Thistledown Picks & Predictions — May 18, 2026
Here's our expert breakdown of today's 8-race card at Thistledown. We've identified 3 standout races with strong plays — see our analysis below. Full card picks for all 8 races are available to TrackWiz subscribers.
Best Bets
Race 1
2026-05-18T16:55:19Claiming · 1 mi · Dirt
Clear separation at the top of the rating board — Classy Disposition looks standout with daylight to the rest.
Tops the TrackWiz rating board at 79.1 for Race 1. Ridden by Ricardo Feliciano, trained by Benny R. Feliciano. Ranked 1st for recent race speed at 12.60 sec/furlong. 2 wins and placed in 3 of 4 races on Dirt tracks. Has placed in the last 2 races. Horse won last time it raced. 04/22/2026.
Rating board at 76.9. Ridden by Luis Antonio Gonzalez. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.88 sec/furlong. For past year, Jockey has a 27% win rate and finished in the money in 61% of races.
Rating board at 67.5. Ridden by T. D. Houghton. 7 wins and placed in 25 of 41 races on Dirt tracks. Has placed in the last 2 races.
Race 2
2026-05-18T17:30:20Maiden Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt
Clear separation at the top of the rating board — Union Swag looks standout with daylight to the rest.
Tops the TrackWiz rating board at 85.6 for Race 2. Ridden by Mauro Cedillo, trained by Gary L. Johnson. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.78 sec/furlong. Has placed in the last 5 races. Has placed in 5 of the last 6 races. Horse appears in today's Top 50 Horses List.
Rating board at 77.2. Ridden by Jefferson Skerrett. Ranked 1st for recent race speed at 12.71 sec/furlong.
Rating board at 67.3. Ridden by Brandon Tapara. Ranked 3rd for recent race speed at 13.05 sec/furlong. Has placed in the last 2 races.
Race 3
2026-05-18T17:55:00Claiming · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt
Clear separation at the top of the rating board — Kettle Kiss looks standout with daylight to the rest.
Tops the TrackWiz rating board at 88.5 for Race 3. Career win rate of 25% shows consistency. Ridden by Erik Barbaran, trained by Jeffrey A. Radosevich. For past year, Jockey has a 26% win rate and finished in the money in 65% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 29% win rate and finished in the money in 72% of races. 6 wins and placed in 13 of 25 races on Dirt tracks. Has placed in 4 of the last 6 races. Has 5 wins and placed in 11 of 15 of Sprint races. 5 wins and placed in 10 of 14 races at Thistledown. Jockey & Horse combo has a 26% win rate and finished in the money in 65% of races. Has not raced in 185 days, may just be looking for a race to tighten up. Ranked 1st in workouts over last month at 12.10 sec/furlong. Horse appears in today's Top 50 Horses List. Jockey appears in today's Top 50 Jockeys List.
Our top picks for today focus on races with clear edges in speed figures, trainer form, and track bias. These are the spots where we see the most value on the board.
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Good luck at Thistledown today! Remember to check back for live odds updates and follow us for real-time picks throughout the card. Subscribe to TrackWiz for full access to every race at every track.