Penn National Picks & Predictions — July 7, 2026
Penn National sends out a seven-race card on Tuesday, July 7th under cloudy skies and a comfortable 77°F — the kind of mild summer afternoon where pace scenarios play out closer to form and the turf course figures to be running true. No heat-driven speed bias to worry about today, which means real handicapping will separate the tickets from the trash.
The card opens on the turf with a Maiden Special Weight mile-and-seventy-yards before pivoting to a run of dirt routes and sprints that carry the afternoon home. We've got claiming races, a starter allowance, and a pair of maiden claiming sprints to round things out — a nice mix of race types that gives both pace handicappers and class analysts plenty to dig into.
TrackWiz has rated all seven races. Three are unlocked for every reader, and four are reserved for premium subscribers. Let's set the table.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Special Weight · 1 mi 70 yd · Turf
A wide-open MSW turf mile where the top two TrackWiz-rated horses hold a meaningful edge over the rest of the field — but maiden turf routes can always throw a curveball.
Uncommon draws the morning-line favoritism at 2/1 and backs it up with the second-highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 76.93. Her average speed figure of 54 ties for tops in this spot, and trainer Richard J. Hendriks sends her out with jockey Angel R. Rodriguez aboard — a workmanlike pairing. In a maiden turf route where consistency matters, Uncommon profiles as the most reliable option from gate to wire.
Majestic Rain checks in with a solid 72.57 TrackWiz rating and draws the rail under Inoel Beato for trainer Michael Zalalas. She's at 3/1 on the morning line — fair value for a horse who figures to be right in the mix late on the front end. If Uncommon stumbles, Majestic Rain looks like the most natural beneficiary.
Honorisia rates third in the field at 60.95 and carries a 4/1 morning line with Dexter Haddock up for Jacinto Solis. Her average speed figure of 53 is respectable in this company, and the price makes her a logical inclusion in exacta and trifecta boxes. She won't beat the top two on paper, but she could easily fill the board.
Race 2
Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt
Desperate Dreams is the class of this dirt-mile claimer on paper, but the 8/5 chalk Forget Tomorrow will keep the pace honest — this could come down to a stretch duel between the top two.
Desperate Dreams owns the top TrackWiz rating in the field at 87.08 and is the only horse here posting a 9% career win rate — a meaningful edge in a competitive claiming field. Her average speed figure of 55 is the best in the race by a comfortable margin, and trainer Mark V. Salvaggio sends her out with Jomar Torres in the irons. At 3/1, she's actually being underrated relative to her figures and represents genuine value over the morning-line favorite.
Forget Tomorrow opens at 8/5 as the public choice and backs it up with an 80.98 TrackWiz rating and a 6% career win rate. Angel Cruz gets the mount for trainer Richard P. Sillaman, and the combination has the look of a horse who should be running close throughout. Even if Desperate Dreams has too much, Forget Tomorrow looks like a safe place ticket at almost any price.
Maggie K rates third in the field at 77.71 and is priced at 5/2 — tight enough that she's clearly respected by the morning-line makers. Trainer Jose F. Bobadilla sends her out with Manuel Aguilar, and her 6% career win rate matches the top two horses in this spot. If the pace between Desperate Dreams and Forget Tomorrow gets hot early, Maggie K could close into the exotics.
Race 3
Starter Allowance · 1 mi 70 yd · Dirt
A starter allowance at a mile and 70 yards where Kissthemoon and Sunday Spirit both carry big TrackWiz numbers — this looks like a two-horse show with the rest of the field fighting for third.
Kissthemoon tops the field with an 85.62 TrackWiz rating and a 30% career win rate, which is genuinely impressive at this level. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp puts Angel R. Rodriguez up, and at 4/1 on the morning line there's legitimate value here considering she's the top-rated horse in the race. Her average speed of 53 is solid, and horses with a 30% career win rate in starter allowance company tend to find ways to win.
Sunday Spirit is breathing down Kissthemoon's neck with an 82.47 rating and a 27% career win rate for trainer Jacinto Solis. Andy Hernandez gets the call, and this horse has clearly been around the block enough to know how to compete at this level. At 4/1 — the same price as our top pick — she's almost impossible to leave off the ticket.
Mr. Ripple slots in at 74.00 on the TrackWiz scale with a 30% career win rate that matches Kissthemoon — a figure that stands out. Angel Cruz has the mount for Timothy C. Kreiser, and at 5/2 he's the morning-line second choice, which tells you the public sees him as a serious contender. He's worth using in trifectas even if our top two have the edge on raw ratings.
The first three races on the card are fully open to all TrackWiz readers, and they cover a solid range of conditions — a turf maiden, a dirt claiming mile, and a starter allowance route. Our top-rated pick in Race 1 is Uncommon (morning line 2/1, TrackWiz rating 76.93), who we like in what should be a relatively even turf field. The bigger number we're circling in the free races is Desperate Dreams in Race 2 — a 3/1 morning line with an 87.08 rating, the highest TrackWiz score among all three free picks. That kind of rating at that price is exactly what you're looking for in a claiming mile on dirt.
Kissthemoon rounds out the free trio in Race 3's starter allowance going a mile and seventy yards. Rated 85.62, this is a horse that fits the conditions well on a day when the dirt should be playing straightforward. All three of these races offer legitimate value, and on a cloudy, calm afternoon at Penn, there's no excuse not to have your tickets ready.
Full Card Analysis
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Seven races, mild conditions, and a card that rewards careful handicapping over gut instinct — that's Penn National on July 7th. Desperate Dreams is the free-card standout, but the premium picks featuring Marlas Dream and The Piranha are where our highest-rated horses of the day are waiting. Full card analysis, pace projections, and exotic ticket breakdowns are all available to subscribers at TrackWiz Premium. Good luck, and keep it smart out there.