Harness Preview: Picks and Horses to Watch Jan. 5-9

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, January 5

MOHAWK MILES

Each week we highlight probable long shots from Mohawk Park 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.

R2 — #5 Amalie Hanover (10-1): Shuffled back; one more shot here.
R3 — #2 Chief Corleone (6-1): Toss out last; top price guaranteed.
R4 — #9 Mats MVP (10-1): Burned first quarter; speed is there.
R9 — #6 Thundering Jim (5-2): Beaten favorite with equipment trouble.

FEATURES

Monticello, Race 5

Ken Koch, top local trainer, scratched #5 Masterson (7-2) from this level last week and brings him back a week later after a birthday. Whatever made Koch skip the race is moot; this is the spot he wants and the scratch could be considered a week’s rest.
#4 Pay Later (8-1) made up ground leaving from the dreaded 8 hole but the traffic was too tough for a major effort on four turns. Pay Later may pay off today.

POWER PLAYS

The Meadows, Race 3

This superfecta race is our focus. We offer our contenders in post-position order based upon our forecast of the highest possible paying ticket.
#4 Cholula (15-1) repeatedly picks up lower shares of the purse, a positive here.
#2 Feast Day (5-1) is in from Philly and raring for a race clean of trouble.
#5 Silver Diamond (7-1) has been racing better than his odds and fits tightly in this class.
#6 Beach Dreamzzz (5-1) is on the rise, seemingly fearless of the next step up.

Friday, January 6

POWER PLAYS

Mohawk Park, Races 1, 2

Here’s a bet-back as #1 Nightlife Seelster (4-1) picks up the 1 post and sets to make amends for last week’s loss. A late charge for gain put this 35-1 shot in the superfecta and should be considered strongly to hit the board and pay well. If for the wind, it is also a good start to a Daily Double with #4 Night Shadow (5-2), a beaten favorite from a rough trip with a sharp chance to win Race 2, the other half.

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
1/6/23, +Northbrook Ron R5
1/8/23, Daytona Dreamin R9

Dover Downs
1/5/23, +Galveston R1; Bionic R3; Advance Man R7; Backstreet Shadow R12

Freehold
1/6/23, Big Sky Ex R6; Mighty Surf R8

Meadowlands
1/7/23, +Boiler Maker R5; Brackley Beach R6; Stag Party R10; +Undertaker R11

The Meadows
1/5/23, With A Warning R1; Mohawk Seelster R10

Miami Valley
1/5/23, +Makeitagaingo R2; Beast Of Delaware R9; +Anthem R11; Starznheaven R12

Monticello
1/5/23, Barrywhite Hanover R1; Dr Snow R4; Big N Bad R9

Northfield Park
1/7/23, Wake N Bake R3; Eloquent Velocity R7; Dojea Rita R8