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Free Meadowlands Picks & Predictions for Today — September 26, 2026

September 26, 20266 racesAll Meadowlands picks

It's a soggy Saturday at the Meadowlands, with rain coming down and temperatures hovering around 61°F — conditions that are going to matter a lot on a turf-heavy card like today's. All six races are carded on the grass, which means any late rail moves or course management decisions by the stewards could flip the script in a hurry. Stay locked into TrackWiz for real-time updates.

We've got a compact but interesting six-race card to dig through, spanning claiming races, a pair of maiden claimers, and a step up in class with an Allowance Optional Claiming mile that looks like the most competitive race of the afternoon. Distances range from a sharp five furlongs to a full mile, giving us a nice mix of pace scenarios to work through.

Wet turf tends to favor horses with tactical speed who can get a clean trip near the front — closers who need soft ground to open up will have their work cut out if the course is playing firm underneath the surface moisture. That's a key angle running through our analysis today.

3 Free Races Today at Meadowlands

Race 1

11:00 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

A mile on the turf with a clear class standout at the top — but the morning line suggests the market already knows it, so finding value underneath is the real game here.

win8RuseML 9/5

Ruse carries a TrackWiz rating of 88.83 — a full 19 points clear of the next-best horse in this field — and that kind of separation in a claiming field is hard to ignore. Trainer Michael V. Simone sends this one out with jockey Ruben Silvera, and the combination of the highest average speed figure in the race and a rating that dominates the card makes Ruse the clear top choice. The 9/5 morning line reflects public confidence, but even at short odds, the rating edge justifies the play. At a mile on turf, a horse this class-superior should be sitting close to the pace and have enough left to seal it.

place4SpettroML 3/1

Spettro is the class play underneath, posting a 25% career win rate — best in this field — and a TrackWiz rating of 69.54 that puts him clearly second in the rankings. Trainer Charlton Baker sends him out from the four-hole with Reylu Gutierrez, a jockey who knows how to find a trip on turf. At 3/1, Spettro should be a comfortable part of any exacta construction beneath Ruse.

show7Mr. MendelssohnML 15/1

Mr. Mendelssohn is the longshot angle worth threading into your exotics at 15/1. His TrackWiz rating of 57 is mid-pack, but his average speed figure of 53 matches several horses rated higher, suggesting he may be a touch undervalued by the morning line. Luis M. Ocasio has a live book here at Meadowlands, and if the pace gets hot up front, a closer-style trip could set him up for a piece of the ticket.

Race 2

11:28 PM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 5 fur · Turf

Maiden claiming sprinters on the turf — a blank-slate field where nobody has broken their maiden yet, making the pace scenario and raw speed figures the primary handicapping tools.

win5Natures FuryML 5/2

Natures Fury stands out in a wide-open maiden field with a TrackWiz rating of 87.81, which is a massive 26-point gap over the second-ranked horse. Trainer John C. Servis is a name that commands respect at this level, and jockey Abner Adorno gets the call with purpose. The average speed figure of 54 is tied for best in the field, and in a 5-furlong turf sprint where the pace can get quick, having raw speed credentials matters. The 5/2 morning line is fair — this is the most likely winner in the race.

place7MunchkinML 4/1

Munchkin checks in with a 61.65 TrackWiz rating and an average speed figure of 54 — matching the top horses for raw punch in a sprint. Trainer Holly L. Harris places this one in a spot where the competition is beatable, and Noel Herman gets a horse that should be near or on the pace in a five-furlong dash. At 4/1, Munchkin is a solid place candidate and a key piece of exacta and trifecta coverage.

show4My Honey MotherML 5/1

My Honey Mother is a sneaky inclusion at 5/1 with a TrackWiz rating of 53.33 — third-best in the field — and an average speed of 53 that keeps her competitive in a short sprint. Trainer Victor Barboza, Jr. puts Christopher Elliott in the irons, and from the four-hole, this filly should have a clean trip. In a maiden field this unsettled, she's worth a show bet and a spot in multi-horse exotic combinations.

Race 3

11:56 PM EDT

Claiming · 5 fur · Turf

Three horses clustered between 78 and 85 on the TrackWiz ratings scale create a genuine trifecta puzzle in this 5-furlong turf claiming sprint — pace will be a factor with multiple speed horses drawn in.

win7Seasonal LoveML 4/1

Seasonal Love tops the TrackWiz ratings at 85.62 and brings an average speed of 55 into this five-furlong turf sprint — one of the strongest figures in the race. Trainer Brett A. Brinkman hands the reins to Gavin Ashton, and the 4/1 morning line offers real value for a horse rated this highly in a claiming field. With a 15% career win rate, Seasonal Love has shown the ability to get to the wire, and in a race where pace pressure could hurt some of the other speed horses, a well-placed tactical ride could make this look straightforward.

place3Heavy TimberML 6/1

Heavy Timber is a genuine value angle at 6/1 despite carrying the second-highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 81.18. Trainer Richard Vega has Dexter Haddock up, and the average speed figure of 54 is competitive in this sprint company. The lower career win percentage (9%) suggests he may be a horse who gets beat in tight photo finishes — making him a prime place candidate rather than a pure win play.

show2Identity CrisisML 3/1

Identity Crisis is the chalk underneath at 3/1 with a TrackWiz rating of 78.69 and the best average speed figure in the field at 55. Trainer Kelly J. Breen is a sharp conditioner at this level, and Jose Antonio Gomez brings tactical savvy from the two-hole. This one's probably underlaid for win purposes given the stronger ratings above, but for show and exacta use, Identity Crisis is a must-include.

