Harness Preview: Picks and Horses to Watch July 21-25

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, July 21

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 — #5 Horn Player (3-1): ships from The Meadows, second as favorite.
R4 — #4 Stakeholder (5-1): Comes out of possible key race for hot sire.

INDIANA SIRES STAKES

Hoosier

Race 7
Two $48k state-bred events for soph-colt trotters are on tap. In the first split of six we’ll go with the outside starter, Tyler George’s #6 Adamsville Road (5-2). A good price is expected from this son of Swan For All. “Road” hit the board six of eight times and yet he won’t be the public choice here.

Race 8
Beating the favorite here depends upon a ground-saving trip from #1 Scorecard Dan (20-1), a consistent earner for Michelle Finn. He could put an end to #7 Ponda Adventure’s (2-5) win skein here.

Friday, July 22

CHICAGO CASH

Hawthorne

Race 3
The $50k Erwin Dygert Memorial presents eight Illinois soph trotters from two speedball sires. Undefeated #3 Lousdobb (9-5) is tough to pass up but could be nipped at the wire by #6 Romantic Warrior (6-1). He had a tough trip in the prep as the strong second choice, finishing fourth. He can race his best here and win it.

Race 5
The Robert Carey Pace offers soph-pacers and gives trainer Gary Rath a chance to sweep the stakes duo. #4 Fox Valley Ozzy (2-1) has been enjoying wins and places and will be all out to handle this group, perhaps winning faster than he has yet.

Saturday, July 23

CHANGE GEERS

Meadowlands

The Grand Circuit glamour trotters race for $35k up in Tompkins-Geers classics; their earnings could decide if they return next week for Hambletonian elims.
Race 2 — #4 Mon Cheval: Super-bred filly has much more to show
Race 3 — #5 Letsdoit S: Nuncio colt could be best if he keeps stride and races his fastest.
Race 7 — #6 El Toro Loco: Clearly the best of these so far in ’22.
Race 11 — #3 Dreamonhigh: Super qualifier for anxious speedball.

JOE GERRITY

Saratoga

The signature event at New York’s harness Saratoga ($250k) attracted eight older pacers, veterans of this class. The half-mile in New York is fodder for #6 Leonidas A (6-1). His lucrative pacing at Yonkers top level is worthy of taking this group since the favorite is likely to be #7 Linedrive Hanover (4-1). The exacta in that order is a good combo with strong expectations.

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

Hawthorne
7/22/22, Fox Valley Auburn R9
7/23/22, +Mike Mike R11

The Meadows
7/22/22, HS Winchester R2; Leapsnbounds R4; Jaguara R10

Meadowlands
7/22/22, +Purple Sky R1; +So Delightful R5

Monticello
7/21/22, Statement R3; Mcard Attack R7

Northfield Park
7/23/22, Jackpot Jessie R2; Revenant Blue Chip R4; Payara R7; Premier Delainey R10; Rockin Megan L R15

Ocean Downs
7/21/22, Messy Missy R2; Yankee Litigator R7; Saratoga Blue Chip R10

Plainridge Park
7/21/22, Annie OK R4; Dazzling Lindy R6; Sumbigbank Hanover R6

Pocono
7/23/22, The Moonshadow N R6

Running Aces
7/21/22, +Lickcreek Speedway R9

Saratoga
7/22/22, +Sir Shadow R9

Scioto Downs
7/22/22, Mugshot Man R3; Lockbox R5; Nebble Hanover R8; +Ms Parkland Power R8; Lady Newton R14; +Sudden Change N R15

Vernon Downs
7/22/22, Grateful Express R10; Hall Of Duty R13
7/23/22, +Special Tyler R12

Yonkers
7/22/22, Gemologist R5
7/23/22, Carracci Hanover R2