Daily Picks

Retama Park Picks & Predictions — July 30, 2026

Thursday, July 30, 20269 racesRetama Park

It's a hot one at Retama Park this Thursday — partly cloudy skies with temperatures sitting at 95°F mean the San Antonio heat is in full effect. Nine races are on the board today, all on the main dirt track, and it's a pure quarter horse card from gate to wire. Short sprints, explosive speed, and razor-thin margins. That's Retama at its best.

The distances today range from a blistering 300 yards all the way out to 440 yards in the opener, which is about as far as it gets around here. With the mercury cranked up, pay attention to how horses handle the heat — hydration and conditioning matter more than casual bettors often realize in conditions like these. The fast, dry surface should be playing fair, which puts a premium on pure speed figures and gate quickness.

TrackWiz has ratings on all nine races, and we've got three free previews to get you started before the full-card deep dive kicks in for subscribers.

Best Bets

Race 1

11:45 PM EDT

Maiden · 440 yd · Dirt

A wide-open maiden sprint at 440 yards where TrackWiz ratings separate three contenders from the rest of the field — but first-time starters at this distance always carry question marks.

win5Political AssasinML 4/1

Political Assasin draws our top rating in this maiden at 85.62, the highest mark in the field, and Ignacio Bustamante has this horse pointing right at this spot. At 4/1 on the morning line, there's legitimate value here if the TrackWiz model is on target. In a field of first-time starters with no career win percentages to lean on, rating separation is your best compass — and Political Assasin leads the way.

place8Ms Easter DebML 6/1

Ms Easter Deb comes in with a TrackWiz rating of 79.63, second-best among the fillies and colts in here, and Alejandro Landeros Zuniga gets the call in the irons. She's posted at 6/1, which represents solid place value in a maiden heat where a clean break often determines the order of finish. If the top pick falters, this one has the profile to land squarely in the money.

show1Valiant GeronimoML 5/2

Valiant Geronimo is the morning line favorite at 5/2 and comes in with a 77.95 TrackWiz rating — respectable, but third in the rankings behind our top two. Trainer Marc E. Jungers also saddles Double Down Dulce in this spot, which is worth noting as a barn running a two-pronged attack. With Raul Padilla Hernandez, Jr. up, Valiant Geronimo is a safe exotic anchor for a show ticket.

Race 2

12:15 AM EDT

Claiming · 400 yd · Dirt

This 400-yard claimer features a clear class standout on paper, but a horse with the highest career win percentage in the field sits in the middle of the pack — setting up a contested pace scenario worth watching.

win6Astronomical LoveML 4/1

Astronomical Love tops the TrackWiz ratings at 85.62, and at 4/1 on the morning line, trainer Joe Chapa has this horse positioned as a value play relative to its model grade. The 5% career win percentage is modest, but in a claiming spot like this, consistency of form and current condition matter more — and the rating edge here is clear. Ruben Delarosa, Jr. takes the reins and is one of the more active riders on the Retama circuit.

place4Beau DiddlyML 3/1

Beau Diddly is the horse to beat for the place spot, bringing a 22% career win percentage — the highest in the field and nearly double what most of the competition shows. A rating of 81.87 backs up that record, and trainer Brooks Lane Lewis has him posted at a generous 3/1. This horse has a legitimate win profile but gets nudged to the place slot given the top pick's narrow rating edge.

show3Check Out JessML 5/2

Check Out Jess rates out at 72.18 — third-best in the field — and carries a 12% career win percentage into a 400-yard dirt dash where tactical speed is everything. Trainer Javier Ruiz Ortiz sends her out with Alfredo Contreras aboard, a jockey who knows this oval well. At the morning line favorite price of 5/2, she's the chalk play and a logical show-ticket anchor for conservative bettors.

