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Penn National Picks & Predictions — September 2, 2026

September 2, 20267 racesAll Penn National picks

This card ran on September 2, 2026.

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Best bets at Penn National, September 2, 2026

Race 12Golden CookieML 9/25:45 PM EDT

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Happy Wednesday from Penn National, where a 7-race card is lined up under partly cloudy skies and a comfortable 81°F. The surface should be playing fast with no weather interference to worry about, and that sets the stage for some honest pace battles on a card that leans heavily on dirt sprints.

Five of the seven races are run over the main track at six furlongs, so pace scenario and early speed are going to be central themes all afternoon. The two turf events — Races 2 and 3 — break things up nicely and could produce some juicy prices if the grass form comes up underrated, as it often does in mid-level company at Penn.

Three races are open to all TrackWiz readers as free best bets, with four premium races reserved for subscribers. Let's set the table.

Best Bets

Race 1

5:45 PM EDT

Starter Optional Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

The top of the TrackWiz ratings tells the story here — Golden Cookie leads the field on our numbers despite going off at a generous morning line, while the morning-line favorite Brother Paul sits just a tick below her.

win2Golden CookieML 9/2

Golden Cookie tops the TrackWiz ratings in this field at 84.9, a meaningful gap over every other contender. Trainer Krista Nicole Hetrick saddles her at 9/2 on the morning line — that's value for the top-rated horse in the field. At 8% career win rate she's not a serial winner, but in a five-horse Starter Optional Claiming sprint at 6 furlongs, our analysis says she's the class of this group and the play on top.

place3Brother PaulML 5/2

Brother Paul carries the morning-line favoritism at 5/2 with a solid 82.92 rating and an 11% career win mark — the best winning percentage among the top three horses in this race. Trainer Erin C. McClellan puts him in a spot where the pace scenario should suit a horse running back in a short field. He's the logical underneath horse if Golden Cookie breaks on top.

show1Rip My HeartML 7/2

Rip My Heart at 7/2 on the morning line checks in with a 79.51 TrackWiz rating and gives trainer Flint W. Stites a second look in this race alongside Kit Scat. The 10% career win rate is modest, but in a thin five-horse field, finding the board at a fair price is very much in play. Use him in your exotics as a hedge beneath the top two.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 5 runners

Race 2: Free with an Account

Race 2

6:14 PM EDT

Starter Optional Claiming · 5 fur · Turf

Celestial Speed looks like a clear class standout on the numbers in this 5-furlong turf Starter Optional Claiming affair, but Reckless Spending's 100% career win rate — however small the sample — is the wild card the whole field has to account for.

win2Celestial SpeedML 2/1

Celestial Speed is the top-rated horse in this eight-horse field by a wide margin, posting an 88.54 TrackWiz score while the next closest rivals sit well back in the 50s. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp also has Decree and Declare in the race, a clear sign of stable confidence in the operation, and at 2/1 on the morning line, the crowd agrees. A 20% career win rate on a turf sprint is a legitimate number, and jockey Angel R. Rodriguez gets the call — this looks like the race to beat.

place5Reckless SpendingML 4/1

Reckless Spending carries the most intriguing number in the field — a 100% career win rate listed with trainer Elisha Perez, who also saddles Quiet City. Whether that's one win from one start or a small but perfect record, horses that have never lost are worth taking seriously. The 4/1 morning line offers solid value for the place slot, and at 55 flat on our ratings, she's right in the mix of the secondary contenders.

show6Sandy GirlML 6/1

Sandy Girl at 6/1 has a 55 average speed figure matching some of the better runners in the field and shows a 6% career win rate in what appears to be a deep career. Trainer Trevor Gallimore sends her out here, and jockey Kleiner A. Mejias gets the mount. She's not flashy on paper, but at a fair price in an eight-horse field, she's a reasonable show bet and works well in the bottom of exotics.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 8 runners

The free portion of the card covers the first three races, and there's a real range of opportunity here. Golden Cookie opens the day in a Starter Optional Claiming sprint on the dirt — our TrackWiz rating of 84.9 gives her a clear edge at a morning line of 9/2, which is the kind of number that makes experienced bettors sit up straight. That's value worth circling.

