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Los Alamitos Quarter Horse Picks & Predictions — August 22, 2026
It's a warm Saturday night at Los Alamitos — 82°F, clear skies, and fast dirt underfoot. Eight races are on the board, mixing claiming sprints, a 1000-yard allowance, a maiden dash at 300 yards, and a Handicap Stakes closer that should be the talk of the rail.
The card leans heavily on the short stuff, which is exactly what Los Al does best. Quarter Horse racing is all about explosive speed and gate-to-wire battles — fractions that would make a Thoroughbred trainer's head spin. Tonight's top-line figures from our TrackWiz ratings are tight across the board, so pace scenarios and gate draws are going to matter more than usual.
Three races are open to all readers. The full eight-race breakdown — including the Handicap Stakes — is available to TrackWiz subscribers.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 4 1/2 fur · Dirt
A lopsided opener where one horse towers over the field on ratings, but the supporting cast is tightly bunched and could scramble for the minor shares.
Pine Run is the class of this field and it isn't close — a TrackWiz rating of 89.71 dwarfs the competition, with the next-best horse coming in nearly 37 points lower. Jockey Edgar Payeras gets the call for trainer Vann Belvoir, a pairing worth noting at 4 1/2 furlongs on the Los Alamitos dirt. An average speed figure of 56 backs up the raw rating, and at 6/5 on the morning line, the market agrees this one is in a different league.
Rachel's Gig draws our place attention at a juicy 6/1 morning line — that's solid value for a horse with a TrackWiz rating of 52.96 that clusters right at the top of the remaining pack. The 6% career win rate is modest, but at this claiming level over 4 1/2 furlongs, hitting the board is a realistic outcome, especially with trainer Alberto Ruvalcaba placing her here for a reason.
St Boadin at 4/1 rounds out our show ticket as a hedge in what could be a scrambled finish behind Pine Run. Trainer Gloria Haley has two horses in this race, which signals some barn confidence in the conditions. The 52.83 rating edges out most of the field, and Francisco Orduna-Rojas aboard gives the connections a competent pilot to secure a piece.
Race 2
Claiming · 1000 yd · Dirt
The 1000-yard dash features a clear top two in the ratings but a live longshot angle and an intriguing high-win-percentage closer lurking in the six hole.
Winning Lover comes in with the highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 89.12 and backs it up with an average speed figure of 56, matching the best raw numbers in this bunch. Trainer Vann Belvoir sends out Edgar Payeras — the same combo that anchors Race 1 — and that barn is clearly firing right now. A 16% career win rate is solid for this level, and the 8/5 morning line reflects a horse the connections expect to handle 1000 yards with authority.
Gunnin for Gold at 3/1 has our attention as the place selection — a 71.82 rating puts this horse solidly in the second tier of this field, and trainer Jorge Farias drops in here with what looks like a well-spotted entry. The career win rate of 10% is modest, but the morning line price suggests the market respects the horse's chances without anointing it a favorite.
Sark at 5/1 is worth including in your exotics at a price that offers some cushion. The 63.68 TrackWiz rating is mid-field but respectable, and with a 55 average speed figure, the raw foot is there to compete in this 1000-yard claiming event. Trainer Gloria Haley again has representation here, and Francisco Orduna-Rojas is a capable hand if the horse breaks cleanly.
Race 3
Claiming · 4 1/2 fur · Dirt
Wide-open filly and mare affair at 4 1/2 furlongs where two horses separate themselves on ratings but a deep supporting cast makes exacta construction tricky.
Cioppina Pasadina earns our top selection with an 86.35 TrackWiz rating — second only to the field leader on raw numbers but carrying better morning line value at 7/2. Cesar Ortega picks up the mount for trainer Charles S. Treece, and the combination of a strong rating and favorable price makes this our win play. The 13% career win rate won't blow you away, but at this claiming level the class edge should be decisive.
Miss Joannie at 5/2 is the morning-line favorite and posts the top rating in the field at 76.84, so she's impossible to leave off the ticket. Salvador R. Vargas rides for trainer Jorge Farias, and a 15% career win rate at this level is workmanlike. We slot her as a place horse because the price is thin for a win play, but she should be involved at the finish.
Dallas Alice at 8/1 is a legitimate value add for exotics — a 63.33 TrackWiz rating puts her solidly ahead of the bottom half of this eight-horse field, and the price more than compensates for the risk. A 7% career win rate is low, but the average speed of 54 is functional at 4 1/2 furlongs, and Francisco Orduna-Rojas is no stranger to finding a piece late in tight claiming fields.
Our three free races tonight hit the early part of the card and give you a solid foundation to work with. Pine Run opens the night in Race 1 as a 6/5 morning-line favorite over 4½ furlongs — a short sprint where our model has him rated 89.71, the highest mark among the free picks. Winning Lover draws our attention in Race 2 at 1000 yards, posting an 89.12 TrackWiz rating at 8/5 on the morning line. And in Race 3, Cioppina Pasadina comes in as a 7/2 overlay candidate — a name worth watching if the crowd underestimates her at the window.
On a clear, fast night like this, early speed is king at Los Al. All three free picks profile as horses who want to be on or near the lead from the break. If the pace scenario sets up the way our models project, there's no reason to get cute — back horses with gate presence and don't look back.
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Tonight at Los Alamitos, Pine Run, Winning Lover, and Cioppina Pasadina are our free best bets to get you started — and Mayor Humdinger in the Handicap Stakes is the race we've been circling all week. It's a fun, fast card on a beautiful summer night. Play it sharp, manage your bankroll, and remember — even the best figures don't guarantee anything once the gate opens. Good luck out there.