Race 3

12:42 AM EDT

Claiming · 300 yd · Dirt

Man Hes Handsome walks into this 300-yard claimer with a career record that towers over the competition — the question is whether the rest of the field can make it a race at all.

win8Man Hes HandsomeML 5/2

Man Hes Handsome owns the highest TrackWiz rating in the field at 87.81, but what really stands out is that 33% career win percentage — one in three starts ends in a win for this horse, which is elite at any level. Gilberto Linares is up for trainer Mario J. Loza, a barn that runs multiple horses today and clearly has its string fit and firing. At 5/2, the morning line price is fair but not generous — this looks like a horse the public will bet down, so get your tickets early.

place6Jess Vital GlML 3/1

Jess Vital Gl brings a 12% career win percentage and a 62.58 TrackWiz rating to the place slot, and at 3/1 on the morning line she deserves respect. Luis L. Vivanco is a live rider in these short sprints, and trainer Jose Luis Sanchez III has placed this horse in a spot where the rating suggests she can compete for second money even if the top pick dominates. She's the logical exacta partner.

show4Dashing ChilitaML 10/1

Dashing Chilita is our show selection at a morning line of 10/1, making this the race's embedded value angle. The TrackWiz rating of 61.73 puts her in the mix, and a 9% career win percentage means she's not without experience getting the job done. At those odds in a short field, she's worth a trifecta throw if you're boxing the top two.

Our three free races — Races 1, 2, and 3 — give you a solid foundation for the early card. Political Assasin (4/1 morning line, 85.62 TrackWiz rating) tops Race 1, a maiden sprint at 440 yards. That extra distance compared to the rest of today's card is worth noting — horses who can sustain their speed a tick longer get rewarded here. Race 2 brings Astronomical Love to the spotlight at 4/1 with a matching 85.62 rating in a 400-yard claimer, while Race 3 is where Man Hes Handsome stands out as our highest-rated free pick at 87.81 and a tight 5/2 morning line in a 300-yard claimer.

One theme tying these early races together: in this kind of oppressive heat, horses with clean recent works and proven early-foot tend to hold their edge better than come-from-behind types. The shorter the race, the less margin for error — and at 300 yards, it's essentially over before you blink. Trust your figures, trust your gate speed data, and don't overthink it.

Full Card Analysis

Race 4

1:09 AM EDT

Allowance · 300 yd · Dirt

The allowance condition tightens the competition, but Diamond 123 jumps off the page with a TrackWiz rating that laps the field — the intrigue is whether the morning line longshots with eye-catching win percentages can cause an upset at 300 yards.

win3Diamond 123ML 7/2

Diamond 123 carries the field's top TrackWiz rating at 86.35 and combines that with a 33% career win percentage — meaning this horse has finished first in roughly one of every three career starts. Trainer John A. Stinebaugh sends him out with Gilberto Linares, who also won aboard our Race 3 pick, making him one of the riders to follow today. At 7/2 on the morning line, this is our most confident play of the allowance division.

place7Bolo CowboyML 5/2

Bolo Cowboy has a gaudy 50% career win percentage — one of two horses in this race at that mark — and a TrackWiz rating of 57.5 that suggests he belongs in this field even if he's not the top contender. Trainer Jimmy W. Guerra also saddles Aj Charming Ace, showing the barn has multiple bullets here. Victor Manuel Urieta, Jr. rides, and at 5/2 on the morning line, Bolo Cowboy is live for the exotics.

show2Kas Cartel GlML 4/1

Kas Cartel Gl is our show selection with an eye-catching 50% career win percentage — the same as Bolo Cowboy — and a TrackWiz rating of 55.0 that keeps him competitive in this allowance spot. Trainer Jose Luis Sanchez III is active on today's card with multiple entries, which often signals a barn in good form. At 4/1 on the morning line, he's a worthwhile trifecta inclusion.