Races 2 and 3 shift to the turf at five furlongs, where Celestial Speed (rated 88.54, the highest mark of the three free picks) looks like a legitimate contender at 2/1, and Bronx Boys offers some intrigue at 6/1 morning line in the Allowance — a longshot angle worth exploring for those building exotic tickets early in the card. The turf races will reward sharp form reading, and TrackWiz analysis has the full breakdown ready for you.

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Full Card Analysis

Race 3

6:43 PM EDT

Allowance · 5 fur · Turf

A wide-open ten-horse allowance on the turf at 5 furlongs — our top two picks are separated by less than a point on the TrackWiz ratings, and the morning line spreads the field across four different prices, suggesting the oddsmakers don't see a clear standout either.

win10Bronx BoysML 6/1

Bronx Boys tops our ratings for Race 3 at 82.71, carrying a 17% career win rate — solid for an allowance field — and drawing trainer Brandon L. Kulp, who is doubling up on the day after Celestial Speed in Race 2. Jockey Angel R. Rodriguez also reunites with Kulp here, a live jockey-trainer combo worth noting. The 6/1 morning line gives you real overlay value on what our numbers say is the best horse in the field.

place1BigdaddysboyML 6/1

Bigdaddysboy rates just a tick below Bronx Boys at 77.23 and ships in with the best average speed figure in the race at 56. Trainer Erin C. McClellan has the mount going to Inoel Beato, a jockey with multiple calls on the Penn National card today. A 13% career win rate in an allowance spot is respectable, and the 6/1 price makes him a strong underneath play — he's likely to outrun that number.

show5TropandhagenML 5/2

Tropandhagen is the morning-line second favorite at 5/2, which confirms there's public support behind our show selection. A 67.33 TrackWiz rating and 13% career win rate aren't eye-popping, but he also posts a 56 average speed figure, matching the top tier of this field. Trainer Paulina Sinnefia puts Edwin Gonzalez aboard, and as the likely pace or pressing type, he could be there late in a tiring field.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 10 runners

Race 4

7:12 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

Rar is a dominant number in a thin five-horse claiming sprint — at 88.83 on our ratings he's lapping this field, but the 9/5 morning line means the crowd knows it too, and value hunters should watch the other end of the ticket.

win4RarML 9/5

Rar comes in with an 88.83 TrackWiz rating — the top number in the field by a significant margin — and trainer Elisha Perez is active across the Penn National card today, suggesting a sharp barn running at good form. Jockey Jomar Torres gets the call at 9/5 on the morning line, which is the shortest price of any pick in our Race 4 selections. At 8% career win rate he hasn't always cashed tickets, but the class edge he carries in this claiming field is substantial and our analysis says he's the right play.

place3LetspumpthebrakesML 7/2

Letspumpthebrakes brings the best career win rate in this field at 25%, a number that stands out sharply in a group where most horses are in the single digits. Trainer T. Bernard Houghton sends him out with David Cora up at 7/2 on the morning line, and a 62.0 TrackWiz rating puts him second in the field. He's the logical underneath play in the place and exacta slots.

show2Penn FranklinML 5/2

Penn Franklin checks in with a 61.34 TrackWiz rating — just a whisker below Letspumpthebrakes — and draws jockey Yabriel O. Ramos, who has multiple calls across tonight's card. The 5/2 morning line actually makes him the second choice with the public, which is somewhat surprising given Rar's dominance on paper. His 5% career win rate is modest but he rounds out the exotic ticket as the third-best rated horse in this short field.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 5 runners

Race 5

7:41 PM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

Race 5 is a loaded Allowance Optional Claiming sprint where four horses cluster between 80 and 89 on our ratings — this is a competitive top end, and the difference between win and show could come down to pace dynamics on the front end.

win4Joyous SongML 2/1

Joyous Song carries an 88.54 TrackWiz rating — tied for the top score on the entire card today — and posts a 21% career win rate, the best among the top contenders in this field. Trainer Todd M. Beattie puts Yabriel O. Ramos on board, and the 2/1 morning line reflects the crowd's confidence. A 55 average speed figure in a 6-furlong dirt sprint at this class level is right in the zone, and our analysis makes her the clear top selection.

