Harness Preview: Picks and Horses to Watch Sept. 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. 

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. 

TwinSpires offers a $5 Exacta Money Back Offer at Woodbine/Mohawk Thursday – Saturdays through Sept. 23.  They'll be our first Exacta MBO automated track promo.

Thursday, Sept. 21 

Race 3—Abikadabra; Hard to overlook the sole Kadabra filly here.

Race 8—Sinatra Hanover; Should show profound speed to win at a price.

Race 9—Jayport Anna May; Tight mile impressive at 16-1.

Thursday, Sept. 21

LITTLE BROWN JUG

Delaware, Ohio

Three $50k elims could provide the best value for bettors as the first three finishers in each return for the $850k final. History tells us that the elims are the best races to offer value, having produced double-digit winners more often than the one-heat final. 

Elimination 1—Nancy Takter’s Ants Marching comes off a super effort at Scioto making two wide moves and drawing away by five lengths. The crowd won’t give him a shot from post 6. He could overcome the extra turn here and be best catching fading speed to make the final at a price.

Elimination 2—Ron Burke’s Ervin Hanover won on the Yonkers half and has back class at two which supports a good shot at making the final, no less winning this elim against obvious favorites. Burke put this guy here with great intentions.

Elimination 3—Stockade Seelster is having a great second half of the season and has been underrated especially against the obvious pair of soph favorites who, let’s face it, are not any better on any given night than Dr. Ian Moore’s colt. 

Friday, Sept. 22

STAKES ON TAP

Hoosier  

The Elevation ($110k) for frosh-colt pacers is worth a shot trying to beat two unbeaten boys. A beaten favorite in top class, Lou Vuitton is a Ron Burke-barn product that stands a better chance at an upset than the crowd will measure.

Frosh-filly trotters go for $260k in their division of the Kentuckiana Stallion Management. Ponda Title can upset as a value choice, coming from the best field in her last where she finished second.

The Moni Maker ($152k) sends soph-filly trotters to post. Local Yo Beth D is ready to break her maiden among these after three tough second finishes.

The Jenna’s Beach Boy ($127k) presents the Glamour Boy pacers and a good shot for Frankie Frankie, who last week was part of a five-horse blanket finish. 

Saturday, Sept. 23

MILLIONS ON TAP

Woodbine Mohawk

Four finals present tons of cash for two- and three-year-olds.

Shes A Great Lady ($540k)—Brett Pelling’s Rocket Deo just made the final and will race far better going for the big purse.

Canadian Trotting Classic ($660k)—Marcus Melander’s Challenger had early lick until late stretch but could take a different pose to use his speed against obvious favorites.

Mohawk Million ($1 Million)—Do not ignore Emoji Hanover due to post 10. Last week’s Champlain win was a huge stretch drive that raised the brows of chalk players. The 10 post may again offer a double-digit promise.

Metro Pace ($970k)—Chain Gang’s early duel for the top was costly in the stretch but he made the final and here he could save enough ground to sail home off of fading speed cover. 

H2W Legend

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, and show (across the board) wagering, and 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.

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, and show (across the board) wagering, and 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-pari-mutuel fair. They will get a second time on the list when returning to a betting race.

Batavia
9/22/23, +Create My Heart R6

Freehold
9/21/23, +A Good Chardonnay R8

Hawthorne
9/23/23, +Found My Rock R9; +Admit R9

Hoosier
9/21/23, Mac Special R1

Mohawk
9/23/23, +Call Me Goo R4

Monticello
9/21/23, Penney’s Spirit R6

Northfield
9/23/23, Delightful Summer R14

Northville
9/22/23, De Havilland R9; Danikova R10

Plainridge
9/21/23, +The Charging Moa N R10; +Wolverina R11

Rosecroft 
9/21/23, White Claw R3; Rocktavius R7; Velocity Gator R11

Saratoga
9/24/23, +Duckdodgendive R6; +By The Book R9
 
Vernon
9/22/23, Odds On Brexit R5; +Dream On A Roll R10; Special Olivia R10; Gonna Be Good R11
 
Yonkers
9/21/23, +I Got The Tab R10
9/22/23, Westbeach R8; +Seafarer R10; 
9/23/23, +Cash Roll R7