Harness Preview: Picks and Horses to Watch April 14-18

Selected features and the never-ending TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch list (H2W) share keys to success in exotics, win, place and show payoffs.

The Borgata series results. Here’s how we did with leg 4, April 11’s divisions.
R2: Nandolo N ($2.10, $2.10); Splash Brother (19-1) fifth.
R5: Town Gossip(5-1) sixth.
R7: Pat Stanley N ($6.40, $4.00)
R9: Jacks Legend N ($3.30, $2.20); None Better A (29-1) seventh.

Thursday, April 14

MOHAWK MILES

Each Thursday we highlight some probable long shots from Mohawk Park. If they do not win at first crack we add them to the H2W the following week as bet-backs or in selected features, adding new possibilities to this section.
R3 – Maple Leaf Bound: We’re making this one a bet-back from last week.
R7 – Acapulco Sunburn: A sharp qualifier puts this one in play, strongly.

POWER PLAYS

Philly, Races 1, 2

It’s time for Daily Double/Parlay action in the afternoon—or not.

The first race is questionable for either bet unless Henrico draws in. Henrico also drew in to the Meadowlands’ Race 7 on April 15. If he races at Philly, where last week he was a sharp second at 7-2, the Daily Double/Parlay is Henrico to Gatsby in the second half of the Double and for the Parlay.
If Henrico scratches at Philly, you can decide to play Gatsby across the board and/or in single-race exotics. As well, Henrico charts to be good for any type bet at the Meadowlands on the 15th.

 

Friday, April 15

MATCHMAKERS LEG 5

Yonkers, Races 5, 7, 9

Race 5
Beaten favorite Gia's Surreal takes on a field barely beaten by a longshot with a perfect trip last week but this week it will not be a surprise, as it was to us, if favored. Easy To Please may not get the support she did last week since she is leaving from post 7, which is good for exactas and triples.

Race 7
Racine Bell from the rail is going to be tough to beat, no less find a good price to back. We like Scarlett Hanover’s chances to upset once again as she leaves from post 3 with some experience against the elders.

Race 9
Dragon Roll has won or not hit the board but with a strong mile here could make it five wins for 10 starts while beating favorite Drama Act at a good price.

FEATURES

Cal Expo, Race 7

Strong support for the California Sires Stakes (CASS) program is responsible for the CASS four-year-old mare pace championship to be worth $50k.
The pair of top mares in the division, Senga Nightmare and Tartan Patch, will suck up the win pool so let’s take a swing at a mare coming off an opportunistic trip for one of the track’s top trainers, Nick Roland—May Day Maggie.
She has one win in 13 starts this season but was second and third three times each, placing her third in earnings to the top two. Going for biggest share of the $50k may find “Maggie” in a safe spot along the way, getting the kind of cover behind faster horses that often is the kind of trip a standardbred gets to win in a time never forecasted. That scenario is worth betting against the top four-year-old CASS pacing mares this season.

 

Monday, April 18

BORGATA LEG 5

Yonkers, Races 4, 6, 8

Race 4
Leonidas A failed around this leg last year and was not the same as the season ensued. He will be the favorite no matter who recalls 2021 but we have to take a shot beating him here. Im Sir Blake A finished third to a pair of the series’ highly productive favorites and is sitting in the catbird seat behind Leonidas A. If he shakes loose late he can cause the upset and push up the prices of all bets.

Race 6
Here’s a division where speed can be a problem but hopefully not for Splash Brother. Last week Splash Brother left fast and then sat cold in second only to be stuffed and tire come late stretch. This was the same division with “Sir Blake” and if that one wins his division earlier it fairs good for “Splash.” Note that Splash made up ground late though passed on the outside to give up the fourth spot for fifth.

Two divisions ago we had Poseidon Seelster, one of the few outsiders to win a division so far. Last week he failed late trying going wire to wire. This week he may get the kind of trip with which gave him the win two back and fly off the pace.

Race 8
Tattoo Artist has been game in every leg and used a perfect trip last week to score, which kept him five for five hitting the board. He has matured from three to four and is buzzing at five and last week’s win was so easy he should have a ton left to take this; just do not expect a hefty price. If you agree, key him in the win spot over Pat Stanley N for a healthy exacta.

Horses To Watch

H2W Legend

Review our choices and confirm the wagers available at the prescribed track. H2W offers possible contenders researched from reviewing races. Horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track with the date of their race and the race number (R6) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name, it appears on the list for the second time (horses are listed twice only if, at first, they failed to win. An “ae” signals also-eligible. Types of wagers to make are based on your judgment.

H2W LIST

Cal Expo
4/15/22, +Trotterlicious R4; +Northbrook Ron R9
4/17/22, +Hoosier Poppy R1; +Hoo Nien A R4

Freehold
4/15/22, +Gorgeous Ranay R2; Call Me Thefireman R5; Pedigree Blue Chip R8

Hoosier
4/14/22, +Shady's Starlight R13

Meadowlands
4/16/22, Tulhurstsantanna A R2; Sermon R6; +I'll Drink To That R8

Monticello
4/14/22, +Pine Bush Rocket R7; +Tuukka R8

Northville
4/15/22, Bold Decision R2; Calm As Can Bee R7
4/16/22, Payara R11

Philly
4/14/22, Henrico ae R1; +Gatsby R2; Stealing R4; +Bank Breaks R13

Plainridge
4/14/22, Billy B R1

Pocono
4/16/22, +Paymaq R6; +Mushana R12; +Friskie All Nite R15

Saratoga
4/16/22, Transatlantic R1; Fireball R5; In A Single Bound R10; B Cool Fool R11

Yonkers
4/14/22, In Spades R2; +Edge Of Eternity R6; Sweet N Fast N R7
4/15/22, Hunting As R6