place3Itty Biddy CityML 5/2

Itty Biddy City is the horse keeping Joyous Song honest, rating 86.06 on our scale with a 20% career win rate and a 55 average speed. Trainer Robert A. Wolfe Jr. sends out Angel Cruz at 5/2 on the morning line, making her the second choice with the public. If the pace gets hot up front, she could be the one running past tiring rivals in the stretch — a natural underneath play in the exacta.

show1Missy SixtysixML 5/1

Missy Sixtysix rounds out our selections with an 81.11 rating and a 19% career win rate that nearly matches the top horses in this field. Trainer Michael M. Moore hands the reins to Julio A. Hernandez, who is riding multiple horses tonight at Penn National. At 5/1 on the morning line, she offers the best value of our top three selections and is a solid anchor in any exotic combination.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Race 6

8:10 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

Serious Nonsense looks like a standout on both ratings and career win percentage in this six-horse claiming sprint, but Calisa at 6/1 and Mega Changer at 4/1 give the ticket some real teeth in the exotics.

win3Serious NonsenseML 9/2

Serious Nonsense leads this field in two important categories — an 84.9 TrackWiz rating (top of the field) and a 40% career win rate that is not a typo. That win percentage is remarkable at any level and signals a horse that consistently fires when conditions are right. Trainer Erin C. McClellan puts Inoel Beato aboard at 9/2 on the morning line, and our analysis says she's a strong overlay at that price given her dominance on the numbers.

place1CalisaML 6/1

Calisa rates 71.99 on our scale and earns the place spot with a 12% career win rate under trainer Bruce M. Kravets, who doubles up on the card tonight. Yabriel O. Ramos takes the mount at 6/1 on the morning line — that's a fair price for a horse that checks in as our second-rated runner in the field. She makes sense underneath Serious Nonsense in exactas and is worth playing to place on her own merit.

show4Mega ChangerML 4/1

Mega Changer is the third-rated horse in the field at 67.77 and posts a 15% career win rate for trainer Paulina Sinnefia, who also has Eleni in this race. Edwin Gonzalez gets the mount at 4/1 on the morning line, which is actually shorter than our show selection Calisa — public prices don't always line up with our ratings. He gives you a solid show-slot option and helps close out the trifecta box.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Race 7

8:39 PM EDT

Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt

Ten horses, a spread-out morning line, and two horses clustered near the top of our ratings separated by less than a quarter point — Race 7 is the deepest field on the card tonight and could produce a fat exotic payoff.

win2Bermuda TriangleML 3/1

Bermuda Triangle tops the TrackWiz ratings for Race 7 at 82.94 — just barely edging No No Joe at 82.71 — and lands at 3/1 on the morning line, the shortest price among our top selections in this race. Trainer Timothy C. Kreiser puts Edwin Gonzalez aboard, a jockey who has been active throughout tonight's Penn National card. A 15% career win rate in a ten-horse claiming field is workable, and our analysis favors the marginal ratings edge to convert in the stretch.

place9No No JoeML 6/1

No No Joe is a fascinating underneath play — rated 82.71 by TrackWiz with the best career win rate among our top selections at 24%, he's listed at 6/1 on the morning line despite being nearly as well-rated as the top pick. Trainer Cody Beattie, who also has Bermuda Run in this race, sends out Leonardo Corujo. At that price, No No Joe may be the single best value play on the entire card tonight for place wagering.

show3Jace Is No JokeML 6/1

Jace Is No Joke rates 73.23 on our scale — a meaningful step below the top two but well clear of the rest of this deep field — with an 18% career win rate for trainer Bruce M. Kravets. Ricardo Chiappe picks up the mount at 6/1 on the morning line, and his 54 average speed figure is right in line with the pack. In a ten-horse field where pace scenarios are hard to project, having the third-best rated horse on your trifecta ticket at 6/1 is exactly the kind of edge that builds long-term profitability.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 10 runners

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It's a compact, dirt-heavy Wednesday at Penn National with real betting opportunities from the jump. Golden Cookie is the early value flag in Race 1, Celestial Speed sets the tone on the turf in Race 2, and Bronx Boys offers longshot appeal in Race 3 for those looking to get creative. The premium card is where the big multi-race structures come together — subscribers get full pace projections, exotic ticket breakdowns, and every angle we've uncovered on Races 4–7. Check /pricing to unlock the complete card. Good luck out there — race smart.

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