Daily Picks

Penn National Picks & Predictions — June 17, 2026

Wednesday, June 17, 20268 racesPenn National

Penn National rolls out an 8-race Wednesday card under partly cloudy skies with temperatures sitting at a comfortable 80°F — ideal conditions for what shapes up to be a turf-dominant afternoon. Three of the first four races are contested on the grass, so if you've been waiting for a turf-friendly day at Penn, this is it.

The card runs the full spectrum from straight claiming races to starter optional claimers, giving handicappers plenty of angles to work with. Speed figures are tight across several races, which means pace scenarios and surface preferences are going to separate the sharp plays from the coin flips today.

TrackWiz has analysis on all 8 races, with 3 races open to everyone and the full premium breakdown covering the back half of the card where some of the most intriguing betting opportunities live.

Best Bets

Race 1

9:45 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

A wide-open turf mile on the claiming circuit where the morning line favorite sits well below the top two TrackWiz-rated horses — expect a pace scenario that rewards the closers.

win2Mr. HustleML 6/1

Mr. Hustle (6/1) tops our ratings in this field with a 77.8 score, and at 6/1 on the morning line, he represents genuine value against a short-priced morning-line favorite. Trainer Charles A. DeMario sends him out with a 13% career win rate behind him, and on a one-mile turf trip where pace figures to be honest, a horse with this rating ceiling has every right to be running them down late. Raul E. Mena gets the call, and this horse's profile fits the distance perfectly.

place6SobieskiML 10/1

Sobieski (10/1) is the second-highest-rated horse in the field at 76.88, nearly matching Mr. Hustle, which makes the double-digit morning line look like a gift. Trainer Erin Carpio's runner carries a 15% career win rate, and with Angel R. Quinones up, there's a legitimate live longshot angle here if the pace sets up kindly. Don't sleep on this one in your exactas.

show7Doctor's OrdersML 7/2

Doctor's Orders (7/2) checks in with a 56.08 TrackWiz rating and a 9% career win rate, but the 7/2 morning line suggests the market already has some respect for trainer Timothy C. Kreiser's entry. Wilfredo Corujo is a capable handler at Penn National, and with co-top speed figures (56 avg) alongside Bigdaddysboy, this horse has the raw pace to be in the mix at the turns. A safe exotic anchor at a fair price.

Race 2

10:14 PM EDT

Starter Optional Claiming · 1 mi · Turf

Billy White Shoes enters as a standout on paper in this 12-horse starter optional claiming mile on the turf, but Brockton's 20% career win rate makes the mid-field worth watching closely.

win10Billy White ShoesML 5/2

Billy White Shoes (5/2) is the class of this field by a comfortable margin — an 87.81 TrackWiz rating tops the entire 12-horse lineup, and trainer Brandon L. Kulp sends him out with Angel R. Rodriguez in the irons, a combination that commands attention. A 12% career win rate isn't flashy, but the sheer gap between his rating and the rest of the field is the real story here. At 5/2 on the morning line, this is a legitimate top choice, not a sucker bet on the chalk.

place2BrocktonML 5/1

Brockton (5/1) is trained by the same barn as the win pick — Brandon L. Kulp — and that dual-entry angle is worth noting. What stands out here is a 20% career win rate, the second-highest in the field, and a 69.39 rating that puts him comfortably in the second tier. Julio A. Hernandez gets the mount, and in a race where the favorite might take the heat, Brockton is well-positioned to fill the exacta.

show9Royal RenegadeML 6/1

Royal Renegade (6/1) brings a 62.79 TrackWiz rating to a race where the middle tier is tightly bunched, giving trainer Elizabeth M. Merryman's runner a real shot at the podium. Jomar Torres rides, and with a 9% career win rate and a solid avg speed of 54, this horse should be competitive on the turf mile. At 6/1, the price is right for show tickets and exotic coverage.

Race 3

10:43 PM EDT

Starter Optional Claiming · 5 fur · Turf

Celestial Speed looks like the class of this 12-horse turf sprint, but Disco Hopp's elite 25% career win rate and a competitive mid-pack rating keep the underneath spots genuinely interesting.

win2Celestial SpeedML 5/2

Celestial Speed (5/2) shares the field's top TrackWiz rating at 87.81 — a number that simply doesn't belong in this starter optional claiming company. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp puts Angel R. Rodriguez back in the irons, the same jockey-trainer tandem that has been busy all card, and they're clearly live with their horses. A 11% career win rate is solid for a claimer, and at 5 furlongs on the turf, this horse's speed profile fits the sprint distance well.

place1Desperate DreamsML 5/1

Desperate Dreams (5/1) rates at 64.71 — comfortably second in this field — and trainer Mark V. Salvaggio's runner carries a 10% career win rate into a spot where the pace figures to be fast. Inoel Beato takes the mount, and with an average speed of 54, this horse should be well within range of the winner at the wire. Good value for exacta construction at 5/1.

show3Disco HoppML 5/1

Disco Hopp (5/1) catches the eye immediately with a 25% career win rate — tops in the entire field by a wide margin — and while the 59.44 rating slots him third in our rankings, the win percentage tells you this horse knows how to finish. Trainer Hugo O. Padilla's runner gets Andy Hernandez up, and at 5 furlongs on the turf where pace can collapse, a horse with that kind of winning instinct is exactly who you want rounding the turn. Don't leave him out of your tris.

