Harness Racing: Hoosier Park spot plays for Aug. 25

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

For the program on Aug. 25 at Hoosier Park, we suggest some horses for selected plays that may fit in any type of wager.

Race 1

Two-year-old filly trotters start the program and that lures us to start the betting. We continue to encourage finding an edge—even a slight one—for deciding (not selecting) horses in these green divisions because they are rewarding and mostly unavailable in more experienced horses. The morning line (ML) favorites are obvious. If they win, let them do so at their measly prices. Our decisions are based on the reasons we present when we handle the likes of these ponies.

On the inside and outside we suppose a pair of fillies have better chances than their ML figures measure. The Mr Cantab product, #1 Tabsladyone was in it for us last week and we won’t allow her failure in that race to put her aside. Her races at similar levels and better remain testimony to her promise of improvement and we want to be there for prices that bulge.

On the outside, #7 Martinis Fear has been making progress at the fairs and elevated with a great race in the Indiana fair championship. When a horse likes to compete, especially younger ones, they can adapt to pari-mutuel circumstances from fair racing quickly.

Race 4

Another good example of fair-to-pari-mutuel adapting is #7 L L Gram. The fair purses are small, of course, but horses never read the program. They just go or stop. This pacer loved the change so much that he won and did so taking over commandingly. The public was stunned at odds of almost 8-1. His ML is 8-1; should we be that lucky? He has every right to be in the mix and on the board here.

So does #8 Bludhaven. The frosh talent at The Red Mile is exceptional by comparison to the stock here. He was second by a nose at 5-2 and yet his chances off that race put his number on the board for all sorts of bets.

Race 7

Freshmen colt trotters represent their bloodline in a leg of the Indiana Sires Stakes as they collect respect en route to glamour-boy status. A decision to go against the 1-5 ML choice is an essential element playing any type of wager in this race. Two colts here have been chasing the ML favorite and #3 Kaboomski was best of the rest two back against him, finishing second at 41-1. He beat some others in this field in that sires stakes.

Verlin Yoder’s entry, #5 Yo Mister, has only four races to his name and a lot of support in that quartet, one in which he broke and still won.

Race 9

From the outside, #10 Luv Lorelei deserves respect unavailable from her ML and has to be a part of any exotic-wagering scheme. The Muscle Massive frosh filly has inherited strategic speed and that always helps a 10-horse to get into the picture.

Danger looms if #5 Flipflopsncroptops gets a commanding lead because this Swan For All frosh is discovering her heritage and has a great future in this division and as a glamour-girl trotter in 2022.

Race 14

This sires stakes is a Hoosier High 5 non-jackpot and worth a short ticket considering the strength of probable favorites involved. Here is our rundown for the five we consider in the High-5 ticket spots, listed in post-position order:

#1 Justa Hintof Spice has been active at the wire lately and should use the inside lane to gather some speed late.

#4 Queen of All collects many checks, finishing nine of 15 times in the top three and has gotten little confidence by bettors for her efforts.

#8 Real Diamonds K has a strong brush in her that she uses sparingly, but can do so against classier foes and cannot be counted out as an upset contender to win.

#9 Shirley Goodness for spots one, two and three for class and recent performance reasons.

#10 Voluptuous Swan may be better starting from the outside so she can pick up pieces with late speed and pass tired ones for a spot in this ticket, as she has done before.