Penn National Picks & Predictions — July 24, 2026
Penn National is running an eight-race card on Friday, July 24, under cloudy skies and a comfortable 79°F. The overcast conditions should keep the dirt track consistent throughout the afternoon, which is good news for pace handicappers who hate late-day sun drying out the surface unpredictably.
Today's card is a nice mix of claiming races, allowance tests, and a couple of turf miles that could produce some fireworks. The field quality is solid for a mid-week Penn National program, and TrackWiz analysis has surfaced some genuine value angles — including a pair of 8/1 morning-line shots we like quite a bit in the right spots.
Three races are fully open for all readers. The deeper breakdown — pace projections, exotic plays, and the full five-race premium analysis — is available to TrackWiz subscribers.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
A wide-open 6-furlong dirt claimer where the top two TrackWiz-rated horses are both sitting at 6/1 on the morning line — value hunters, take note. The pace scenario looks contested, which could set things up nicely for closers.
Cappetta tops our ratings at 82.71 and represents a solid value play at 6/1 on the morning line — the oddsmakers aren't giving this horse nearly enough credit. With a 15% career win rate in a competitive field, Cappetta has shown the ability to get the job done consistently. The average speed figure of 57 among the field leaders is within range, and trainer Kevin J. Fields puts runners in position to fire fresh. Emilio Flores gets the call, a capable hand who should be able to find a clean trip in a nine-horse field.
Fire Down Below jumps off the page with a 34% career win rate — by far the highest in this field — which tells you this horse knows how to hit the board. Trainer Amy Albright has her in at 9/2, and with a TrackWiz rating of 81.6, the underlying form backs up that win percentage. If Fire Down Below gets anywhere close to her best, a placing is very likely.
Great Kisser opens at 6/1 with a solid TrackWiz rating of 68.44, which puts her comfortably in the middle tier of this field. A 14% career win rate is respectable, and trainer Bruce M. Kravets has the stable form to send horses into claiming races ready to run. At morning-line odds that seem generous relative to her rating, she's a reasonable exotic inclusion for show.
Race 2
Starter Optional Claiming · 1 mi · Turf
This mile turf Starter Optional Claimer is headlined by a split between the morning-line favorite and our top-rated runners — the 5/2 shot isn't who TrackWiz likes best. Pace should be honest around two turns on the lawn.
Ruby Ruby is our top pick at 8/1 — this is a genuine value play that the market is underestimating. She carries the highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 79.79, and trainer John T. Kirby sends her out with Julio A. Hernandez, who knows how to get a turf miler into a good rhythm. The one-mile turf distance suits horses that settle early and build into their run, and Ruby Ruby's profile fits that pattern well. At 8/1 on the morning line, the overlay potential here is real.
Phoebeinwonderland is the morning-line favorite at 4/1 and backs it up with a 74.34 TrackWiz rating, second-best in the field. Trainer Jose A. Gallegos and jockey Wesley Ho form a workmanlike combination, and a 10% career win rate on a horse with this level of ability suggests placing should be a regular outcome. She's a logical place key in exactas built around Ruby Ruby.
Dream Overture draws plenty of attention as the 5/2 morning-line chalk, and a 25% career win rate shows she's a consistent performer. Trainer Demelza McMahon's runner has a 72.55 TrackWiz rating — third-best in the field — and Angel R. Rodriguez is a strong booking. At short odds she's not where the value lives, but she's a safe show play and worthy of inclusion in trifecta coverage.
Race 3
Maiden Claiming · 1 mi · Turf
Maiden claimers on the turf are notoriously tricky — nobody in this 12-horse field has ever won a race, which means we're leaning hard on ratings and workout patterns. The top of our TrackWiz board is well-separated from the rest.
Endless Glow leads all runners with an 85.62 TrackWiz rating and goes at 4/1 from post 11 for trainer Brandon L. Kulp. In maiden company, that kind of rating separation is meaningful — it suggests the underlying form metrics here are significantly better than the competition. Jockey Angel R. Rodriguez is one of the sharper sticks in the Penn National colony, and a maiden turf mile sets up nicely for a horse with Endless Glow's profile. Kulp has shown a willingness to spot horses in spots where they can win, not just compete.
Hop to It is the morning-line favorite at 5/2, and the 79.48 TrackWiz rating backs that up as second-best in the field. Trainer Tim Woolley sends out David Cora, a jockey with strong local knowledge of the Penn National turf course. In maiden fields, horses who generate legitimate speed figures despite not yet breaking their maiden often hit the board at a high clip — Hop to It fits that mold.
Holy Fit sits third on our ratings board at 78.96 and shares the 4/1 morning-line price with Endless Glow — strong value for a horse this close to the top of the rankings. Trainer Mark V. Salvaggio drops this one into maiden claiming turf, and jockey Jomar Torres keeps the ride. With an average speed figure of 53 on the turf and a rating that's clearly superior to the bottom half of this big field, Holy Fit should be cycling through trifecta tickets.
Our three free races today span both surfaces and give you a real feel for the card early. On the dirt, Cappetta opens things up in Race 1 at 6/1 on the morning line — that price should be appealing given the TrackWiz rating of 82.71, which outpaces what the oddsmakers seem to be projecting. On the turf side, Races 2 and 3 both go a flat mile and both feature horses we respect: Ruby Ruby at 8/1 in the Starter Optional Claiming is the kind of overlay you want to be on, while Endless Glow carries our highest free-race rating of the day at 85.62 and opens at a workable 4/1 in the Maiden Claiming.
The through-line connecting these three picks is straightforward: TrackWiz analysis favors horses with legitimate back-class and consistent speed figures over recent short-priced favorites who've been propped up by weak fields. All three of today's free picks fit that profile. Keep an eye on the turf course condition as post time approaches — a firm or good-firm rating would be ideal for both Endless Glow and Ruby Ruby.
Full Card Analysis
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Bottom line: Penn National is serving up a genuinely playable card today with real value scattered across both surfaces. Cappetta, Ruby Ruby, and Endless Glow are the free best bets to anchor your early plays. Subscribers get the full picture — including Miss Anna Bella, the day's top-rated horse, and pace-based exotic breakdowns for the back half of the card. Good luck out there, and as always, bet within your means.