Harness Preview: Picks and Horses to Watch Oct. 20-24

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, October 20

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.
R7 — #6 Maple Leaf Bound (10-1): Fits well in this group, throw last effort out.
R9 — #6 Dewy Deo (10-1): Ran at Flamboro, should use best stride with this group.

Friday, October 21

BREEDERS CROWN ELIMS

Mohawk Park

Two-year-olds generated seven Breeders Crown (BC) elimination races ($33k) to establish the fields in next week’s championship events. Here are our contenders in the races listed below in program order.

Race 2, 2yo colt trot — elim 1
#2 Spitfire Oversees (10-1) should race his best and make the final and would be a big price to win (and should pay well to place and show) but he has to beat #7 Crown (5-1), Marcus Melander's class in this field.

Race 3, 2yo filly pace — elim 1
#7 Mcseaside (5-1) won big at The Red Mile and is the only colt here by the productive sire Downbytheseaside. #3 Caviart Davia (10-1) should be in the mix and make the final.

Race 4, 2yo colt trot — elim 2
Another hot Melander trotter, #2 Oh Well (6-5), has been on fire but we’ll try to beat him with a philosophic twist, using #6 Kierkegaard K (10-1), from Ake Svanstedt’s BC bunch.

Race 5, 2yo filly trot
Ten on the gate in the division’s only elim (first eight to the final). #1 Mambacita (6-1) has awoken breeders to her sire, Tactical Landing, and she comes from a top win in Kentucky. #4 Silly Me Hanover (8-1) qualified big for this and offers a big price, we think.

Race 6, 2yo filly pace — elim 2
Brett Pelling could deliver #6 Charleston (2-1) here. The Downbytheseaside filly could race her best yet here. #2 Zanatta (6-1) was second to Mcseaside in Kentucky and is sure to hit the board and come back in the final.

Race 7, 2yo colt pace — elim 1
We’re sticking with #7 Ammo (6-1) to continue improving and win and move on to the final and maybe win there too. #5 Blue Hunt (15-1) could make the final at a price. He raced well in Kentucky and is a good exotic partner even if he is better than we think and wins.

Race 9, 2yo colt pace — elim 2
Probable super-favorite #10 Stockade Seelster (5-2) gets post 10 and can still make the final but we will go with an upset here by #5 Redwood Hanover (15-1). His qualifier may be a green-flag for a bigger than expected mile here.

Saturday, October 22

BREEDERS CROWN ELIMS 2

Mohawk Park

Three-year-old BC events generated the following elimination races ($33k) to establish the fields in next week’s championship events. The 3yo filly pace has only a final field next week. Here are our contenders in the races listed below in program order. (Open Mare Pace picks appear in H2W.)

Race 3, 3yo filly trot — elim 1
Pass or key #9 Joviality S again. She is every bit the monster she has been all year. Big exacta partner (upset or second) is #4 Misswalner Fashion.

Race 5, 3yo filly trot — elim 2
#2 Fashion Schooner is still the best of them but a win price will only be worth it as an exacta key, as we see it, with #3 Mon Cheval and/or #6 Peyton Hanover.

Race 6, 3yo colt trot — elim 1
We’ll take our chances with the good chances for #5 Justice to win here and look for #2 Keg Stand to make the final, exotics and pin down an upset.

Race 8, 3yo colt pace — elim 1
Upset minded again, we forgive #1 All About The Hunt for his break and take him like we won with him the race before.

Race 9, 3yo colt trot — elim 2
Melander strikes again with #7 Periculum and a good exacta partner, #6 Branded By Lindy, both sharp off recent starts and finishes.

Race 10, 3yo colt pace — elim 2
Upset support for this field excites us with #4 Betterhavemymoney, who raced way better than 15-1 finishing second in a province-stake final.

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

Dayton
10/20/22, Big Bad Arcster R2; Rockinattheryman R9

Freehold
10/21/22, Rockin Roger R3; Maydaymaverickhope R7

Hoosier Park
10/21/22, +Sure Thing Herman R2; +Bluebird Dove R5; General Dolan R13

The Meadows
10/20/22, Miss Georgie R3; Yupyupyup R6

Mohawk Park
10/20/22, +Kenogami Rebel R4
10/22/22, Voelz Delight R2; Racine Bell R4

Monticello
10/20/22, +Beach Blast R1; +Urbana Bayama R10

Northfield Park
10/22/22, Cyclone Sister R6; Party Belle R7; Cheekie Babe R9

Northville Downs
10/21/22, Imgonnacatchya R5

Philly
10/20/22, +Morrockin K R2; Yucatan Party Man R12

Plainridge Park
10/20/22, Mason Blues R2; Order By Me R5

Pocono
10/22/22, Rycroft N R2; East Beach R3; Hundie N R7

Rosecroft
10/20/22, +Delaware Chrome R3; +Seaside Tsunami R4; +Bo Breeze R10

Saratoga
10/22/22, +Dull Roar R8 (ae); +Wolftrax R11; +Takoda Blue Chip R12

Vernon Downs
10/22/22, Summer Chrome R5; Sgt Papa Daddy R8

Yonkers
10/20/22, In Lou Of Money R3; DC Batgirl R4