Race 5

1:36 AM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 300 yd · Dirt

A ten-horse maiden claiming sprint at 300 yards where Mr Perry Cuervo stands clearly above the field on ratings — but with a ten-horse field of first-time maiden claimers, traffic and gate luck can flip the script in a hurry.

win7Mr Perry CuervoML 3/1

Mr Perry Cuervo leads all comers with an 87.08 TrackWiz rating and draws the 3/1 morning line spot in a field where no career win percentages exist. When you're handicapping maiden claimers with no prior wins, rating separation is the sharpest tool available — and this horse's edge over the second-ranked Rolands Cartel (72.25) is substantial. Noe Villatoro gets the mount for trainer Manuel Gonzalez IV, a combination worth noting as the barn's clear primary weapon today.

place2Rolands CartelML 7/2

Rolands Cartel rates out at 72.25 — second-best in the field by a solid margin — and Victor Manuel Urieta, Jr. handles the riding duties from post 2. The inside draw in a 300-yard dash is not nothing; clean air out of the gate can be the difference at this trip. At 7/2 on the morning line, Rolands Cartel is the most logical place-slot horse in a wide-open maiden field.

show4July WattersML 10/1

July Watters comes in rated 65.78, third-best in this ten-horse field, and sits at 10/1 on the morning line — that's a price worth attacking in the exotics. Trainer Wendy Alejandra Garcia sends this one out with Rosendo E. Pina Garcia, and in a maiden claimer where the chalk can get beat by anything on a given day, having a 65+ rated horse at double-digit odds is exactly the kind of show value we look for. A strong trifecta bottom.

Race 6

2:03 AM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 300 yd · Dirt

Eyen My Grace enters this maiden claiming sprint as one of the more dominant morning line favorites you'll see on today's card — but in a ten-horse field of first-time maiden claimers, a horse or two in the mid-range could sneak into the exotics.

win4Eyen My GraceML 9/5

Eyen My Grace owns the race's top TrackWiz rating by a wide margin at 88.83 — the highest single-race rating on the entire card today — and the morning line has her installed as the 9/5 favorite in a field where no other horse cracks 70. Oliver E. Martinez picks up the mount for trainer Manuel Flores, and in a maiden claimer at 300 yards, a horse this far ahead on ratings is about as close to a confident play as you'll find. The price won't be generous at the windows, but the rating makes her nearly impossible to leave off the ticket.

place8Fmm Tellerima CoronaML 5/1

Fmm Tellerima Corona rates out at 67.89 — second-best in the field — and Olvin Josue Martinez pilots her for trainer Ramiro Barajas Villarreal. At 5/1 on the morning line, this is a legitimate place value play if the favorite does her job and you're looking to collect on an exacta. In a race this lopsided at the top, the real betting game is identifying which horse lands second, and this one has the ratings edge to do it.

show7LevetateML 7/2

Levetate checks in at 54.94 on the TrackWiz scale — third in the field — and Luis L. Vivanco, one of the more active riders on today's card, gets the call. The 7/2 morning line price is a little short for a show-slot play, but the rating separation from the horses below her is real, and in a ten-horse maiden field where chaos is always possible, having the third-ranked horse in your trifecta is smart handicapping.

Race 7

2:30 AM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 350 yd · Dirt

Spirit Tac headlines a competitive ten-horse maiden claiming sprint at 350 yards, but the morning line favorite Mrs Huerfanito sits third on the TrackWiz ratings — a potential vulnerability that creates some interesting exotic angles.

win3Spirit TacML 9/2

Spirit Tac leads all comers with an 84.52 TrackWiz rating and draws post 3 at a 9/2 morning line price — offering real value given the rating edge. Trainer Marc E. Jungers is active on today's card and sends this one out with Lucas Constantin, who has a lightly-used mount in a race where the top-rated horse is often underpriced. In a 350-yard maiden dash where gate break and early position are paramount, Spirit Tac's rating advantage gives him a clear path to the winner's circle.

place4Heza Higher FireML 10/1

Heza Higher Fire comes in at 76.88 on the TrackWiz scale — second-best in the field — and yet the morning line has him at a generous 10/1, suggesting the public might be underestimating this runner. Trainer Jose Medrano sends him out from post 4 with Angel A. Fierro up, and if the pace gets hot early and Spirit Tac has to work for position, Heza Higher Fire has the rating to swoop in for the place money. At those odds, he's a strong exacta and trifecta play.

show9Mrs HuerfanitoML 2/1

Mrs Huerfanito is the morning line favorite at 2/1 but ranks third on our TrackWiz ratings at 72.86 — which is why she's slotted in the show position rather than on top. J.R. Ramirez, Jr. is a capable rider and the 2/1 price reflects public confidence, but when the second-rated horse in the race is available at 10/1, it's worth structuring your tickets to reflect that. Mrs Huerfanito is a reliable show anchor; just be cautious about making her your win single.

