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Los Alamitos Thoroughbred Picks & Predictions — June 28, 2026

Sunday, June 28, 20268 racesLos Alamitos Thoroughbred

It's a beautiful Sunday at Los Alamitos — clear skies, 71°F, and a fast dirt strip that should reward horses with early foot. Eight races are on the card today, covering distances from a quick five furlongs all the way out to a full mile, with a nice mix of conditions ranging from maiden special weights to allowance company.

Los Alamitos is a tight, one-turn oval, and on a day like this — no weather issues, no moisture to slow the surface — pace scenarios become everything. Horses that can settle close to the front without burning up early are going to have a real edge. Keep that in mind as you work through the card.

TrackWiz has full analysis on all eight races. The first three are free for every reader, with our premium breakdown covering Races 4 through 8 for subscribers.

Best Bets

Race 1

8:00 PM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt

A clear class standout tops this mile allowance optional claimer, but a deep mid-pack threatens to make the top of the ticket competitive — expect a contested pace and a hot stretch run.

win3CiprianiML 9/5

Cipriani sits at the top of our TrackWiz ratings (86.4) and draws the powerful Bob Baffert barn, which consistently delivers in these allowance conditions. At 9/5 on the morning line, the market agrees — and with Umberto Rispoli in the irons, the tactical pace management figures to be sharp around two turns. The 33% career win rate matches Ryan's Girl but the rating edge here is significant, and that average speed figure of 54 gives him a small but meaningful edge over most of this field.

place7Our MoonlightML 4/1

Our Moonlight is the interesting counter here — she owns the highest average speed figure in the field at 55 and a TrackWiz rating of 83.05 that trails only Cipriani. The 12% career win rate looks modest, but in a race where she figures to close into whatever pace is set, hitting the board feels like a reasonable expectation at a 4/1 morning line.

show6Shared FutureML 8/1

Shared Future at 8/1 is a legitimate exotic inclusion despite the longer morning line. The 79.79 rating is third-best in the field, and a 21% career win rate in an allowance optional claimer suggests this horse can compete when conditions line up. If the front end tires, trainer Mark Rheinford's runner could be picking up pieces late.

Race 2

8:31 PM EDT

Starter Allowance · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

Project Leader looks like a potentially lopsided favorite in this 5½-furlong starter allowance — the pace and class question is whether anyone can keep up.

win2Project LeaderML 3/1

Project Leader is the standout of the morning card so far, posting a field-topping TrackWiz rating of 87.08 and an average speed figure of 57 that is comfortably the best in the field. A 38% career win rate is elite — nearly four wins for every ten starts — and trainer Jesus J. Uranga knows this horse well. At 3/1, there may be a touch of overlay value here given the raw ratings edge.

place3Majestic PalisadesML 9/5

Majestic Palisades is the morning-line favorite at 9/5 with Joel Rosario aboard — a jockey who always commands attention — and a rating of 57.9 that makes her a legitimate place contender. Her 14% career win rate is less inspiring, but Rosario's ability to find a pace pocket and pounce late over 5½ furlongs gives her a strong profile to hit the board.

show1Otro MasML 2/1

Otro Mas opens at 2/1 despite a rating (57.6) that sits just a tick below Majestic Palisades, which makes this an interesting show overlay if the public hammers the top two. A 30% career win rate is solid for this level, and Armando Aguilar has been active in the irons at this meet.

Race 3

9:03 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 1/2 fur · Dirt

Rock N Roll Song's TrackWiz rating dwarfs the field in this 6½-furlong claimer, but a pair of horses without recent speed figures adds a wildcard element worth monitoring.

win7Rock N Roll SongML 3/1

Rock N Roll Song tops our ratings at 87.08 — a full 15 points clear of the next-best Roman Empress — and pairs that with a 21% career win rate and an average speed figure of 55. Trainer Jesus J. Uranga saddles two horses in this race (an interesting angle), and Rock N Roll Song appears to be the barn's 'A' runner based on the figures. At 3/1, this looks like fair value for a horse with a clear numerical edge.

place6Roman EmpressML 5/1

Roman Empress is the sneaky play here. No average speed figure is listed, which means we're working with limited data, but a TrackWiz rating of 72.0 and a 14% career win rate in a claiming field is respectable. Ricardo Ramirez gets the call, and if this mare has been freshened since her last charted effort, she could surprise at 5/1.

show5Dallas AliceML 15/1

Dallas Alice at 15/1 is a legitimate longshot-show angle with a 61.88 rating that is actually third-best in this field — higher than the 2/1 morning-line horse Headed for Om. No average speed figure is on record, but the rating alone justifies a small ticket. Francisco Orduna-Rojas picks up the mount, and if there's a pace collapse up front, she could be gobbling up ground at big odds.