The free portion of today's card is loaded with grass action. Mr. Hustle opens the day at 6/1 morning line in Race 1 — that kind of price on a turf miler at Penn is worth a serious look, and our analysis puts his TrackWiz rating at 77.8. Races 2 and 3 both carry the same strong 87.81 rating at the top, with Billy White Shoes (5/2) going a mile on turf and Celestial Speed (5/2) sprinting 5 furlongs on the grass. Two top-rated horses at the same morning line price in consecutive races? There's multi-race ticket potential baked right into the free picks.

The turf bias angle is worth keeping in mind across all three free races — watch for horses with grass pedigree and recent turf form to outperform their morning line prices on a day like today.

Full Card Analysis

Race 4

11:12 PM EDT

Claiming · 5 fur · Turf

Song to Remember owns the highest TrackWiz rating in a wide 12-horse turf sprint, but Sacred Love's 33% career win rate and two horses trained by Todd M. Beattie create an intriguing stable angle in the underneath spots.

win4Song to RememberML 9/2

Song to Remember (9/2) leads this field with an 84.9 TrackWiz rating, and trainer Bruce M. Kravets sends him out with David Cora in the tack. The 20% career win rate is among the best in the field, and an average speed figure of 53 fits the 5-furlong turf sprint perfectly. At 9/2, this horse is listed longer than his rating would suggest is fair — that's a value signal worth acting on.

place6Whiskey LullabyML 6/1

Whiskey Lullaby (6/1) rates at 72.99 on our model, making her the third-highest figure in the race, and Emilio Flores gets the call for trainer Lydee Shea. A 15% career win rate and an average speed of 53 suggest she's competitive at this level, and if the pace sets up with some speed on the front end, a stalker type at 6/1 becomes a very playable place ticket.

show8Sacred LoveML 6/1

Sacred Love (6/1) is trained by Todd M. Beattie alongside stablemate Raven Dance, and it's Sacred Love who has the superior rating at 72.57. What jumps off the page is a 33% career win rate — the highest in the entire field — and Vladimir Diaz gets the mount on a horse who simply knows how to compete. Even as a show play, that kind of winning pedigree at 6/1 makes for a smart hedge.

Race 5

11:41 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

Five-horse field on the Penn National dirt where Cloud in the Wind is the clear standout on ratings but faces a legitimate market favorite question — short prices require confidence, and the numbers back it up.

win5Cloud in the WindML 7/5

Cloud in the Wind (7/5) leads this short field with a 89.42 TrackWiz rating — the highest in any race on this card — and a 21% career win rate that confirms this horse is used to cashing tickets. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp loads up Angel R. Rodriguez again, and at 6 furlongs on the dirt, the pace scenario in a five-horse field should set up cleanly for this horse to control or track the pace. Yes, 7/5 is short, but when the ratings gap is this wide, sometimes the favorite just wins.

place2ArroganteML 7/2

Arrogante (7/2) rates second in this five-horse field at 69.55 and brings an 11% career win rate with Yabriel O. Ramos in the saddle for trainer Bruce M. Kravets. The average speed of 54 matches the top horses in the race, and in a short field where the chalk might take a tough trip, Arrogante offers solid place value at nearly 4-1. A natural exacta partner with the favorite.

show4My HoneybunchML 5/1

My Honeybunch (5/1) sits in the middle of this five-horse field with a 52.72 rating and a 10% career win rate, but in a field this small, show spots can be won with less than your best effort. Trainer Timothy C. Kreiser's runner gets Angel Cruz up, and with an average speed of 53, the horse has enough pace to stay in range. At 5/1 for show, it's a reasonable exotic anchor.

