Harness Racing Picks: M-Pace Elims; Grad Finals

At the top level, harness betting opportunities share the vast spread of harness tracks we address here at TwinSpires Harness Edge. Signature events are on the horizon and scores of overnight races are served around North America before and after. This week we take on all we can.

Always eclectic and to the point is our never-ending TwinSpires H2W (horses-to-watch list). With ceaseless arrogance it continues suggesting how to enhance your exotic combinations and fair-priced win, place and show finishes.

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There is a $10,000 guaranteed early pick 4 (races 3-6) on Thursdays at Hoosier Park through Aug. 5 and TwinSpires is going to have a $2,000 hit-it-and-split on the Pick 4. Opt-in now to split $2,000 if you hit the Pick 4!

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CHILD TROTS

Friday / July 9
Vernon

A trio of New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) with $33k-plus purses each tests vulnerable two-year-old colt trotters. These are big tests when you consider most of the frosh crop may never race for this kind of money again.

Race 5
E L Titan is turning into a productive sire. Thirteen starters have averaged $1,320 as of this writing. He is represented in the first NYSS division of six by Grand Spa. Linda Toscano’s colt races for the second time with a place finish in his debut. He is already a double-digit winner. Trond Smedshammer sends Chapheart for the second time. Trond’s stock is often underrated until striking, so prices across the board are usually generous.

Race 6
Five colts in this field of seven for division two are Chapter Seven products. Again, there is only one by E L Titan—Quincy Market. Matching his single win and earnings ($23k) is Coop Papa Bell. Still, we’ll back Marcus Melander’s Distance Learning over them both. Melander’s colt leaves from post 1 and looks for his first win here, which is he can accomplish here with a price worth the support.

Race 7
Another seven, with a more diverse sire group, completes the NYSS triad. Two colts are by Devious Man, who has 21 starters but poor average earnings, landing 18th in the top 20. Chapter Seven’s reps are led by Toscano’s colt Molotov Cocktail, who hit the board his first time out and will have fair odds with a good chance of winning coming from post 7.

PACE PROBABLES

Saturday / July 10
Meadowlands

Two $50k elimination miles are on the program to settle the full field for next week’s Meadowlands Pace. The glamour boys line up for the classic that has gone through many changes, including the very track it is raced upon and named after.

Race 6
The “now” horse is Charlie May. Steve Carter’s pacer has not gotten as much ink or respect as One Eight Hundred, facing him in this elim, or some in elim two, but many were reminded he is from this crop when he finished second in the Messenger with a trip as good as American Courage, who won. “Courage” will land as the favorite but it is best to go for an upset. Our money is on Rockyroad Hanover.

Last week at the Meadows, in a state-bred sires stakes, Tony Alagna’s pacer won but was disqualified and placed fifth. Before the judges replaced him, he beat Perfect Sting, the replaced winner, and Perfect Sting is going to share the bulk of win money as a co-favorite (with Courage) in elim two. Price and purpose strikes again for us and continues.

Race 8
The second elimination calls to us with an underrated member of the crop—Lawless Shadow. It’s hard to be popular, even with speed and accomplishments, going against the likes of Courage and Abuckabett Hanover and Perfect Sting, but “Lawless” will go off a terrific price for the kind of talent he shows. He is certainly a better bet than he will be in the final but he won’t win the final; a win here is good enough for us.

THE GRADUATES

Saturday / July 10
Meadowlands

Race 9
The first $250k Graduate final is for the four-year-old trotters. There are 10 among a thousand scenarios, which is good if you are looking for a price. Earlier in the season we praised Get Legs and against tougher as the season ensued, Julie Miller’s trotter was taught a thing or two, responding by getting better. His two Graduate legs found him trotting better than his odds and in this event he will have more chances than his odds measure.

Race 10
The pacers are also subject to the voluminous configurations that take place in the first half, at least, and even the drivers have no idea how this group appears by that time. We are going to stick, for price and purpose, with Allywag Hanover, who stomps the surface best like all the Brett Pelling workhorses when the big money is on the line. This Captaintreacherous gelding is much more consistent than at three and also, like Pelling students, he is tactical. That is a quality needed against tough groups like this.

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. Some repeating horses may not appear due to our deadline to post.

H2W LIST

Buffalo
7/9/21, Barn Winner R9

Hawthorne
7/10/21, +Spoxys Girl R1

Hoosier
7/8/21, Lucid Dreams R1; Dojea Rock R3; Everything Z Tam R4

Kawartha
7/10/21, +Eataamsbettershark R5

Meadowlands
7/9/21, Davids Coming Home R12
7/10/21, Really Fast R4; Piper Hanover R5; Rattle My Cage R7

Meadows
7/9/21, +Dazzling Reign R8

Monticello
7/8/21, Hot Rod Joey Bird R1; +Rhodatoldme R9

Philly
7/8/21, Goo Doo Doll R7; Big Oil R8; +Rentier R14

Plainridge
7/8/21, Late Night Joke R3
7/9/21, Goorilla R9

Pocono
7/10/21, Class Six R3; Gold Medal Swan R4; Jack Rules R7; Rock The Devil R8; Mystical Wynn R14

Running Aces
7/8/21, +Rojo Caliente R4; +Paloma Ruiz R7; +Trinityfancyfilly R8

Vernon
7/9/21, Heid R12
7/10/21, +Jericho Diva R2; Amityville Lindy R3; Rocknroll Captain R8

Woodbine/Mohawk
7/10/21, +Century Heineken R5

Yonkers
7/9/21, Electric Western R1; Treasure Mach R12