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Lone Star Picks & Predictions — September 12, 2026

12 racesAll Lone Star picks

It's a scorcher at Lone Star Park this Saturday — 98°F under clear skies with not a cloud in sight. That kind of heat bakes the strip fast, and when the dirt gets hard and slick, early speed becomes king. Keep that in mind as you work through this 12-race all-quarter-horse card.

From short 250-yard sprints in the early claiming races all the way up to the 350-yard Stakes in Race 7, today's card has something for every level of player. The headliner is Bludz Valiant Policy, who comes in as a heavy 2/5 favorite and carries our highest TrackWiz rating on the day at 90. That kind of confidence is rare — and it'll shape how we approach the exotics all afternoon.

TrackWiz has full analysis ready across all 12 races. Three races are open to everyone, and our premium breakdown covers the remaining nine, including pace projections, exotic ticket structures, and a longshot angle in Race 9 that could make serious noise at 12/1.

Best Bets

Race 1

Claiming · 300 yd · Dirt

One horse towers over this 300-yard claiming opener on paper, but a legit second choice and a morning-line overlay make the exotics worth building around.

win4Jlc Simon Says RunML 9/5

Jlc Simon Says Run is the clear top selection here, carrying a TrackWiz rating of 88.83 — more than eight points clear of the next competitor. What really jumps out is that 40% career win rate, which is elite for quarter horse claiming company at any level. Trainer Luz Chavira sends this one out with jockey Cordarelton J. Benn in the irons, and the 9/5 morning line confirms the market agrees with our read. In a 300-yard dash where breaks and gate manners are everything, a horse with that kind of winning pedigree deserves to be the anchor of any ticket.

place3HellofaneagleML 9/2

Hellofaneagle draws the 3 post and comes in rated 80.19, the only other horse in this field to crack the 80-point threshold. The 9/2 morning line makes this a genuine overlay candidate given that rating gap over the rest of the field. Trainer Martin Rodriguez has Francisco Giles up, and if Jlc Simon Says Run has any gate trouble, Hellofaneagle is positioned to swoop in.

show6Fm the Big ShowML 4/1

Fm the Big Show at 4/1 rates third in the field with a 58.76 score and brings a 15% career win rate — respectable in this spot. Trainer Felesha Gold sends Ali Rivera aboard, and the fair morning line suggests some public support as well. Use this one underneath in trifectas to round out your ticket at a digestible price.

Race 2

Claiming · 250 yd · Dirt

Two horses are bunched near the top of the ratings in this 250-yard claimer, setting up a tight forecast battle with some live longshot prices lurking underneath.

win4Isabela LightsML 7/2

Isabela Lights carries an 86.35 TrackWiz rating into this 250-yard dash from the 4 post, making her our top selection at a workable 7/2 morning line. Trainer Hector R. Osorio teams with jockey Jonathan Dominguez, a combination worth noting in these short Texas quarter horse sprints. The rating edge over the rest of the field — outside of Man Hes Handsome — is meaningful in a race that's decided in under 14 seconds, where preparation and form cycle matter enormously.

place5Man Hes HandsomeML 3/1

Man Hes Handsome is the most intriguing horse in the race on pure win percentage alone — a jaw-dropping 50% career win rate backed by an 85.33 rating that nearly matches our top pick. Trainer Carlos Cruz Lopez sends Gilberto Linares to the gate, and at 3/1, this one could easily flip the result. The razor-thin rating gap between the top two makes this a genuine co-top choice, and keying both in exactas is a smart play.

show6I Like Prized BuxML 4/1

I Like Prized Bux slots in third on our ratings at 71.49 and gets the call from Francisco Giles for trainer Bradley C. Bolen, who is a name to watch throughout this card. The 4/1 morning line offers fair value for a horse that grades out well clear of the rest of the field. Include this one in trifecta combinations — if the top two run 1-2 as expected, the show price should hold up nicely.

Race 3

Claiming · 250 yd · Dirt

A wide-open 12-horse field at 250 yards with a significant ratings gap between the top pick and a jumbled mid-tier, making the top of the ticket clear but the underneath chaotic.

win1RazzledazzlemeML 9/2

Razzledazzleme tops the TrackWiz ratings in this field at 84.90, a sizeable advantage over the next cluster of horses, and the 9/2 morning line feels like a gift on a horse this far clear on the numbers. Trainer John Boegner Jr. puts Victor Manuel Urieta Jr. in the irons — a jockey who appears multiple times on this card and clearly has the connections to be competitive. At 250 yards, gate speed and preparation are the name of the game, and Razzledazzleme's rating suggests both are in order.

place10Dm Sophie CartelML 8/1

Dm Sophie Cartel checks in with a 67.66 rating and draws the 10 post, which in a 12-horse short-distance sprint can actually be a blessing by keeping a horse away from early traffic trouble. Trainer Kie Mushinski sends Luis L. Vivanco aboard, and the 8/1 morning line makes this an excellent place-bet value. The rating gap between Sophie Cartel and the clustered mid-tier is real enough to trust this one for the exacta.

show3Omac DonaldML 4/1

Omac Donald rates third in our model among the horses we're using, sitting at 57.84 with jockey Jose R. Herbert up for trainer Brian Stroud. The 4/1 morning line is fair, and Stroud appears twice on this card, suggesting an active stable worth monitoring. In a chaotic 12-horse field, getting Omac Donald at a fair price for show and trifecta coverage makes sense.

Our three free races today — Races 1, 2, and 3 — are all short-distance claiming sprints on the main dirt track, and the common thread running through them is simple: first-jump quickness matters more than ever in this heat. The track is playing fast, and horses that can clear the gate cleanly and establish position immediately have a major edge over 250 and 300 yards. Jlc Simon Says Run (Race 1, 9/5 morning line, TrackWiz rating 88.83) fits that profile well and is our strongest free-card selection of the afternoon.

In Race 2, Isabela Lights opens at 7/2 and represents genuine value — our rating of 86.35 suggests she's better than the morning line implies. And in Race 3, Razzledazzleme at 9/2 is another horse whose rating (84.9) has us interested at a price. All three free picks are solid standalone plays and make natural building blocks for rolling multi-race wagers into the premium portion of the card.

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Bottom line: this is a quick-fire, heat-baked card where gate speed and class edges decide outcomes fast. Our top plays for the day are Jlc Simon Says Run to anchor the early card, Bludz Valiant Policy as the marquee Stakes selection, and Volcom Tac as the longshot angle worth sprinkling in your exotics. Full pace analysis, ticket breakdowns, and all nine premium race write-ups are waiting for subscribers — check out TrackWiz Premium and get the complete edge before the first race goes off.