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Los Alamitos Quarter Horse Picks & Predictions — September 26, 2026
Los Alamitos is firing up an eight-race quarter horse card this Saturday afternoon, and the weather is playing nice — 83°F under partly cloudy skies means we're looking at a fast, consistent dirt surface. No moisture in the air, no excuses. These horses are going to run their true figures today.
The card is a nice mix of claiming, allowance, and maiden action, with distances ranging from a lightning-quick 300 yards to 4½ furlongs on the Thoroughbred side. That means different disciplines, different pace dynamics, and plenty of angles to work through. Whether you're here for the short-field sprints or the longer dirt routes, there's something worth your attention.
TrackWiz analysis has flagged top picks across all eight races. Three races are fully open today — free for every reader — and five are reserved for premium subscribers. Let's get into it.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 4 1/2 fur · Dirt
A claiming sprint where one horse stands head and shoulders above the field on our ratings, but the morning line favorite still needs to prove it at the windows — there's a real pace scenario worth watching here.
Cioppina Pasadina comes in with a TrackWiz rating of 89.12 — nearly 25 points clear of the next-best horse in this field — and that kind of gap in a 4 1/2-furlong claiming sprint is hard to ignore. The 8/5 morning line reflects that dominance, and trainer Charles S. Treece sends her out with Edgar Payeras in the irons. The career win percentage of 12% won't jump off the page, but our model says this horse's overall profile makes her the clear top selection in this spot.
Elegant Sway earns a 64.01 TrackWiz rating and brings a respectable 18% career win rate to the gate — one of the better win percentages in this field. Trainer Angela Maria Aquino puts up Justine Klaiber, and with an average speed figure of 56, this filly has the raw ability to run down whoever is in front of her in the late stages of a short sprint. At 4/1 on the morning line, she represents solid place value.
Miss Joannie sits second on our ratings leaderboard at 54.40, which is notable given she's trained by the same Jorge Farias barn that also sends out the morning line second choice. Farias running two horses here could mean barn confidence across multiple slots, and Miss Joannie at 5/1 makes for a smart inclusion in exacta and trifecta coverage. The stable connection is an angle worth respecting.
Race 2
Claiming · 4 1/2 fur · Dirt
The morning line favorite doesn't match up to the TrackWiz top-rated horse here, setting up a potential overlay situation — and a closer with a big win percentage could complicate things further.
Omemgee tops our ratings at 84.17 despite going off at 5/1 on the morning line — that's a meaningful disconnect between public opinion and our model. Trainer Jesus J. Uranga puts Ricardo S. Ramirez on board, and with a 56 average speed figure in a 4 1/2-furlong dirt sprint, the raw speed is there. A 14% career win rate is modest, but the rating advantage over a wide-open field says this is the horse to beat at a price.
Comanche Gal is the morning line favorite at 9/5 and rates second on our board at 77.92, which makes her a legitimate contender — just not quite our top pick. The Edgar Payeras/Vann Belvoir combo is a solid pairing, and a 55 average speed figure keeps her right in the mix pace-wise. She's the safe place play in a race where Omemgee could be the live overlay at the win.
Candy Run catches the eye with a 33% career win rate — best in this field by a significant margin — and trainer James W. Glenn, Jr. has her going off at 2/1 with Cesar Ortega up. A 54 average speed figure puts her slightly off the pace leaders, but that win percentage signals this filly knows how to finish. She's a natural fit for trifecta bottom in what figures to be a pace-heavy short sprint.
Race 3
Allowance · 300 yd · Dirt
An allowance sprint over 300 yards where the top three on our ratings are separated by only eight points — tight enough that the order of finish could go several ways, but there's a clear leader worth backing.
Dice Game carries our top rating of 88.54 in this race and heads into the gate at 2/1 on the morning line with a 25% career win rate to back it up. Trainer Scott Willoughby puts Gabriel Angel Gomez Lara in the irons — a pairing worth noting in short-format quarter horse racing where gate speed and rider instinct matter enormously. At 300 yards, there's no room for mistakes, and Dice Game's profile projects as the fastest horse from the gate.
Ximenarey rates closely behind at 83.36 and comes in at 3/1 morning line — making her a natural place play underneath Dice Game. Trainer Jaime H. Gomez sends her out with Jesus Rios Ayala, and while the 14% career win rate is modest, the rating says she's capable of running second or better in this field. In a race this short, a clean break is often the whole ballgame, and she has the profile to capitalize.
Behind the Bar rates third on our board at 80.44 and offers some show value at 5/1 on the morning line. Trainer Michael V. Casselman has a knack for placing horses well in allowance company, and a 25% career win rate puts Behind the Bar in elite company among this group. She's the kind of horse who rounds out exotic tickets and gives you a legitimate shot at a healthy trifecta payout.
Our three free races today cover both ends of the card, and the picks are connected by a common theme: horses with clear class or speed advantages in relatively thin fields. Cioppino Pasadina opens the card in Race 1 at 8/5 on the morning line — that's a fair price for a horse our model rates at 89.12, the highest rating among the free picks. In Race 2, Omemgee stands out as a potential value play at 5/1, with an 84-point rating that suggests the morning line may be a touch generous to the competition. Then in Race 3, Dice Game gets a short 300-yard allowance sprint — the kind of race where a horse with a strong early break simply doesn't get caught.
On a firm, fast surface like we're expecting today, early speed is king at Los Alamitos, especially at the shorter distances. All three of our free picks profile as horses who want to be on or near the front. If the track is playing true to form, that's a meaningful edge.
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Bottom line for today: Cioppina Pasadina in Race 1 is our marquee free play, Omemgee offers live value at 5/1 in Race 2, and Dice Game is a short-field speed play in Race 3. For everything else — pace scenarios, exotic tickets, and full ratings across Races 4 through 8 — the complete TrackWiz breakdown is waiting for subscribers. Good luck at the windows.