Horse Racing Picks Today: Handicappers’ Top Plays and Value Bets
Daily Racing Form's handicappers share their plays for the day, including best bets, for racing at Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Aqueduct, Woodbine, and Churchill Downs.
Post Time: 1:33 ET
Track: Gulfstream (4th Race)
Horse: VALID SENSE (#7, 10-1)
VALID SENSE is a DRF Best Bet (Scott Ehlers).
Post Time: 2:04 ET
Track: Gulfstream (5th Race)
Horse: OUR SOUPER HERO (#8, 6-1)
OUR SOUPER HERO returns off the freshening and with a pace advantage. He loves this sod and there isn't a ton of pace in this race. Win rider stays the course all for a barn that is 19% with their repeating winners. – Scott Ehlers
Post Time: 3:13 ET
Track: Aqueduct (5th Race)
Horse: BAR FOURTEEN (#2, 10-1)
No matter surface or distance, BAR FOURTEEN is at his best when able to make the early lead. There does not appear to be much speed in this race, outside of likely favorite GRAYWING, who is drawn right to his inside, so an aggressive ride might serve him well. He was against the track when wide from an outside draw two back, and he dueled and tired in a race that went to closers last time. – Mike Beer
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Post Time: 3:46 ET
Track: Aqueduct (6th Race)
Horse: CONTRARY THINKING (#5, 6-1)
Have to consider the possibility that CONTRARY THINKING was ruined while being used as a rabbit for stablemate Sierra Leone in a series of Grade 1 races last year, so he is not a horse to take any short price on. Always thought he was better than he looked on paper early on, and he did win his most recent start pretty impressively when allowed to race on his own merits; interested to see what he does off the layoff. – Mike Beer
Post Time: 4:03 ET
Track: Woodbine (6th Race)
Horse: ALLURING AMY (#2, 9-2)
ALLURING AMY dropped in class when toppling OS/$40K maidens in her '25 finale and could pick up right where she left off following a winter layoff in this non-two tilt. Tiller's layoff runners came out firing last weekend and Fukumoto is his go-to jock. – Ron Gierkink
Post Time: 4:36 ET
Track: Woodbine (7th Race)
Horse: LAKOTA LADY (#6, 8-1)
LAKOTA LADY gave the future Oaklawn stakes winner Goodall a serious run for her money when narrowly losing her debut at the Fair Grounds with a 77 Beyer. She was softened up in a speed duel there in another six-furlong maiden special on dirt most recently and has since worked impressively here on the Tapeta. She could graduate in style in this stakes with last year's leading added-money rider Hernandez aboard. – Ron Gierkink
Post Time: 5:15 ET
Track: Churchill Downs (8th Race)
Horse: WAR MUNNY (#1, 15-1)
This full field has a lot of speed and thus fall-apart potential, and no doubt WAR MUNNY will be sitting at the rear during the early and middle stages. Worked back twice (strangely, he regularly posts fast work times) since a no-factor OP start that nonetheless produced a speed figure that fits this spot. Interesting to see the big-name rider take the call. – Marcus Hersh
Post Time: 5:28 ET
Track: Aqueduct (9th Race)
Horse: HIT THE POST (#3, 7-2)
HIT THE POST is a DRF Best Bet (Mike Beer).
Post Time: 6:02 ET
Track: Aqueduct (10th Race)
Horse: FAIRY GODMOTHER (#2, 8-1)
FAIRY GODMOTHER chased three-wide without enough and eventually tired in her debut over this course and distance late last year while facing better; failed to improve in two subsequent dirt starts, though she was against the track in that last one; back to turf after a short break, this time with some class relief. – Mike Beer
Post Time: 6:09 ET
Track: Santa Anita (5th Race)
Horse: MEGA MOON (#4, 5-1)
Pace-pressing comebacker MEGA MOON can upset come-from-behind likely favorite RED FLAG in this $25k claiming starter/optional $32k claiming sprint. MEGA MOON returns from an 11-month layoff with solid works and an up-front running style. The gelding will get the jump over his main rival, 'MOON's trainer-jockey combo (Ron Ellis, Juan Hernandez) teamed to win with seven of their last 19 together. – Brad Free
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