Prairie Meadows Picks & Predictions — May 25, 2026
Happy Memorial Day Monday at Prairie Meadows. The track is playing under clear skies and a warm 84°F afternoon — ideal conditions for a fast, sealed-up dirt strip and the kind of speed-favoring surface that rewards horses who can get out early and control their fractions.
We've got a 7-race card to dig into today, spanning everything from maiden special weights to allowance company, with a pair of claiming races bookending the afternoon. It's a compact but punchy card, and TrackWiz analysis has found horses we like at multiple price points — including a couple of overlays worth building your exotics around.
Three races are open to all readers, and the remaining four are available to TrackWiz subscribers with full breakdowns, pace projections, and multi-race wager strategies.
Best Bets
Race 1
Claiming · 1 mi 70 yd · Dirt
A clear top-rated standout looms over this claiming mile, but the morning line favorite faces live threats from a pair of value contenders who could complicate things on the front end.
Contact Tracing earns our top rating at 89.12 — the highest mark in the field by a solid margin — and trainer Kelli Martinez already has two horses in this race, showing clear confidence in her stable's form right now. With a 12% career win rate and an average speed figure of 53, this one brings consistent output at a distance (1 mile 70 yards) that should suit a horse who can settle and grind. Jockey Alberto Pusac gets the call, and the 8/5 morning line reflects what the oddsmakers already see: this is the horse to beat.
Mr. Thunderstruck is the other Martinez runner in this field and rates second at 80.08 — a full 9 points clear of the next horse. He matches Contact Tracing on average speed at 53, and at 4/1 on the morning line there's some sneaky value here for exacta construction. If the two stablemates work together through the pace, Thunderstruck landing second wouldn't be a surprise at all.
Midnight Rules brings a 13% career win rate — best in the field — and a solid 71.61 rating that puts her firmly in the mix for the minor awards. Nicole Young trains, Alex Birzer rides, and the 6/1 morning line makes her an attractive show ticket or exotics piece for bettors looking to box the top three.
Race 2
Maiden Special Weight · 6 fur · Dirt
A wide-open maiden sprint with every horse winless, but a clear ratings gap points to one contender who looks primed to break through against a competitive but beatable field.
Paddyofromtokyo tops our TrackWiz ratings at 87.81 and draws the services of Glenn W. Corbett for trainer Kelly R. Von Hemel, a steady barn at Prairie Meadows. All seven horses in this maiden special weight sprint carry identical average speed figures of 55, so it's the composite rating edge that separates this one from the pack. At 5/2 on the morning line, Paddyofromtokyo sits as a fair-priced favorite in what could be a sneaky good betting race if you structure the exotics around the top two.
War Boy rates second at 75.17 and goes as the 2/1 morning line favorite — the public clearly respects trainer Tanner Tracy's entrant. Orlando Mojica rides, and with an average speed figure of 55 matching the top contenders, War Boy has the raw ability to run the winner down or hold place if Paddyofromtokyo gets loose on the lead.
Wagon Power is our show pick and the TrackWiz longshot angle here at 10/1. The 59.52 rating doesn't leap off the page, but this Tracy trainee has an average speed figure of 54 — respectable in this company — and the value price makes him a worthwhile exotic inclusion. In maiden races, form lines are thin and pace chaos is common, so having a 10/1 shot deep in your trifecta box is just good bankroll management.
Race 3
Allowance Optional Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
This allowance optional claiming sprint has a legitimate standout at the top, but a pair of high-class closers with strong win rates lurk just behind and could make the stretch run very interesting.
J. P. Race is the clear top pick here, posting a 89.12 TrackWiz rating — tied for the highest we've given any horse on today's full card — and an eye-catching 34% career win rate that screams class. Trainer Oscar Flores puts up Alfredo Triana, Jr., a solid jock-trainer combo, and the horse's average speed figure of 55 is competitive for this level. At 8/5 on the morning line, this is a confident favorite, not a price, but the résumé justifies it.
Rome's Conquest rates 82.55 and owns a 22% career win rate, with an average speed figure of 56 — actually a tick better than the favorite's — which tells us this one has the raw speed to be dangerous late. Orlando Mojica gets the mount for Jon G. Arnett, and the 9/2 morning line is worth a look for place bettors who want some cushion if J.P. Race gets into trouble.
Fifth Avenue is the hidden value here at 8/1 morning line, packing a 27% career win rate that ranks second in this field and an average speed of 56 that matches Rome's Conquest at the top of the speed ladder. Trainer F. Dewaine Loy has been active today and Walter De La Cruz rides — this horse deserves more respect than an 8/1 price suggests, and it anchors our trifecta nicely.
The free portion of today's card is a strong cross-section of the afternoon. Contact Tracing (8/5 ML, 89.12 TrackWiz rating) opens things up in Race 1's one-mile-plus claiming route — one of our highest-rated horses on the card. In the sprint department, Paddyofromtokyo (5/2, 87.81) draws our attention in the Race 2 maiden special weight, and J. P. Race (8/5, 89.12) matches Contact Tracing's rating in Race 3's allowance optional claiming at six furlongs.
With the track playing fast in this heat, pace is everything today. All three free-race picks profile as horses who can be close to the pace or dictate it outright — exactly the angle we want on a warm, dry Prairie Meadows afternoon. Dig into each race card below for the full reasoning.
Full Card Analysis
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Bottom line: it's a clear, fast day at Prairie Meadows and TrackWiz has horses we like from the gate to the wire. Contact Tracing and J. P. Race — both rated 89.12 — are the anchors of the free card, with Paddyofromtokyo as a solid maiden play in between. For the full afternoon, including pace angles, exotic tickets, and the longshot case for Legacy Account at 5/1, subscribers have everything they need waiting inside. Good luck today, and bet smart.