Harness Racing: Hoosier Park plays for Aug. 18

(Each week, Cotolo employs money-management tactics to build wagers that focus on plump profits.)

For the program on Aug. 18 at Hoosier Park, we suggest some horses for selected plays that may fit in any type of wager.

Race 1

We are in the frosh groove again, starting the program with a filly trot, which we look upon again outside of the common views. A dangerous but potentially profitable filly, #5 Yoshie Hanover, gets our eye here. This Swan For All product comes back from an Indiana fair, and the public will fear she cannot stay on stride based upon her last effort at Hoosier. Ignore that opinion because her runner-up finish three starts back is the important factor, supporting her 1:59.3 qualifier before she broke in her next race. The Morning Line (ML) may be right predicting the public will give her little chance to win, but we want to beat that public and get their money so we dismiss them, not her.

Also on our radar is #1 Tabsladyone. If she races to her July 2 form, she could win this and at the least be a strong exotic (place-show) candidate.

Race 4

We have been on the tail of #2 My Panther for a few weeks while the gelding continues to fall short of expectations. As the favorite last week, he showed his unwillingness to cooperate with a race-ruining break elimination on his first steps. However, we forgive him for that and hope it raises his odds over #3 Motoring Michael, who is even more uncooperative to his supporters but gets the ML favorite status here.

Race 6

Enjoying this class in his most recent race, #8 Always A Panther raced well above his closing-odds expectations. Dropping to that level, he found a safe spot early and drafted until Hoosier’s sliding-pond stretch to come within a length of the winner. We won’t punish him for his post position here -- we will back the Indiana Sires Stakes-eligible gelding, as others stray because of it.

Toss out the last race for #4 Timeto Communicate; it’s off sync and out of style. Trust in his form prior to it, especially two back when he was favored.

Race 8

More frosh fillies, this time it is pacing, and this time it is a challenging group. We accept the field’s challenges and look towards #2 Bean Shooter. Starting again from the inside, where she finished third at 1:56.3, she faces only her fourth start of the season with little respect (ML is 12-1) based upon her past two races (in which her start from post 10 was better than the one from post 8). She is as good -- and should get better -- as she was three back.

Another toss out is the Aug. 1 attempt by #6 Shenanigans Twain. She used herself hard dueling at the start and came up short in the stretch. A good start for her here is dangerous to all competing.

Race 11

Two possibly strong favorites go to post here and we want to beat both of them. Our contender is #4 Mystic Waze. This guy -- conditioned by Hoosier’s current top winning percentage trainer -- drops into a class where he left off finishing well from the second-tier 10 hole at 5-1. He has had some gait problems but speed is speed and when a speedy horse keeps its stride the result is speed.