Fiery Harness Harangues On Tap

Grand Circuit action continues to roll as deep spring presents the hottest temperatures North America has dreamed about through a seemingly endless winter of bitter cold and precipitation.

Reynolds and Simpson stakes keep the three-year-olds lon both gaits busy at the Meadowlands. The trotters involved will be analyzed in our spin-off blog, the Hambletonian Trail, which follows great betting races for the classic divisions—soph-colt-and-filly trotters. It’s exclusive, extended coverage from TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society.

Mohawk’s soph pacers decide the finals of the Diplomat and Princess series on May 9. Also, through Sunday, May 10, glamour-boy and glamour-girl pacers line up at Pocono for PA All Stars divisions. A prep for the A. Cutler Memorial attracts older trotters at the Meadowlands and the Confederation Cup elim(s) roll at Flamboro.
 
A slew of overnight action adorns the ovals and our exclusive horses-to-watch (H2W) list has again scanned for serious contenders that promise to profit your across-the-board/exotic. As well, TwinSpires teams with Hoosier Park again for another season of player perks. Click here to check it out.

A spring special offers free harness past performances through June. Click here to take advantage of the deal.

Reynolds Rolling Grand

Soph-filly pacers meet in a Reynolds stake at the Meadowlands on May 8 and then colt trotters go in a Simpson (the latter is covered with other soph-trot events in the Hambletonian Trail blog.

In the Reynolds four fillies will be sharing the main attention. Happiness, Bedroomconfessions, Divine Caroline and Bettor Be Steppin—the latter two under the tutelage of Joe Holloway—rely on early season successes. After them there are only three left in the field, allowing for some legroom in the betting.

Tony Alegna’s Bedroomconfessions should be the contender less awarded with wagers but this early in the season any one of the new sophomores can beat the other on a given day. This given day the value should go into Alegna’s column, making it our choice.

Trotting Trial

A prep worth $50,000 readies older trotters for the A.J. Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands. Ten veterans from both sexes, including Horse of the Year Bee A Magician, Hambletonian-winner/aged speedball Market Share and Maturity-winner Meladys Monet are in play.

It’s a tough cast with almost too many scenarios for a high-priced winner. That being the case, let’s embrace the competition and go with Appomattox. Fifth at 4-1 in his last race, he was hanged in tier two for three-quarters and finished fifth, coming off of a neck loss to Wind Of The North and Master Of Law, both behind him on the gate tonight. He will find a perfect spot early to charge late, whilte the more popular entries shuffle for control.

Pocono Pacing

The PA All Stars series features soph-colt pacers in three divisions on the May 9 program. Each is worth $32,000. The first field features two from Burke, including soph-debuting Yankee Bounty. The favorite should be Cardiac Fashion, the top earner in the fresh season from former California harness tutor Gilbert Garcia-Herrera. Unproven loser Wakizashi Hanover, however, should be in the mix. He’s one for one and we have to bank on him because if he improves off of that his prices will sink.

Round two finds six on the menu, with Jimmy Takter’s pacer Blood Brother apt to get a lot of attention; so may Burke’s Rufo and season-starter Joe Hill. Could these take the bulk of betting away from local Techtor Hanover, already four for 10 in the win column? We hope so. Mike Palone’s pacer faces tougher here, of course, but can out-step them from post 1.

A sextet of glamour-boy pacers makes up the third episode. It appears an even bunch, with Rise Up Now going for his fourth-straight win in as many soph starts. Highly regarded Tomy Terror is also here and bound to get support for his second race of the season. We give an outside chance to Well Well Well, a Ray Schnittker pacer with a lot more class than he will be given credit for in this event. Post 6 will raise his worth on the board, as will Schnittker, posted as driver, making him the true overlay here.

Mohawk Finals

More sophomore pacers are shooting for big purses in Canada, as Mohawk presents the $100,000 finals of the Diplomat for colts and the Princess for fillies.

The colts’ field offers an outside contender with Windsong Lightning. In the second leg, he burrowed into the territory of the two top choices at 33-1, gaining 7 lengths with an overland journey. He will come up on the board in double digits, as this is a 10-horse field with some high-profile sophs the public will adore.