Race 8

2:57 AM EDT

Starter Optional Claiming · 300 yd · Dirt

This starter optional claiming sprint at 300 yards pits a cluster of experienced horses with real career win percentages against each other — expect a genuine pace battle and a photo-finish situation.

win2Cr Cheetah FeinML 5/2

Cr Cheetah Fein leads the TrackWiz ratings at 79.91 and brings a 25% career win percentage into a field where experience and proven winning ability matter. Trainer Juan Carlos Ortega puts Miguel Ortega in the irons, and at 5/2 on the morning line, this is the kind of horse that justified chalk plays in starter optional claiming company. The rating edge is modest over the next tier, but 25% win percentage tells you this horse knows how to finish first.

place1Mr Dashing YessML 10/1

Mr Dashing Yess is our place pick at 10/1 on the morning line — a price that looks generous given his 76.88 TrackWiz rating, which puts him in a virtual dead heat with the show pick. H. Javier Hernandez takes the mount for trainer Jorge Rivas Correa, and in a starter optional claimer where fitness and recent form drive outcomes, a horse rated this closely to the favorite at double-digit odds is the kind of angle that builds bankrolls. Strong exacta candidate.

show6TarzannitaML 9/2

Tarzannita rates at 76.38 — within a half-point of our place pick — and carries a 16% career win percentage into this competitive 300-yard dash. Eliazar T. Vera handles the riding duties for trainer Alfred A. Aparicio, and at 9/2 on the morning line, she's fairly priced for what she brings to the table. In a race where the top three TrackWiz ratings are separated by less than four points, the trifecta plays itself with these three horses.

Race 9

3:24 AM EDT

Allowance · 330 yd · Dirt

The finale is a nine-horse allowance sprint at 330 yards where two horses rated within a half-point of each other sit atop the TrackWiz model — setting up a potential 1-2 finish that makes the exacta box the play of the day.

win9Ginger G 123ML 4/1

Ginger G 123 tops the TrackWiz ratings at 84.60 and draws post 9 with Oliver E. Martinez up for trainer Raul Ramirez. The 4/1 morning line is fair value for the race's top-rated contender in allowance company, and a 9% career win percentage in what's been a competitive barn is nothing to sneeze at. At 330 yards, the outside post requires a clean break, but Martinez is a capable hand at getting horses out of the gate clean.

place8Jess RevengeML 5/1

Jess Revenge is rated 84.17 — essentially a coin flip with Ginger G 123 at the top of the model — and the 5/1 morning line makes him a genuine value play in the place slot. Trainer Mario J. Loza runs a two-horse entry today with Famous and Favorite also in the field, suggesting the barn is fit and has options, but Jess Revenge is clearly the barn's sharper weapon on ratings. Nestor Duran handles the mount, and this horse makes the most sense as the top half of your exacta box.

show1Famous and FavoriteML 12/1

Famous and Favorite is our longshot show selection at 12/1 on the morning line — the same Mario J. Loza barn mentioned above — with a 14% career win percentage that shows this horse has won before and knows the job. A TrackWiz rating of 65.27 puts him below our top two, but in a nine-horse allowance where pace can get hot and favorites can get stopped, having a Loza-trained horse with a 14% win rate at 12/1 in your trifecta is sound, affordable handicapping.

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Bottom line: Retama Park is serving up a fast, fun nine-race card under a scorching Texas sky. Man Hes Handsome in Race 3 is our best free-card play, and Eyen My Grace in Race 6 is the name to know for the full card. Get the complete TrackWiz breakdown — pace projections, exotic tickets, and every premium pick — by subscribing at /pricing. Good luck out there, and stay hydrated — you and the horses both.

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