Mountaineer Picks & Predictions — November 1, 2026

It's Yesenia is our place pick at 7/2 with a 66.41 TrackWiz rating and the fastest recent race speed in the field at 12.87 seconds per furlong — that pace edge matters in a short five-furlong sprint. Trainer Juan Pablo Silva is one of the more active outfits at Mountaineer and brings a B+ grade, which adds confidence. Like the top pick, she has no in-the-money finishes on dirt, and she hasn't placed in her last four starts, so there's risk — but the speed figure is hard to ignore.

Chiva Loca rounds out the exotics at 2/1 on the morning line with a 64.51 TrackWiz rating, which is third-best in the field, and posted the third-fastest recent race speed at 13.16 seconds per furlong — tied with Melly B. Good. She's also drawn outside in post six, giving her running room on a surface she hasn't won on before. The pattern in this race is that the top three picks all lack a dirt win, so this is genuinely speculative territory — but Chiva Loca's speed figures make her a legitimate exotic piece.

Divine Cross is our place pick at 3/1 with a 66.60 TrackWiz rating and a strong Mountaineer record — one win and four in-the-money finishes from five starts at this track. He posts the third-fastest recent race speed in the field at 12.71 seconds per furlong, and trainer Dave Treharne brings an A grade. The concern is a spotty record at six furlongs specifically — just two in-the-money finishes from 10 tries at this distance — so he may need things to set up just right.

Pasta Salad Rhonda makes for an interesting show play at 6/1 with a 66.24 rating and solid recent form — two in-the-money finishes from her last two starts. She gets a class drop from $5,000 to $4,000, which is always a welcome sign, and jockey Humberto Haldar has posted a 21% win rate with a 53% in-the-money finish over the past year. The concern is she's six years old, which the data flags as typically past prime — but the recency of form and the class relief give her a legitimate case for the exotics.

Greatdayforhockey is rated just 2.5 points below our win pick at 84.59 and posted the second-fastest recent race speed in the field at 12.22 seconds per furlong — she's been moving well. She's hit the board in four of her last six starts, which is a meaningful form streak, and gets a class drop from $5,000 to $4,000. The concern is a limited dirt record — just six in-the-money finishes from 27 career starts on the surface — so she'll need to show more consistency here. Still, the speed figures and recent form make her a strong place contender.

Crime Lord at 7/1 is a legitimate value play with a 74.82 TrackWiz rating and a perfect record at this exact distance — one win and three in-the-money finishes from three tries at 5.5 furlongs. His overall dirt record is solid too, with six in-the-money finishes from 10 starts. He won nearly 12% of our simulations, which significantly outperforms his 7/1 morning line and makes him one of the better value plays on the card today. At that price, he's worth a place-and-show inclusion in your exotics.

Golden Bandit is our place pick at 3/1 with a 67.17 TrackWiz rating and a strong local record — one win and three in-the-money finishes from four Mountaineer starts. He's placed in his last three races, showing current sharp form, and the jockey-trainer combo of Jose A. Leon and Juan Pablo Silva has a 22% win rate and a 57% in-the-money finish over the past year. The concern is a claiming price increase from $5,000 to $7,500, meaning he's stepping up in class today, which is worth noting.

Solomons Gold is the show play at 12/1 — a significant overlay given a 51.83 TrackWiz rating and strong dirt credentials: nine wins in 34 career dirt starts with a 64% in-the-money career rate. He's gone in the money in two of three attempts at today's one-mile distance, which is a key distance-specific angle. The class jump from $5,000 to $7,500 is the concern, same as Golden Bandit — but at 12/1, the value is there if he can handle the step up.

Marmara is our place pick at 3/1 with a strong 80.72 TrackWiz rating and the second-fastest recent race speed in this field at 12.50 seconds per furlong — she's been running well and moving quick. Jockey Ricardo Barrios, one of the top riders on the Mountaineer circuit, brings an A grade and an 18% win rate over the past year. The one flag is a claiming price increase from $3,200 to $4,000, which puts her against slightly tougher horses than her last outing. Still, the speed figures and the elite jockey make her a confident place selection.

Mi Amore is rated third in this field at 77.44 and posted the fastest recent race speed of the entire group at 12.43 seconds per furlong — she's been flying. She's hit the board in five of her last six starts and has six wins in 19 career dirt starts, which is a solid strike rate. Her trainer grade is C and jockey Francisco Garcia brings a C grade as well, which tempers enthusiasm a little — but the raw speed figures and recent form make her a worthy exotics piece at 7/2.

Johnnyfrenchfri is our place pick at 3/1 with a 76.50 TrackWiz rating and impressive dirt credentials — 10 wins in 36 career dirt starts. Jockey Luis Negron brings an A- grade with a 24% win rate and a 55% in-the-money finish over the past year, and he posted the second-fastest recent race speed in the field at 12.27 seconds per furlong. The concern is rest — he's coming back on just 11 days, and the data shows he performs better with 30 or more days of rest. He's also six years old. Worth including in exotics, but the short rest is a real flag.

Hoylake rounds out our picks at 10/1 with a 72.64 TrackWiz rating and solid recent form — in the money in his last four consecutive starts. He's built a respectable dirt record with six wins in 21 career starts, and both his jockey (Ricardo Barrios, A grade) and trainer (Dave Treharne, A grade) are top-tier connections. At double-digit odds with that form and those connections, Hoylake offers genuine show value and belongs in your vertical exotics.