Retama Park Picks & Predictions — June 27, 2026

Thrills N Spills (6) rates nearly identical to the top pick at 54.43 — just 0.57 points behind Sassy Dash — and opens at 5/2, the shortest price in the field. Trainer Steven Salazar is active on this card, and jockey Manuel Lara takes the mount. With such a tight gap at the top, this one deserves strong consideration for place and is a logical exacta partner with the top selection.

Aj Taylors Cliff (10) rates third in this field at 54.09 — just a hair below the top two — but opens at 15/1, making this the best value price on the board for show wagering. Trainer Janessa Lee Muniz and jockey Ruben Delarosa, Jr. team up, and if the race plays into a contested early battle between the top two, this one could sneak into the exotics at an outsider price that far exceeds the actual gap in ratings.

Nicki Nicole (5) sits second in the field ratings at 76.37 — close enough to Ct Queen that a pace scenario or trip trouble for the favorite could flip the result her way. Trainer Jacobo Mejia hooks up with jockey Alejandro Landeros Zuniga, and at 4/1, this is a horse priced to win who would be well worth including on the underside of any exacta with the top pick.

An Eagles Game (6) rates third in the field at 57.50 — a step below the top two but a meaningful gap above the rest — and opens at 5/2 on the morning line, the second-shortest price in the field. Trainer John A. Stinebaugh sends this one out with jockey Rosendo E. Pina Garcia, and in a maiden sprint where anything can happen, having the third-best rating at a fair price makes this a solid trifecta anchor.

Dangit Frank (7) rates just 0.84 points behind the top pick at 55.83 and opens at 7/2 — a touch of overlay relative to his actual standing in the field. Trainer Mario J. Loza sends this one out with jockey Olvin Josue Martinez, and in a race where the ratings are this closely bunched, the horse right behind the top pick is a natural place play and exacta partner.

Chiquito Pool (8) checks in at a 54.17 TrackWiz rating — third in the field and less than 3 points off the top — and is priced at 9/2 on the morning line. Trainer John Boegner, who also has runners later in the card, pairs this one with jockey Jose M. Gonzales-Corral. With three horses so tightly grouped at the top, any trifecta construction needs all three, and Chiquito Pool offers the best price of the trio.

Outside the Lines (6) rates second in the field at 56.67 and comes in at a fair 3/1 morning line with a 50% career win rate — that's an elite number for any horse. Trainer Ben Olaveson and jockey Luis L. Vivanco combine for a horse that the market respects, and rightfully so. As the place pick, this one provides a solid hedge: if No Se Primo hits at the big price, a place ticket on Outside the Lines cushions the result.

Diamond 123 (2) rates third at 55.83 and carries an eye-catching 50% career win rate — this horse genuinely knows how to get to the wire first. Trainer John A. Stinebaugh teams with jockey Rosendo E. Pina Garcia, and at 7/2, Diamond 123 is reasonably priced for a horse that has won half its starts. As the show pick, this one rounds out a strong trifecta combination in what is the most intriguing race of the first half of the card.

Hondo Hocks (3) is a genuine value play on the place ticket at 10/1 — the second-highest rated horse in the field at 76.88, just 0.79 points behind the top pick, but priced nearly triple the morning line. A 20% career win rate at the stakes level is respectable, and trainer Arnold Lewis puts Eliazar T. Vera in the irons. If the public is sleeping on this horse, the place pool is where you cash the ticket.

Fire Bolt B (4) rates third in this stakes field at 72.20 and brings the best career win percentage of the top three contenders at an impressive 37%. Trainer Richard D. Sedillo — who also runs Yippee Ki Yey in this race — connects with jockey Rosendo E. Pina Garcia, and at 4/1 morning line, this is the shortest-priced horse among our top three, suggesting the market also views this one as a legitimate factor in the outcome.

Nine One Won (8) is the TrackWiz value play of the race — rated second in the field at 73.96 with a 22% career win rate, yet priced at 12/1 on the morning line. That kind of discrepancy between performance metrics and public odds is a serious overlay, and trainer Raul Ramirez sends this one out with jockey Esgar Ramirez. In stakes competition where the field is tight, backing the second-best-rated horse at more than triple the favorite's price is exactly the kind of edge handicappers hunt for.

Onthrocks (9) rounds out the TrackWiz top three with a 73.39 rating and a 25% career win rate — very consistent numbers for a stakes runner — and opens at 5/1 on the morning line. Trainer Esteban Rubio and jockey Nestor Duran combine for a horse that fits comfortably in the top tier of this eleven-horse field. The trifecta combination of 6-8-9 offers strong ratings-based construction at payable prices.

Church Spire (6) rates just 2.51 points behind the top pick at 85.30 and opens as the morning line favorite at 2/1 — meaning the public actually favors this horse over our top pick. Trainer Marco Adair Chavez-Gutierrez and jockey Jonathan Dominguez team up for a horse that the market respects deeply, and an 18% career win rate at stakes level shows this one competes. As the place pick, Church Spire is an absolute lock for the ticket, and the exacta with Shakers No Secret could return a solid number given both are firmly priced.

Klass Action (8) rates third in the field at 69.11 — a meaningful gap below the top two but well ahead of the remainder — and opens at a fair 9/2 morning line with a 21% career win rate. Trainer Marc E. Jungers has two horses in this race, and pairing Klass Action with Shakers No Secret as a one-two barn punch is a notable stabling pattern. In trifecta construction, this is the clear third choice — rated well, priced fairly, and backed by a sharp trainer who is closing the card strong.