Race 6

12:10 AM EDT

Claiming · 1 mi 70 yd · Dirt

Porch Swing dominates this five-horse dirt route on ratings alone, but the real intrigue is the Brandon L. Kulp barn sending out two horses — and our top pick is the one the market is sleeping on.

win4Porch SwingML 3/1

Porch Swing (3/1) posts an 87.08 TrackWiz rating — the clear top number in this five-horse field — and sports a 23% career win rate that ranks among the best on the entire card. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp has been active all night and Jomar Torres gets the call; that's a jockey-trainer combo that shows up ready. The 1 mile 70 yard distance on dirt suits a horse with this kind of rating and pace profile, and 3/1 is a workable price for a horse this dominant on paper.

place2MakabimML 3/1

Makabim (3/1) rates at 58.31 and carries a 15% career win rate into a race where the favorite should draw most of the betting action. Trainer Cody Beattie's runner gets Inoel Beato in the irons — a solid pairing — and with an average speed of 52, this horse should be able to sit just off the pace in a five-horse field and pick up the place slot. Legitimate exacta material at a fair price.

show3Uninvited GuestML 8/5

Uninvited Guest (8/5) is actually the morning-line second choice despite ranking third on our TrackWiz ratings at 50.76, which tells you the public is higher on this horse than our model. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp doubles up in this race, and with Angel R. Rodriguez up, there's obvious reason for the market confidence. A 10% career win rate in claiming company is modest, but stablemate dynamics and jockey talent make this a reasonable show hedge.

Race 7

12:39 AM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

A tight five-horse dirt sprint where the top two TrackWiz-rated horses are separated by less than six points — Combat Hoofs and Stephanie My Love set up a compelling exacta battle at contrasting prices.

win1Combat HoofsML 7/5

Combat Hoofs (7/5) co-leads the TrackWiz ratings with an 89.42 score — same number as Cloud in the Wind in Race 5 — and a 14% career win rate in a five-horse field where the competition is thinned considerably. Trainer Erin C. McClellan sends out the morning-line favorite with Inoel Beato, a jockey who has been busy all card, and at 6 furlongs on the dirt, a horse with this kind of raw rating should be controlling the pace conversation. The short price demands respect for the number, not just the crowd.

place3Stephanie My LoveML 9/2

Stephanie My Love (9/2) is the second-highest-rated horse in this race at 83.71, and the six-point gap between her and Combat Hoofs is narrow enough that a troubled trip or pace collapse could flip the result entirely. Trainer Bruce M. Kravets has been one of the busier barns on the card, and David Cora rides. An 8% career win rate sounds modest, but in a race this short on horses, every starter is live — and at 9/2, this is a top-value exacta play.

show2My Boss LadyML 5/1

My Boss Lady (5/1) rates third in the field at 68.18 with a 9% career win rate, and trainer Carl J. O'Callaghan's runner gets Manuel Aguilar up. The average speed of 54 ties her with Stephanie My Love and Queen Wiggy, meaning pace-wise she's in the hunt. At 5/1 in a five-horse field, the show pool could get hammered on the top two, making My Boss Lady an interesting ticket for the place and show slots if the race gets messy.

Race 8

1:08 AM EDT

Rating Optional Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt

The nightcap is a rating optional claiming mile on the dirt with two overlapping top-tier TrackWiz horses — Tactical Humor and Kaladin are separated by just 1.4 points, setting up a duel that the rest of the field may be watching from behind.

win6Tactical HumorML 5/2

Tactical Humor (5/2) tops our ratings at 86.6 despite not being the morning-line favorite — Strawberry Treat opens at 2/1 — which makes this a genuine overlay situation worth circling. Trainer Allan Shuchman's runner gets David Cora in the irons, and a 13% career win rate in a six-horse field represents solid credentials. At one mile on the dirt, this horse's average speed of 53 fits the route profile, and when our model says the second choice has the best number, that's a value signal.

place1KaladinML 5/1

Kaladin (5/1) rates just behind Tactical Humor at 84.17 and brings a 20% career win rate — the highest in the field — into a race where he's listed as the morning-line third choice. Trainer Bruce M. Kravets fields two horses in this race, and Yabriel O. Ramos handles Kaladin while the other gets Ricardo Chiappe. That 20% win rate in a field with an average speed of 53 tells you this horse runs competitively and often — a natural place ticket at 5/1.

show5Strawberry TreatML 2/1

Strawberry Treat (2/1) is the morning-line favorite and rates third on our model at 72.73, meaning the public is ahead of our numbers on this one. Trainer Michael Zalalas's runner gets Inoel Beato up, and a 16% career win rate gives the public some justification for the short price. At 2/1, the show return won't be exciting, but for bettors building exotics around the top two, Strawberry Treat is a logical third leg who will likely be well-backed.

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It's a sharp Wednesday card at Penn National with turf sprints, a pair of closely matched dirt sprinters, and enough price plays to build a profitable ticket. Top free plays are Mr. Hustle, Billy White Shoes, and Celestial Speed — all live on the grass. For the complete Race 4–8 breakdown including pace scenarios and exotic strategies, the full analysis is waiting for TrackWiz subscribers. Good luck at the windows today.

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