You're reading 3 of 6 races free
Unlock the other 3 races on today's card, plus AI ratings on every runner and SmartBet ticket construction.
Monmouth Park Picks & Predictions — August 14, 2026
It's a gorgeous Friday at the Jersey Shore — clear skies, 82°F, and Monmouth Park serving up a crisp 6-race card. Conditions don't get much better than this for a late-summer afternoon at the track, and the turf courses should be running fast and true under the August sun.
Today's card is a nice blend of surfaces and distances, with three races on the turf and three on the dirt. Claiming company dominates the afternoon, which means class angles and recent form cycles are going to matter a lot. There's also a maiden claiming sprint on the dirt early — always a tricky puzzle, but our analysis has it narrowed down.
Three races are open to all TrackWiz readers today, and three are part of our full premium breakdown. Whether you're here for a quick play or building a multi-race ticket, there's something on this card for you.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 5 fur · Turf
A wide-open 5-furlong turf sprint where the morning-line favorite looks beatable and two horses sitting just off the top of the TrackWiz ratings could steal the show at overlaid prices.
Scottie Too Hottie tops our ratings at 84.9 and carries a 16% career win rate — respectable in this field — while posting an average speed figure of 55 that ties for the field's best. Trainer Victor Barboza, Jr. sends him out at a morning line of 9/2, which looks like a gift if those numbers hold up on turf. Jockey Carlos Eduardo Rojas gets the call, and this combination of strong rating, solid speed, and a fair price makes Scottie our top selection on the card opener.
Into Inspiration carries the second-highest TrackWiz rating in the race at 83.51 despite a modest 5% career win rate — suggesting a horse who hits the board more than he gets to the winner's circle, which makes him a natural place play. Trainer Jose M. Jimenez has two runners in this field, showing confidence in the barn, and Edwin Gonzalez gets the mount. At 5/1, there's real value in his pairing with a high rating and consistent speed figure of 54.
Pandemic Hero at 5/1 brings a TrackWiz rating of 73.13 and matches the field's top average speed figure at 55 — that combination makes him a legitimate contender to fill out the trifecta. Also trained by Jose M. Jimenez, there may be a stable preference for Into Inspiration, but don't overlook this one in exotics. He's a reasonable underneath play in trifecta and superfecta tickets.
Race 2
Maiden Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A maiden claiming sprint on dirt where nobody in the field has broken their maiden yet — but the TrackWiz ratings show a clear top tier, setting up a potential 1-2 punch from trainer Michael Dini's barn.
Miskita leads all horses in this maiden field with a TrackWiz rating of 87.81 — the highest in this race — and backs it up with a solid average speed figure of 54. Trainer Irving Rodriguez sends her out as the morning-line second choice at 5/2, and Kleiner A. Mejias rides. In a field full of winless runners, Miskita's combination of elite rating and respectable speed gives her the clearest edge on paper.
Bet On Beth comes from the barn of Michael Dini, who also saddles La Pluma, and she's the top Dini runner by rating at 80.73. Francisco Martinez gets the mount, and her average speed figure of 53 is solid for this level. With the morning line at 7/2, she's attractively priced for a horse whose rating suggests she should be right there at the finish.
La Pluma is the other Dini entry and sits third overall in TrackWiz ratings at 76.96, making her a legitimate show candidate in a race where her trainer could easily send two horses across the line. Edwin Gonzalez rides, and at 3/1 on the morning line she could even be overbet, but her rating and barn support justify including her deep in your exotics.
Race 3
Claiming · 1 mi 70 yd · Dirt
The pace scenario here is intriguing — the morning-line favorite Fromanothamutha figures to set or press fractions, but Rerally's superior TrackWiz rating and career win percentage suggest the closer has the better chance to run them all down in this mile-and-a-sixteenth dirt test.
Rerally is the standout in this field with a TrackWiz rating of 87.81 and an eye-catching 22% career win rate — the highest in the race by a wide margin. Trainer Miguel Penaloza also has Fromanothamutha in the field, suggesting he's confident in both, but Rerally's rating and win percentage point to him as the superior runner. Jean Aguilar gets the mount at a 5/2 morning line that represents fair value given those credentials.
Fluff the Pillow is the longshot angle for the place spot with a TrackWiz rating of 74.9 and a 12% career win rate that's reasonable for this level. Trainer Joann Bertone saddles two runners today and Noel Herman picks up this mount — at 8/1 on the morning line, Fluff the Pillow could be a serious overlay in exacta and trifecta tickets if Rerally runs them into the ground up front.
Fromanothamutha draws post 5 with a 15% career win rate and a TrackWiz rating of 71.71 — good enough to compete here, and trainer Miguel Penaloza clearly knows this horse well. At the 9/5 morning-line chalk, however, the value isn't overwhelming, and we see him as a show play rather than a prime win threat against Rerally from the same barn.
Our three free best bets today cover the first half of the card nicely. Scottie Too Hottie kicks things off in Race 1, a 5-furlong turf sprint where the firm going should play right into this one's running style — posted at 9/2 on the morning line, there's real value there if the pace sets up. Miskita draws our attention in the Race 2 maiden claiming sprint on the dirt, earning the highest TrackWiz rating of our free picks at 87.81. In maiden races, that kind of edge in the ratings model often signals a horse with more upside than the field around it.
Race 3 stretches things out to a mile and 70 yards on the dirt, and Rerally matches Miskita's rating exactly — this one shapes up as a pace-centric affair where we'd expect early speed to get tested. All three free picks are at 5/2 or better on the morning line, so there's legitimate value on the board before the gates even open.
Send me tomorrow's free Monmouth Park card before post time.
Free picks in your inbox each morning. No card required, unsubscribe anytime.
Full Card Analysis
Premium Content
Get the Full Card Analysis
Unlock expert picks for every race, detailed speed figures, trainer angles, and our SmartBet recommendations.
Bottom line: Monmouth is in great shape today, the turf is playing fast, and our ratings model has flagged some legitimate value across the card. Start with Scottie Too Hottie, Miskita, and Rerally in the free races — then let our premium analysis guide you through the back half. Full pace breakdowns, exotic tickets, and race-by-race deep dives are waiting for subscribers. Don't leave money on the table.