The fillies final has only six foes and the best odds may not be worth the prices but if we were going to key any gal it would be Moonlit Dance. She is sharp and fit right now and could easily get the best trip.

Confederation Configuration

Sixteen four-year-old pacers are set to launch on Sunday, May 10 at Flamboro Downs in two $20,000 eliminations for the Confederation Cup. The top four finishers in each division will qualify for the Confederation Cup final, Sunday, May 17. After two years sans the “Cup,” it is back as an event for four-year-old pacers.

Familiar names adorn the elims. In round one, Bettorever, sharp from the Whata Baron series at the Meadowlands, takes on morning-line choice National Debt, who is still looking for a comfortable event at four. Ontario champ Three Of Clubs is here but our eyes are on All Bets Off. He practically only scored in a race last week at Yonkers, with no betting support. He will be much better here, with a price that may be hard to get after this round.

In the second elim, Limelight Beach should get the public’s top call, which could let Ideal Cowboy go off better than his ML of 5-2. There will be local support for Melmerby Beach and Nirvana Seelster but not enough to make this a less-even match on the toteboard. Even Luck Be Withyou’s ML is only 7-2. Perhaps the outsider with a better chance than most conclude, then, is Lets Drink On It, coming to his four-year-old campaign looking like a stranger, when in fact he has competed with the top choices here with spunk last season.

H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

H2W LIST

Bangor
5/8/15, Bubeleh Stone R7
 
Buffalo
5/9/15, Mercurio R7

Century
5/9/15, Happy Promise R3; Wigesjet R4; +Im A Wildcat R5; Sports Wizard R7; +War Chant R8; Smilys Amira R11
5/10/15, +Sobia Hanover R3; +Little Bit Faster R5; +Ideal Cash R5; Timberline Court R8; +Upfront Casino R10; +Lefty Malone R1

Hoosier
5/9/15, Ra Ra Steven ae R4; +Alequash Hotspur R6; Cactus Billy R9; Skyway Brenlin R10; +White Fish Flash ae R10

Maywood
5/7/15, +Dashing For Home R3
5/8/15, +Powerful Pilot R8

Meadows
5/7/15, +Prismatica R7
5/8/15, +Stirling Caprice R12

Monticello
5/7/15, +By A Noggin R5; Inside The Glass R8
5/8/15

Northfield
5/7/15, +Renata R1; +Desperate Crowds R2; +JVZs Dream R6; +R Journey Together R7; +African Violet R13

Northville
5/7/15, Tamala R1; Royal Assassin R4; Elians Valentine R7

Philadelphia
5/7/15, +Howaboutakiss R2; +Explodent R8; Live Action R10
5/8/15, +Handsoffmycupcake R6
5/10/15, Redneck Fortune R8; Fancy Freeshark R13

Plainridge
5/7/15, +Twin B Spy R1; Briefly R7
5/8/15, New Scent R8

Pocono
5/9/15, +Willy Mucha R2;
5/10/15, +R Sam R2; +Lizzies Dream R12

Pompano
5/9/15, +Four Star Kyle R5; Matts Delivery R5; +Ashleys Desire R6; +Action Onelasttime R10

Scarborough
5/8/15, +Winslow Hustler R6

Scioto
5/7/15, +American Ginger ae R6; Woo Shark R8; +Cc Big Boy Sam R10
5/8/15, +Upfront Miss Major R4; Tarport Belle R3; +My Hair Lady R8
5/9/15, Winchester R9; +Regil Tiger R11
 
Vernon
5/8/15, +Air-stewart as R3; Paradise Paintball R4

Yonkers
5/8/15, +Dabunka R2; +Delightful Dragon R6; +Canaco Star R7; Box Car Johnny R9; +Strings R12
5/9/15, +The Lunch Pail R2; Fitness Craze R3; +Dream Out Loud N R4; +Heez Orl Black N R6; Deweycolorintheline R8; +Moonlightonthebeach R10
5/11/15, +Astor R9

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.