Presque Isle Downs Picks & Predictions — July 13, 2026
It's a clear, sunny Monday at Presque Isle Downs with temperatures climbing to 83°F — ideal conditions for a fast dirt track and quick early fractions. Eight races are on the board today, all on the main dirt surface, and TrackWiz has you covered from first post to last.
The card leans heavily toward routes, with three races going a mile and 70 yards — always worth noting at a track where pace can get messy when fields string out. Sprint specialists get their shots too, with a pair of 6-furlong dashes and a 5½-furlong closer to wrap things up. Plenty of angles to attack today.
Our strongest-rated pick on the card is La Girvina in Race 3, posting an 89.42 TrackWiz rating — the highest mark of the day. She's the morning-line favorite at 7/5, and the numbers back up why the oddsmakers respect her. More on that below.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden Claiming · 1 mi 70 yd · Dirt
A maiden claiming mile with all first-time or winless runners, but TrackWiz ratings reveal a clear top tier — and the morning line favorite isn't actually our top-rated horse.
Violin Fingers tops our TrackWiz ratings at 84.9, well clear of most of the field, and draws the outside post in what looks like a pace-contested maiden mile. Trainer Kevin Rice sends out two runners today, and Violin Fingers carries the stronger rating of the pair with an avg speed figure of 53 — matching the field's best. At 9/2 on the morning line, there's legitimate value here over the heavily-backed favorite, making this our top selection.
Alexander K is the morning line favorite at 7/5 and carries a 75.63 TrackWiz rating, second only to our top pick. Trainer Kevin Rice also conditions this one, giving the barn a strong shot at first and second. The avg speed of 52 is respectable but a tick below Violin Fingers, which is exactly why we slot him into the place hole.
Rivage checks in with a 60.23 rating and an avg speed of 53 — tied for the field's best on that metric — under the steady hand of trainer Keri Brion and jockey Scott Spieth. The 5/2 morning line suggests the public likes this one too, and the speed figure support makes Rivage a sensible third piece in any exotic wager.
Race 2
Maiden Special Weight · 6 fur · Dirt
Maiden special weight sprinters going 6 furlongs on the dirt, with a clear ratings gap at the top but a pace-pressing second choice lurking to complicate things.
Jenadriyah leads our TrackWiz ratings at 86.35 despite going off at 7/2 — a full point ahead of the 2/1 morning line choice. Paired with Gaddiel A. Martinez, one of the more active riders on this card, Jenadriyah has a 55 avg speed figure and the profile of a horse the public might be sleeping on at a generous price. In a maiden special weight sprint, this kind of ratings edge at an overlay price is exactly what we look for.
American Surfer is the public's choice at 2/1 and backs it up with an 80.54 rating and a field-best 56 avg speed figure. Trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer sends this one out to sprint 6 furlongs, and the raw speed is clearly there. The slightly lower rating than our top pick puts this squarely in the place slot, but don't be surprised if it challenges for the top spot.
Smart Little Lass sits at 55.9 in our ratings at 9/2 on the morning line — a nice value position for show ticket buyers and exotic builders. Trainer Stephani Norris has this one ready to run, and the 50 avg speed is the lowest of our top three, which keeps expectations measured. Still worth including in trifectas given the fair price.
Race 3
Starter Optional Claiming · 1 mi 70 yd · Dirt
A starter optional claiming route features two horses with win percentages north of 30%, making this a dual-threat matchup with a clear class standout on top.
La Girvina is the class of this field, carrying a 89.42 TrackWiz rating — the highest mark of all three picks — along with an impressive 38% career win rate. That kind of strike rate in a starter optional claiming field is hard to ignore, and trainer S. Matthew Kintz sends this one out at 7/5 with Scott Spieth up. The 1 mile 70 yard route suits a horse that knows how to win, and the numbers back the morning line favoritism emphatically.
Tootaloo Kangaroo is a live longshot threat with a 33% career win rate — second-best in the field — and an 80.22 TrackWiz rating that grades out well above mid-field. Trainer Brandon L. Kulp and jockey Angel R. Rodriguez team up at 9/2, offering real value for place and exacta bettors. The avg speed of 52 is the field's lowest among our picks, which is the main reason this one slots behind La Girvina.
Tinta Roja grades a solid 71.6 on our TrackWiz scale with a 14% career win rate and an avg speed of 53. At 4/1, trainer Darien Rodriguez has this one priced as a mid-field contender, and the combination of decent figures and fair odds makes Tinta Roja a reasonable show bet and trifecta anchor for players willing to use the top two above.
The first three races are unlocked for every reader, and they cover a nice cross-section of today's card. Violin Fingers opens the day in a Maiden Claiming mile — a route where pace scenario and staying power matter more than raw speed. Jenadriyah follows in Race 2's Maiden Special Weight sprint at 6 furlongs, where we expect a faster pace and a potential closer's edge in the final furlong. Then comes our top-rated play of the card: La Girvina in Race 3, a Starter Optional Claiming route where her class profile and TrackWiz rating of 89.42 make her the clear horse to beat.
On a warm, dry afternoon like this one, the Presque Isle surface tends to play fair — no significant bias jumping out to favor deep closers or wire-to-wire types exclusively. That makes our free picks a solid foundation regardless of how you like to build your tickets. Use the free races to get your footing before diving into the deeper part of the card.
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Eight races, a fast-and-fair dirt surface, and a card with genuine upsets lurking alongside standout favorites — today at Presque Isle Downs has plenty to work with. Start with La Girvina as your anchor play (Race 3, 89.42 rating), lean on Violin Fingers and Jenadriyah to round out your free-race foundation, and let TrackWiz Premium handle the heavy lifting the rest of the way. Good luck out there — ride smart.