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Will Rogers Picks & Predictions — September 15, 2026
It's a blazing Tuesday afternoon at Will Rogers Downs — 91°F under a clear Oklahoma sky — and the dirt is going to be lightning-fast today. That matters in quarter horse racing, where fractions of a second separate winners from also-rans, and a hard, dry track can turn a borderline contender into a monster.
Ten races are on the board, and this card is absolutely loaded with trials — six of them across the 350 and 400-yard distances, with horses fighting for spots in upcoming futurities and derbies. That makes today more than just a wagering card; it's a scouting report on the next generation of quarter horse talent in this region.
Capping it all off is a Stakes feature in Race 9 at 350 yards, where Livewires Turnpike draws morning-line favoritism at 2/1 and carries our highest TrackWiz rating on the card at 88.54. Stakes days at Will Rogers don't come every week — this one's worth your full attention.
Best Bets
Race 1
Maiden · 300 yd · Dirt
A wide-open maiden sprint over 300 yards where first-time starters make form handicapping nearly impossible — our ratings create a massive gap at the top that separates one horse from the field.
Zoomin Capo draws the rail in post 1 and carries a TrackWiz rating of 88.54 — a full 35 points clear of the second-highest rated horse in the field. That kind of separation in a maiden sprint is hard to ignore. Gonzalo Gutierrez gets the call, and with the morning line sitting at 2/1, the public agrees this is the one to beat. In a 300-yard dash where there's no time to make up ground, breaking cleanly from the inside is a genuine asset.
Dela Rosaa (No. 10) ties Long Social Train for the second-best rating in the field at 53.33 and draws out wide at post 10, which in a short sprint can actually help avoid early traffic. Trainer Waylan Melton sends her out at 5/1 on the morning line — fair value if Zoomin Capo hits any trouble at the break. She's worth a look underneath.
Long Social Train (No. 5) shares that 53.33 rating with Dela Rosaa and breaks from a mid-pack post that should give Mario Delgado a clean look at the start. At 5/1 on the morning line, she represents solid show ticket value in a chaotic maiden field where anything can happen in 300 yards. If the favorite and your place horse both get tangled up, this one is well-positioned to cash third.
Race 2
Trial · 400 yd · Dirt
A 400-yard trial with a clear class standout at the top, but a competitive middle tier and a surprising value play lurking just outside the top two in the ratings.
Notoryous (No. 4) is the horse to beat here, and it's not particularly close. A TrackWiz rating of 88.54 leads all runners by a comfortable margin, and a career win rate of 44% is elite for this level — nearly half his starts have ended in a winner's circle visit. Juan Pulido climbs aboard for trainer Samuel Mendoza, a barn that also runs Ca Dynasty in this same race, which tells you Mendoza came to compete today. At 2/1 on the morning line, the price isn't generous, but the profile earns it.
Pepitos (No. 5) is the sneaky inclusion here — a TrackWiz rating of 70.47 ranks him third in the field, but his 8/1 morning line suggests the public hasn't fully bought in. Roman Cruz handles the riding duties for trainer Robert L. Esqueda, and at 400 yards, a horse that breaks clean from post 5 has a shot to steal a placing even against better-rated rivals. This is a legitimate value play underneath.
Jusk as Tempting (No. 2) carries an 18% career win rate and a rating of 61.02, slotting in comfortably as the third-best-rated horse in the field. The 4/1 morning line reflects his honest chance, and trainer Jason L. Olmstead consistently fields runners that know how to compete. If Pepitos gets bumped out of the exacta, Jusk as Tempting is the natural backup for show tickets.
Race 3
Trial · 400 yd · Dirt
The morning-line favorite doesn't match up with the TrackWiz ratings in this 400-yard trial — the top two rated horses are both listed at 8/1, setting up a potential overlay situation with real exotic potential.
Litenin (No. 4) tops the field with a rating of 82.52 and backs it up with a 30% career win rate — the highest conversion number among the top-rated horses in this race. Ruben Delarosa Jr. rides for trainer Janessa Lee Muniz, who also runs Fdd El Jefe in the same race, suggesting confidence in the barn's entries today. At 4/1, Litenin offers better value than the 2/1 morning-line favorite Racket Ridge, who rates out nearly 18 points lower.
Mary Janes Train (No. 2) carries a 79.79 rating — second-best in the field — but is posted at 8/1 morning line, which is a notable discrepancy. Trainer Gerardo Quinones-Sarmiento sends her out with Jonathan Dominguez in the irons, and a 9% career win rate in what figures to be a competitive field still makes her a live place contender. If you're building an exacta or trifecta, she's a prime candidate to outrun her odds.
Ab Seis Coronas (No. 10) rates out at 73.58 — third in the field — and owns a 20% career win rate that suggests she knows how to compete. Mario Delgado takes the mount for Justin W. Joiner, one of the more active trainer-jockey partnerships on this card. At 8/1 on the morning line, she's a smart show ticket add and a key wheel in trifecta play given her top-three rating.
We're opening three races to all TrackWiz readers today, and they set the tone perfectly. Race 1 is a 300-yard maiden affair where Zoomin Capo (2/1 ML, 88.54 rating) looks like the class of an early field — maiden sprints on a fast, dry track reward horses that break clean and never look back, and that profile fits here. In Race 2, Notoryous shares that same elite 88.54 rating and draws the morning-line favorite's tab in a 400-yard trial, a distance where gate-to-wire runners get a little more time to build separation. Then Race 3 gives us a nice value angle — Litenin goes off at 4/1 in another 400-yard trial despite an 82.52 TrackWiz rating that compares favorably to the field around her.
The through-line on all three free races? In this kind of heat, early speed is king. Hard ground rewards the horse that controls its own destiny from the break. All three of our free top picks profile as exactly that type — and on a card built around trials, getting a clean read early helps you spot the underliers in the premium races to follow.
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Bottom line: Will Rogers is serving up a legitimate stakes card on a scorching fast afternoon, with trials setting the stage from gate to flag. Zoomin Capo, Notoryous, and Litenin are our free best bets — but the real money is in the premium races, headlined by Livewires Turnpike in the Race 9 feature. Full card analysis, pace projections, and exotic tickets are waiting for subscribers. Good luck today — let's cash some tickets.