Our three free selections today span the full range of race types, which makes for a nice cross-section of the card. In Race 1, Cipriani comes in off TrackWiz ratings that peg him as the most complete horse in the Allowance Optional Claiming mile — morning line 9/5 with an 86.4 rating that stands out in the field. Race 2 shifts to five and a half furlongs for a Starter Allowance where Project Leader (3/1 ML, 87.08 rating) is the top-rated horse on the card through our free selections. Sprint races at Los Alamitos can be brutally fast early, so his profile fits the surface well. Then in Race 3, Rock N Roll Song matches that same 87.08 rating in a Claiming sprint at 6½ furlongs — a distance that plays right into the track's wheelhouse.

A clean track with no pace-muddling weather means these three races should set up fairly honestly. No excuse for front-runners to steal on a dead rail today — if the pace is honest, closers get their shot too. But the ratings favor horses near the front, and that's worth noting across all three free plays.

Full Card Analysis

Race 4

9:35 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 5 fur · Dirt

An intriguing 5-furlong maiden special weight where the TrackWiz ratings sharply favor one runner over a morning-line favorite, setting up a potential upset scenario at overlay odds.

win3Fumano's FireML 5/2

Fumano's Fire owns the top TrackWiz rating in this field at 83.9 — a number that stands well above the chalk Repo (59.0) — and posts an average speed figure of 55 to back it up. Trainer Edwin G. Alvarez keeps the barn active and sends Cristobal Herrera up in the irons. At 5/2 on the morning line, this is a case where our analysis says the ratings money is in the right place, though maiden races always carry extra uncertainty.

place4RepoML 8/5

Repo opens as the 8/5 favorite with Umberto Rispoli aboard for trainer Michael W. McCarthy — a combo that commands respect on raw connections alone. The 59.0 rating is second in the field, and a 54 average speed figure is in the mix. The question is whether the market has overbet this one, making a place ticket more palatable than a straight win play.

show7Bo DiddleyML 4/1

Bo Diddley at 4/1 with Joel Rosario makes for an interesting show hedge. The 55.0 rating and 54 average speed figure are middle-of-the-pack, but Joel Rosario on any horse in a 5-furlong sprint is worth noting — his ability to break clean and establish early position is a genuine asset in short-distance maiden races.

Race 5

10:07 PM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

March of Time versus a surprise value play — the Bob Baffert entry is the clear public choice in this 5½-furlong allowance optional claimer, but double-digit morning-line Alphabetical Order hides a stat that demands a second look.

win7March of TimeML 8/5

March of Time carries the Baffert brand and a TrackWiz rating of 81.44 with a 33% career win rate — that's a strong combination in an optional claimer at this level. Juan J. Hernandez gets the call and figures to have this horse sitting somewhere near the pace on a surface where speed typically has an advantage over 5½ furlongs. At 8/5, the market has priced him appropriately as the likely controlling speed.

place1Alphabetical OrderML 10/1

Alphabetical Order is the value play of the card here — a 10/1 morning line on a horse posting a 76.88 TrackWiz rating AND a 43% career win rate. That win percentage is the best in the field by a wide margin, and while no average speed figure is on record, the rating comfortably outperforms most of the lineup. Trainer Jesus J. Uranga knows how to spot a spot, and Ricardo Ramirez gets the mount.

show2Central DispatchML 4/1

Central Dispatch at 4/1 brings a 33% career win rate and the highest average speed figure in the field at 57 — a number that stands out in a race where the top two picks have their own advantages. Joel Rosario's presence in the irons for trainer Val Brinkerhoff adds confidence, and if Central Dispatch gets a clean trip close to the pace, he's live for a piece.

