Hoosier harness plays: May 12

(Each week, Cotolo employs money-management tactics to build wagers that focus on plump profits.)

For the program on May 12 at Hoosier Park, we suggest some horses for selected plays that may fit in any type of wager.

NOTE: The first four races below are a 50-cent Pick 4.

Race 3
A sophomore, #6 Feeling Like A Ten, begins a career with this race and that is a place where most handicappers would not tread with bets. That can be a bad practice, if not a poor excuse, not to wager upon a horse with potential that has not earned a reputation as a proven loser. Brett Wilfong is a veteran trainer and this gelding’s sire, Net Tem Eom, is productive in the Midwest. As well, this is a non-winner of one race event and the rest of the field has had no visible success attributed to experience. Thus, the fresh, well-trained, well-enough bred Feeling Like A Ten (who does display some ability through qualifiers at Hawthorne and Hoosier) is a wager with an edge.

Last week, #2 Shark Snare did not disappoint us by finishing fourth. He has the same excuses and rides in the same class and should be no surprise if he improves his stamina.

Race 4

Starting again at an outside post, #10 Love Of Prayers deserves similar attention as we gave her in that race. She has accomplished a lot compared to her foes and bettors pay attention to her with good reason - she can win; she has done it before.

Impressively, #4 The Fourth Estate showed a sign of life that should not be dismissed coming into this contest. The gelding has speed for tactical moves and can take to the front commandingly.

Race 5

10-year-old #8 Every Play Counts was all out shipping to Miami, where he lost from an overland journey, but you cannot throw that effort out. Returning to Hoosier in this group makes him a strong contender on the brink of his first win in only six starts - and at a good price.

It’s obvious but #5 Putnams Attack, the morning-line choice, will play a big role in this race and though we feel he can be upset, he certainly seems to be able to hit the board.

Race 6

As we predicted last week, #7 Brookview Bluto was ignored by bettors at 21-1 and raced well enough to prove them wrong, finishing fourth on the superfecta grid. Again, his price will be mistakenly bloated because he is a strong contender from the strong-contenders stable of Melissa Essig.

Showing that a step up is no great feat in which to succeed, #5 Heid is in a great spot to win again. She is a competent daughter of Muscle Mass out of a Kadabra mare, a strong if not perfect breeding combo.

Race 9

We are coming right back to last week’s support for #6 Vel Letsroll South against a crowd plunge for the morning-line favorite, #5 Hoosier Chip, who beat him last week. It is simple money-management sense to wager on the one of two horses in this field whose odds will be higher than his chances in my opinion. His race last week proved that, as the crowd ignored him at a hard 7-1 and he finished third in his last two of three races with late foot.

In exotics we cannot argue against #10 Go Randy Go to hit the board down the long, lonely stretch.