Louisiana Downs Picks & Predictions — June 23, 2026

Bayousumcrawfish — yes, that's the name, and it's a great one — rates out at 84.17, only a shade behind the top pick in our model. Carlos Lozada rides for Ronnie Cravens III, who already has horses live on this card. At 5/1 on the morning line, there's genuine value here; the gap between Eagle in the Air and Bayousumcrawfish is small enough that a trip or pace scenario could easily flip these two.

Hurricane Comin posts an 80.24 TrackWiz rating — third-best in the field — and at 4/1 represents legitimate value in the show position. Alexander Castillo takes the mount for Richard Jackson, and with an average speed figure of 52, this horse has the raw material to run a competitive race on the mile turf. If the top two hook up on the front end, Hurricane Comin is exactly the type to come flying late.

Beach Blanket carries a 20% career win rate — solid for a claiming horse — and a TrackWiz rating of 82.87 that's just a hair behind our top pick. Isaac Castillo rides for Jonathan Wong, a trainer who has multiple live horses on today's card. The 2/1 morning line likely reflects sharp money or recent form, so don't overlook this one as a dangerous rival; the place slot is its floor.

Lost Da Vinci is the third-best rated horse in this field at 72.98 and offers genuine value at 6/1 on the morning line. A 20% career win rate mirrors Beach Blanket's success rate in claiming company, and trainer Patti Turner doubles up with Izzy's Baby Boy in the same race. Jonuelle Pena has the call, and in a 10-horse field where pace can get messy, a horse with a 72-plus rating at 6/1 is exactly the kind of exotic anchor that pays.

Windy Ice comes in rated 81.83 — only a whisker behind our top pick — and draws more public respect at 5/2. Emanuel Nieves rides for Danny Pish, a trainer with experience placing maiden turf horses. An average speed figure of 53 is tied for best in the field, and at the mile distance, that kind of sustained pace ability matters. She's the most likely horse to run La Jefacita down if the favorite hits any trouble.

Dialing for Dough sits third in our ratings at 66.72 and offers a reasonable 5/1 morning line price in a maiden field where the top two are very close. Trainer Jayde Gelner also enters Mad About Martha in this same race, so the barn clearly likes this spot. Lane Luzzi takes the ride, and at a mile on turf, a horse with this profile and a patient jockey has every right to be involved for a piece.

Mucino gives trainer Jonathan Wong a second weapon in this field, and a 76.48 TrackWiz rating puts him clearly in the tier just below Big Drinker. What stands out is a 15% career win rate and the best average speed figure in the race at 54 — that's the kind of raw pace that can make a horse dangerous going longer. Julio Ramirez Jr. takes the call at 7/2 morning line odds, and if anything goes sideways with the stable's main hope, Mucino is primed to inherit the position.

Hexcel is the longshot angle worth building into your exotics at 12/1 on the morning line. A TrackWiz rating of 69.92 — third-best in the field — gives this horse more credibility than the double-digit odds suggest. Trainer Rosa Ramirez sends Jonuelle Pena to the irons, and an 11% career win rate in what figures to be a relatively honest allowance pace means Hexcel could absolutely pick up a piece at a very attractive price in trifecta and superfecta combinations.