Lone Star Picks & Predictions — September 24, 2026
This card ran on September 24, 2026.
Best bets at Lone Star, September 24, 2026
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It's a warm Thursday afternoon at Lone Star Park — partly cloudy skies and 91°F on the thermometer — and the quarter-horse sprint card is loaded with opportunities from the 220-yard dashes all the way out to the 440. Eight races, all on dirt, and TrackWiz has eyes on every single one of them.
The headliner today is the Stakes in Race 3 at 330 yards, but don't sleep on the Allowance matchups in Races 6 and 7, where our ratings flagged some real separation from the field. With the heat holding all day and the track playing fast, pace-pressers and early speed types are going to be at a premium — that angle runs through this entire card.
Three races are free for every reader, and our premium subscribers get the full treatment — all eight races broken down, with pace projections, exotic plays, and multi-race wager strategies. Let's get into it.
Best Bets
Race 1
Starter Optional Claiming · 350 yd · Dirt
A clear class standout tops this Starter Optional Claiming sprint at 350 yards, but the morning line suggests the market is leaning toward the second choice — expect a mild pace battle off the gates.
La Cholula (No. 4) is the most accomplished horse in this field by a wide margin, posting a TrackWiz rating of 87.81 — tops in the race — while boasting an outstanding 40% career win rate. Trainer Shae L. Cox puts her out at 5/2 on the morning line, reflecting genuine confidence in this spot. Jockey J.R. Ramirez, Jr. gets the call, and at 350 yards it's all about breaking clean and letting that pedigree take over. This is the horse to beat.
Vp Dash for Texas (No. 1) carries a solid 78.26 TrackWiz rating and a 15% career win rate — respectable numbers in a field where most rivals sit well below 70. Jesus Olivas has the rail post and can use that to advantage in this short sprint. At 7/2 on the morning line, there's a bit of value if La Cholula draws all the early money.
Lil Kool Marge (No. 5) is the morning-line favorite at 9/5 with a 33% career win rate and a 77.71 TrackWiz rating — numbers that are hard to dismiss in any quarter-horse field. Trainer Esteban Rubio also conditions The Fiscal Chick in this race, so he has a read on this field. The 9/5 price makes her tough to back for win given La Cholula's edge, but she's a natural fit in the exotics.
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Lone Star is cooking today — literally and figuratively. The heat is on, the dirt is fast, and we've got strong opinions from the first gate to the last. Dw Showin D Off in the Stakes, Runaway Prize Dash in Race 2, and La Cholula in the opener are your free best bets to get the day started right. For the full eight-race card — pace breakdowns, exotic tickets, and every angle our model uncovered — TrackWiz Premium has you covered. Good luck out there.