Race 6

10:38 PM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt

Lady Ruth looks like a dominant maiden claimer with a rating nearly 30 points clear of the field, but at 8/5 in a mile maiden event, the place and show slots offer legitimate value.

win5Lady RuthML 8/5

Lady Ruth tops the TrackWiz ratings by a wide margin at 89.12 — the highest win-pick rating on the entire card today — and draws Tiago Josue Pereira, who has been one of the busier riders at this meet. Trainer O.J. Jauregui gets this runner at 8/5, which in a maiden claiming sprint might be fair given that edge. The 53 average speed figure is in the field's range, so this isn't a runaway on raw speed, but the overall profile is clearly the class of the field.

place1Sugar ReignML 2/1

Sugar Reign at 2/1 is an interesting place play — a 61.96 rating that is second-best in the field with a 55 average speed figure that is actually the highest in the race. Trainer Jeff Bonde and jockey Armando Aguilar combine here, and if Lady Ruth meets any trouble in a one-mile trip, Sugar Reign has the early speed to be right there at the top of the stretch.

show6PhotogenicML 7/2

Photogenic at 7/2 with Joel Rosario has a 58.58 rating and is the third-best rated horse in this maiden claiming field. Trainer Leonard Powell runs Maguite in the same race, but Photogenic figures to be the barn's best shot. Rosario's ability to place a horse tactically in a longer maiden race gives this runner a better chance than the morning line might suggest.

Race 7

11:09 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt

What a Gift sets up as the class horse in a nine-horse claiming mile, but Smiling Jojo lurks at a big price with a number that makes the exotics well worth complicating.

win1What a GiftML 2/1

What a Gift tops the TrackWiz ratings at 82.0 with a 54 average speed figure and draws post 1 for trainer Victor L. Garcia — a rail trip in a one-mile dirt race that keeps options open early. At 2/1 on the morning line, Armando Ayuso gets the call and this horse should be forwardly placed from the start. The 12% career win rate is modest, but the rating edge over a nine-horse field is the primary story here.

place5Mother's PrayerML 3/1

Mother's Prayer at 3/1 is the logical place horse — a 75.38 rating and 16% career win rate for trainer Steve Knapp, with Tiago Josue Pereira up. The 52 average speed figure suggests she may be a stalker type that prefers to sit mid-pack and close, which in a nine-horse mile sets up nicely if the pace gets hot early. She's close enough in the ratings to threaten for the win if What a Gift has any trouble.

show4Smiling JojoML 12/1

Smiling Jojo at 12/1 is the show sleeper of the race. A 73.96 TrackWiz rating is third-best in a competitive nine-horse field, and Francisco Monroy gets the mount for trainer Rolando Quinonez. No average speed figure on record adds some mystery, but a horse with that rating at a morning line of 12/1 in a claiming route is exactly the kind of value angle that makes exotic tickets profitable over the long run.

Race 8

11:41 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 5 fur · Dirt

Wide-open 5-furlong maiden special weight to close the card — five first-time starters with no speed figures make this a genuine guessing game, with TrackWiz ratings offering the clearest edge available.

win4The Moe ShowML 5/2

The Moe Show tops our ratings at 57.5 with a 53 average speed figure and draws Jeremy Laprida for trainer Steven Miyadi. In a field littered with debut runners and no speed figures, that 53 average stands as meaningful past evidence of ability. At 5/2 on the morning line, The Moe Show is priced as a co-favorite and the TrackWiz number backs that assessment — this is the most reliable profile in an inherently speculative race.

place5Thunder RidingML 3/1

Thunder Riding at 3/1 matches The Moe Show's 53 average speed figure and posts a 56.67 rating just behind the top pick. Trainer Edwin G. Alvarez doubles up in this race and Tiago Josue Pereira pilots this one — Alvarez clearly has runners he believes in. If there's a pace duel at the front, Thunder Riding figures to be in the thick of it with similar speed credentials.

show7Jolt of JoyML 4/1

Jolt of Joy at 4/1 makes for an intriguing show play given the chaos typically associated with maiden specials with multiple first-time starters. No average speed figure on record for Epifanio Garcia's mount, but a 55.0 rating is the third-best in the field and provides a small edge over the rest of the no-figure brigade. In a race this uncertain, getting 4/1 on the third-rated horse for show is a reasonable exotic hedge to cap the card.

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Today's Los Alamitos card is tight, fast, and packed with angles — Cipriani and Project Leader are our marquee free plays, while Lady Ruth's elite 89.12 rating makes her the name to circle on the full card. Casual bettors can dive into the first three races with confidence. Serious players will want the premium breakdown for Races 4–8, including pace projections and exotic ticket strategies. Good luck at the windows — let's make it a profitable Sunday.

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