Harness Preview: Picks and Horses to Watch Aug. 31-Sept. 4

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

Thursday, Aug. 31

MOHAWK MILES

Each week, we highlight probable longshots from Mohawk Park (WoMo) in this features section. If they do not win at first crack, we add them to the H2W the following week as a bet-back while adding new possibilities to this Mohawk Miles section.


Race 1—Widespread Panic; Improvement expected from 36-1 fifth.

Race 3—Premier First Star; Second from catbird-seat mile at 22-1.

Race 6—Winmebak; One wide brush hurt, crowd supported at 5-2.

Friday, Sept. 1

JERSEY JAUNTS

Meadowlands

New Jersey Classic eliminations ($25k) for two- and three-year-olds adorn the return of Meadowlands action. We make sophomore miles our features. Freshman choices are in the H2W list below.

Race 3—Dyladmar ships in from Mohawk off of a win and could score big and pay big.

Race 6—Air Power is a classy type and should offer value as an outsider leaving from the outside.

Race 11—Blonde Bombshell returns to face top company at her favorite mile.

Saturday, Sept. 2

CHAMPS PA

Pocono

Six-figure sires stakes championships for freshmen go in four splits.

Race 9—Filly trotters may surrender early to Sierra Girl, Ake Svanstedt’s tough daughter of Bar Hopping who could prep the Breeders Crown with an easy win here.

Race 10—Filly pacers bring us back to last week’s performance by Ginger Tree Belle, fourth at 24-1. Come on, let’s light up the tote board here.

Race 11—Colt trotters deliver a huge favorite with the Wellwood champ, but we’re not buying that price. Our money is on Marcus Melander’s Security Protected. Father Patrick progeny still rock.

Race 12—Colt pacers blend in a wide-open mile—if you toss out the two Captaintreacherous colts. Here’s something novel; let’s swing for the fence with a Captain Crunch kid, Gem Quality. Three wins in three starts may be enough to make an eight-hole start moot. As well, the reward is on the board.

Saturday, Sept. 2

MAPLE TROT

Eight top older trotters engage for pieces of a $530K purse. Value is present with outsider Fashion Frenzie. Coming from a win at Georgian Downs may be the secret weapon, as here she could get a ground-saving trip served by super speedsters with low offerings. She may be the secret to a strong exacta with the top picks, assuming we are correct thinking the crowd will hammer It’s Academic and Venerate.

OH CANADA DERBY

Woodbine Mohawk

These aged pacing miles are crap shoots, at best. The division is rarely dominated, as history presented, so best to look for a rank outsider to be the beneficiary of the best trip. That being established, we’ll take a shot on Hellabalou. He made it to this class on a trip and won as a longshot, exactly how we want to see him win here. From post 10, he could ride the pylons or with strong cover in tier two and have all that he needs left when it counts. Again, he could pull off an upset and pay an upset price.

H2W LIST

Horses to watch (H2W) are strong contenders evaluated from overnight-race charts (including qualifiers), replays and trainers’ current win percentages. Each horse appears in two consecutive lists if it does not win on its first listing.

H2W horses are suggested for win, place, show (across the board) wagering and are to be included in exotic combinations.

Exactas listed in H2W results reflect an H2W horse finishing second to a race favorite or if the first two finishers were on the list, when an asterisk appears for cold exactas. The note “ok” determines prices are correct when a show price exceeds the place price or all three prices are identical.

Some results reflect horses racing after preview blog posts and appear the following week. As well, some horses will not appear a second time when their first time is followed by a race at a non-parimutuel fair. They will get a second time on the list when returning to a betting race.

Batavia
9/1/23, Vintage Grand R1

Freehold
9/1/23, Lazarus Girl R7; Mighty Surf R9; Goinroundncircles R11

Hoosier
8/31/23, Eternal Bliss R3; Starzznstripes R12

Meadowlands
9/1/23, Ice Cream R1; Mr Grant R4; Chaparmbro R5; Rocket Deo R10

Meadows
8/31/23, +Tidquist R1; Gold Vintage R7; Believe It Sea It R10

Monticello
8/31/23, +Some Power R2; +Causway R4; Astor R4; +Ardent R6

Northfield
9/2/23, +Honey Buzz R9

Northville
9/1/23, Hey Delilah R1; Full Of Sharks R3; +Bearcreekhoney R5; I Choose You R9

Philly
8/31/23, +Brother Dick R3; +Bettor B Sawyer R4

Plainridge
8/31/23, +Smokin Molly R4; +Stay Jelly R8; Wolverina R11

Pocono
9/2/23, Lovedbythemasses R6; Poisonpoke R7; +Mauries Bonus A R14

Running Aces
8/31/23, Keep Sweet N Obey R2; Kizzzmelikeumissme R5; Crazy Cute R6

Saratoga
9/1/23, +Bellatrix Hanover R3
9/2/23, +Miki Burke R1

Scioto
8/31/23, +Burrow R10

Tioga
9/2/23, Arnie’s Angel R8; Emmy Lou Hayes R11
9/3/23, Ayr Pioneer GB R11

Vernon
9/2/23, The Moma Dance R2; Peggy J R6; Valottalove R7;+Anytime N R8

Yonkers
9/1/23, Cash Roll R4; Rolling With Sam R8