Three races are fully unlocked for every TrackWiz reader today, and they give us a solid cross-section of the card. We open with Ruse in Race 1, a one-mile turf claimer where our ratings peg the morning-line favorite at 88.83 — the top mark on the entire card. In Race 2, Natures Fury stands out in a five-furlong maiden claimer on the turf, posting an 87.81 rating at a workable 5/2 on the morning line. And in Race 3, we like Seasonal Love at 4/1 in another five-furlong turf claimer — that's the kind of morning-line price that can offer real value if the crowd underestimates the wet-ground angle.

The connective tissue across these three free picks is pace. All three of our top selections project well on a turf course that may be playing a touch slower than usual today. Horses that can settle comfortably in the first turn and accelerate through the lane — rather than burning early energy on a potentially holding surface — are the profile we're targeting. These three fit that mold.

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Race 4

12:24 AM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

A deep ten-horse claiming field goes a mile on the turf with a clear top-rated horse and a pair of mid-tier contenders that offer real price in the exotics.

win5Black FlyML 7/2

Black Fly posts the top TrackWiz rating in this field at 86.35 — a commanding number in a claiming mile where most of the competitors are bunched between 50 and 69. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp sends this one out with Eliseo Ruiz in the irons, and the average speed figure of 54 is among the best in the race. A 9% career win rate might look modest, but in a field this competitive, the rating separation speaks louder. At 7/2, this is the race's most likely winner and the right horse to anchor your tickets.

place8Red Hot CatalinaML 6/1

Red Hot Catalina is the value underneath at 6/1, boasting a TrackWiz rating of 68.75 — second-best in the field — and a 9% career win rate that mirrors the top pick's profile. Trainer Kathleen O'Connell puts Carol Cedeno aboard, and from post eight, this filly will need some room in a ten-horse turf mile. She's got the numbers to hit the board at a price, making her a priority in exacta wheels beneath Black Fly.

show9Dress Like CocoML 8/1

Dress Like Coco brings a 59.56 TrackWiz rating and a 10% career win rate into a race where the top half of the field is tight enough for any of several horses to grab a piece. Trainer J. Tyler Servis has Ruben Silvera up from post nine, and the average speed of 51 might suggest she'll need others to come back to her late. In a ten-horse field on turf, that late-running profile can be deadly, and the 8/1 morning line makes her a worthwhile show/trifecta inclusion.

Race 5

12:52 AM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

A full thirteen-horse allowance optional claiming field goes a mile on the turf — a massive field that will test pace management and trip luck, with a pair of horses rated 82+ sitting just below the top morning-line price.

win9Smuggler's GoldML 3/1

Smuggler's Gold checks in with a TrackWiz rating of 83.33 — second-highest in the field — and draws the nine post with Christopher Elliott, a jockey capable of threading through traffic in a crowded turf mile. Trainer Cathal A. Lynch is a sharp conditioner who puts horses in winning spots, and a 13% career win rate in a field this deep is respectable. The 3/1 morning line makes this the public's top choice, and TrackWiz analysis confirms it's deserved — this is the horse to beat.

place12GrouchML 6/1

Grouch is separated from the win pick by less than a point in TrackWiz ratings — 82.71 versus 83.33 — and that razor-thin gap makes him a compelling place play at 6/1. Trainer Jose Lozano Sanchez gives Luis Raul Rivera, Jr. the mount from post 12, which is deep in a thirteen-horse field but not impossible in a mile-long turf race. At 14% career win rate, Grouch has the profile of a horse who consistently competes, and the value here relative to his rating is one of the better overlays on the card.

show13T V ManML 10/1

T V Man sits third in the TrackWiz ratings at 68.86 and offers genuine value at 10/1 in a wide-open field. Trainer James A. Frangella, Jr. also has Ohana Empire in the race, but T V Man is the stable's stronger-rated entry. The average speed of 53 keeps him in the conversation in a mile that should have honest pace with this many runners, and at double-digit odds, he's a key trifecta inclusion.

Race 6

1:20 AM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

Eight maiden claimers go a mile on the turf with a fascinating twist — the morning-line favorite is NOT the top-rated horse, setting up a real disconnect between public money and TrackWiz numbers.

win5Plenty On TapML 4/1

Plenty On Tap tops the TrackWiz ratings at 85.62 in a maiden field where nobody has won before, and that kind of advantage in an inexperienced group tends to matter. Trainer Tim Woolley puts Carol Cedeno in the irons from post five — a clean middle draw in a turf mile. The average speed figure of 54 is competitive, and at 4/1 on the morning line, there's legitimate value here for a horse that our analysis identifies as the clear top selection. This is the TrackWiz best bet of Race 6.

place7SeawiseML 3/1

Seawise is the morning-line favorite at 3/1 but ranks second in TrackWiz ratings at 76.53 — a solid number, just not quite matching Plenty On Tap at the top. Trainer Blake Kelly double-dips in this race with Told as well, but Seawise is clearly the stable's first string here with Francisco Martinez up. As a maiden who shows an average speed of 54, she should be close to the pace throughout and is a lock for exotic coverage.

show6MustbethemunningML 5/2

Mustbethemunning draws in at 5/2 as the second choice in the morning line with a TrackWiz rating of 65.03 — third in the field. Trainer Rob Atras puts Reylu Gutierrez in the irons, a combination that commands respect in maiden company. The speed figure of 54 matches the top two, and if the race sets up with a contested pace, Mustbethemunning's finishing kick could earn a piece of the purse. An essential trifecta leg at any price.

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Bottom line: today's Meadowlands card is all about reading the wet turf correctly and finding horses whose running styles hold up in softer conditions. Our top free plays — Ruse, Natures Fury, and Seasonal Love — give every reader a strong foundation to work from. Subscribers get the deeper dive on Races 4 through 6, complete with pace maps, exotic strategies, and the full TrackWiz rating breakdown. Good luck out there — and stay dry.

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