You're reading 3 of 9 races free

Unlock the other 6 races on today's card, plus AI ratings on every runner and SmartBet ticket construction.

Daily Picks

Free Lone Star Picks & Predictions for Today — October 9, 2026

9 racesAll Lone Star picks

It's a beautiful Friday at Lone Star Park — clear skies, 86°F, and a fast dirt strip that should reward speed from gate to wire. Nine races are on the board today, all run on the dirt and spanning the ultra-short quarter-horse distances that make this track one of the most unique betting experiences in the country.

We're talking 220-yard sprints, 300-yard dashes, and a lone 550-yard test that counts as a marathon by Lone Star standards. With conditions this good, expect quick times and front-runners with a real edge — pace scenario and gate speed are everything out here.

TrackWiz has graded the full nine-race card. The first three races are free for all readers, and our premium subscribers get the complete breakdown — pace projections, exotic plays, and race-by-race analysis — on Races 4 through 9.

3 Free Races Today at Lone Star

Race 1

Maiden · 300 yd · Dirt

A maiden sprint over 300 yards where one horse stands out dramatically on ratings — the rest of the field is bunched together or well below par.

win6Midnight DML 9/5

Midnight D is the clear top-rated horse in this field with a TrackWiz rating of 88.83, separating herself from the second-best horse by more than 23 points. Trainer Bradley C. Bolen sends her out at a morning line of 9/5, and the market agrees she belongs at the top of this field. In a short 300-yard dash where there's no time to recover from a stumble out of the gate, having that kind of rating edge matters. Francisco Giles gets the call, and in a maiden sprint this short, clean gate work and raw ability carry the day.

place8One More JessML 5/2

One More Jess checks in as the second-highest rated horse in the race at 65.64, a solid 23-point gap below the top pick but comfortably clear of the rest of the field. H. Javier Hernandez has a solid book of mounts on this card, and trainer Ricardo Alonso Vallejo has runners ready. At 5/2 on the morning line, she offers fair value for a place ticket and makes sense as the logical runner-up.

show2Mighty Bug ReasonML 12/1

Mighty Bug Reason is the value play in this field — rated 59.07 and opening at 12/1 on the morning line, there's genuine overlay potential here if she runs to her number. Trainer Jose Uriegas, Jr. puts her in a spot where a third-place finish is very realistic given the thin depth of this maiden field. In a sprint as short as 300 yards, anything can happen out of the gate, making her a worthwhile inclusion in exotic tickets.

Race 2

Claiming · 220 yd · Dirt

This claiming sprint over 220 yards has a clear top-rated contender, but a pair of longshots with respectable career win percentages could shake up the exotics.

win9Rc Miss GML 5/2

Rc Miss G is the standout in this field with a TrackWiz rating of 87.81 — the only horse breaking 80 in the race. Her 20% career win percentage backs up the rating, showing she converts when given the opportunity. Trainer Jose Luis Sanchez III puts her in what looks like a very winnable spot at the claiming level, and Luis L. Vivanco gets the mount. At 5/2, she's not a huge overlay, but the rating edge here is significant enough that she's the correct single for the top spot.

place1Fur Elise TlcML 8/1

Fur Elise Tlc opens at 8/1 and carries a TrackWiz rating of 65.62 — good enough to compete for a piece in this field. Trainer Eric Aguilar saddles her with Jacobo Adan Aguilar in the irons, a connected barn that knows how to win at this level. She's the kind of horse that can sneak into the exacta at a price, making her a smart inclusion on place tickets.

show8Jtc Mexico CashML 15/1

Jtc Mexico Cash is a genuine value play at 15/1 on the morning line with a 65.42 rating and a 12% career win percentage. Trainer Jorge Luis Barron has her eligible to run a solid race, and the combination of the opening odds and the rating puts her firmly in show-ticket territory. In a 220-yard sprint, she only needs to break cleanly and run her race — at this price, she's worth a shot in the trifecta.

Race 3

Maiden Claiming · 440 yd · Dirt

A wide-open maiden claiming field at 440 yards with 12 runners and a legitimate top horse, but plenty of chaos lurking in a big field of first-timers or winless horses.

win3ElectrikML 3/1

Electrik has the top TrackWiz rating in the field at 87.08 and draws in at 3/1 — fair odds given the edge she holds. Trainer Adan Guzman puts Noe Villatoro up, a combination that bears watching on this card. At 440 yards, pace and stamina become slightly more important than in the short dashes, and Electrik's rating suggests she has the raw ability to handle the added ground. In a field where no other horse cracks 76, this is a strong top selection.

place9Cartelito PoolML 6/1

Cartelito Pool is the second-best rated horse in the field at 75.70 and opens at 6/1 — a price that represents real value given how cleanly she separates from the next tier. Victor Manuel Urieta, Jr. gets on for trainer Isidro Hinojosa, and that's an experienced jockey who can navigate a 12-horse field. She profiles as a natural runner-up and makes excellent sense underneath in the exacta.

show2Jess Go AwayML 7/2

Jess Go Away has a 68.21 rating and the morning line of 7/2, which actually makes her a bit underlaid compared to the top two options in our analysis. Oliver E. Martinez takes the mount for trainer Arnold Lewis, and in a 12-horse maiden claiming field, she can find clean trips from the outside and grind out a third. She rounds out the trifecta combination nicely.

Our free coverage kicks off with three maiden and claiming sprints that set the tone nicely. Midnight D (Race 1, 9/5 morning line, TrackWiz rating 88.83) is the highest-rated pick among today's free races — a strong number in a maiden field going just 300 yards. In races this short, that kind of edge doesn't have much time to get buried in traffic. Get to the gate clean and it's a different story entirely.

Rc Miss G in Race 2 and Electrik in Race 3 round out the free card, both posting solid mid-to-upper 80s ratings against beatable fields. The common thread across all three: on a clear, fast surface like today's, the horse with the best early burst wins. Pace bias is real on days like this, and our free picks all project favorably in that department.

Send me tomorrow's free Lone Star card before post time.

Free picks in your inbox each morning. No card required, unsubscribe anytime.

Full Card Analysis

Premium Content

Get the Full Card Analysis

Unlock expert picks for every race, detailed speed figures, trainer angles, and our SmartBet recommendations.

Bottom line: Lone Star is playing fast, conditions are ideal, and the TrackWiz model has strong opinions across all nine races. Midnight D is the marquee free play, but the real value is spread through a premium card loaded with interesting prices and at least one longshot worth including on your tickets. Full analysis — pace, exotics, and every angle — is waiting for subscribers. Good luck out there, and let's cash some tickets.