable conversion figure in claiming company. Trainer Tristan Ashford puts Iram Vargas Diego up, and her 7/2 morning line reflects the market's genuine respect for her. She figures to be tracking the pace through the middle of this 6.5-furlong trip and could easily be hitting the board as the speed sorts itself out.
Our three free races cover a solid cross-section of today's action. Down Periscope opens the card going a flat mile on the dirt — a distance that often sorts out the more mature, route-capable maiden claimers from the pure speed types, and our TrackWiz rating of 86.35 makes this one of the stronger top-line scores among the free picks. Race 2 flips us to the turf for a quick 5-furlong dash with Eagle Vision drawing the morning-line favoritism at 8/5, while Race 3 brings us back to the dirt where Doublebarrelvinny lands at 5/1 — a genuine value angle in a 6½-furlong Claimer that our models flagged as underpriced given the pace setup.
One thread connecting these early races: the dirt surface figures to be fast and consistent under clear skies, which tends to reward horses that can press or stalk a legitimate pace rather than going wire-to-wire. Don't sleep on pace dynamics in Races 1 and 3 specifically — they could be the difference between a winner and a narrow defeat.
Full Card Analysis
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Bottom line: Lone Star is serving up a well-rounded 8-race card on a hot Friday afternoon, and there's genuine opportunity from the first post to the final turf mile. Down Periscope, Eagle Vision, and Doublebarrelvinny are your free best bets to get started. For the full-card breakdown — including Dr. Soulfire, Church Pew, and our exotic ticket strategies — the complete analysis is waiting for TrackWiz subscribers. Good luck out there, and stay cool.