Harness Racing: Power Plays and Horses to Watch for Dec. 16-18

As our year-end report nears there are plenty of races that are still ready to be recorded in the 2021 betting record book, so stay with us for suggested contenders in selected features for any wager available. And—the never-ending TwinSpires H2W (horses-to-watch list) continues as those Mohawk Miles search for longshots in any class.

MOHAWK MILES
Thursday / Dec. 16

Each week we highlight some probable longshots 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.

In Race 4–A decent qualifier brings Twin B Beachdreams back into action and he appears ready to make the scene.
In Race 7–Magics Wizard made up a lot of ground with his grinding style and could pay off well hitting anywhere on the board.

POWER PLAYS
Thursday / Dec. 16
Philly
Races 12, 13, 14

The late Pick 3 offers a good chance to end the day with a score. Here are our contenders we hope you consider when building your ticket.

Race 12
Clearly, morning line (ML) favorite Searching For You must be included, though starting the Pick 3 (P3) with a dead-on favorite doesn’t kill any tickets if it comes in. OK, use him, but not as a single. The outsider inside your ticket should be MB Matters. He picked up checks—including three wins and six seconds—this season, his first (did not race at two). His foes have dipped to this condition with a poor season behind them. A win here leaves you with little competition to win a good priced P3.

Race 13
Two stalkers can upset the public’s probable choice here. From the outside in, Protostar was gallant last week racing on the outside and just missed. Leaving from post 9 here he may have a clearer shot late. Also, Create lost the lead after a brief mid-race duel but held for second and offers a lot to the P4. Either of these two wrecks more tickets and lifts the probable P4 price.

Race 14
We go a bit deeper in leg 3, using Brigadoon, who has been waiting on the H2W list after scratching at Freehold. Drops into this, which is a good sign. Hes Rockin Ralphie is forgiven for his last race, a horrible trip expected at 99-1. He drops here to where he almost won for a new trainer. You could leave out the ML favorite, McNeil Z Tam, since a win by him would reduce the payoff—that is your call, because if this ticket hits otherwise, you have a lot of extra cash for the holidays.

POWER PLAYS
Friday / Dec. 17
Meadowlands
Races 5, 6, 7

Let’s get this Pick 3 together. Here are our suggested contenders for the Pick 3 and single-race win/place/show and/or exotics.

Race 5
It’s not easy to begin a multi-race exotic with a field like this one. The number of scenarios available to the active handicapping mind is boggling. Or is it as simple as the 10 horse, In The Night? We want to think so. This Dover mare has been successful there and has won more in her last five starts than any others here. Alkippe’s recent bout in this company offered a late brush that wreaked of his sire, Sweet Lou. She should hit the board.

Race 6
Never pass up Alexa Skye in a "Pick" leg, especially when her last race (at Hoosier) was almost won after losing a hot first-quarter duel. She’s revving to be a total whiz at five and can start here. Beyond Words N has raced two sharp miles better than her odds and here she could rattle the field early or late to win it.

Race 7
Watch My Luck has not impressed the betting public but the posts have been some factor and she had some of these types to race at late last week and now she is on course to make a big showing from post 4. She may even make the big try on the engine. Juxta Cowgirl made three ambitious moves here last week after being competitive at Philly and Streak The Lawn got a late start this season but looms dangerous to make the exotics.

POWER PLAYS
Saturday / Dec. 18
Charlottetown
Race 5

The 20-cent Super Hi-5 bet with a field of six demands a few hard and fast swings for the fence. Let’s look at the five most probable contestants to deliver the best price for this wager with only one entry deleted. The strategy—construct your ticket with the following suggested contenders using the highest odds in the first three spots.

Tell Me Why is listed on the ML as 8-1? That might not be accurate at post time but if the odds are near there than this two-for-three-winner in her last three is a huge overlay.

Fluentocity, who finished ahead of Tell Me Why, is rightfully 7-2, having raced the tougher mile and could win this at far less odds than that.

You Aint Dolly has hit the board repeatedly and could be a single for second at 6-1.

Of the other three we nominate Ill Tell Me Ma and Rock My Baby both in the fourth and fifth positions. Out of the tickets then goes Do U Mind to finish out of the Super Hi-5.

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 ). 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 fail to win. An “ae” signals also-eligible. Types of wagers to make are based on your judgment.

H2W LIST

Cal Expo
12/17/21, +Cabbies Delight R6; +Senseless Beauty R8
12/19/21, +Dream Chasin R2; +Major Mac R5; +Changing Colors R5; +Cals Hope R5

Charlottetown
12/18/21, Santa Monica R1; Evening Maelstrom R4

Dayton
12/17/21, +Deer Run Billy R5
12/18/21, TJs Indy Pacer R2; Run Oneover R6

Freehold
12/17/21, Lime Twist R2; +Gypsy Leather R9

Meadowlands
12/17/21, +Deedenuto A R12
12/18/21, +Cool Blues Man R3

Meadows
12/16/21, The Funk R1
12/17/21, +Louie R6

Northfield
12/18/21, HP Xanadu R11; Delight Kate R12; Diva Dali R15

Northville
12/17/21, Man Of Fire R1; +Libbys Idea R7
12/18/21, +Bound To Score R4; Tellem R4

Philly
12/16/21, Vinnie De Vie R9
12/17/21, +Lionhead R4; +Last Gunfighter R7

Yonkers
12/16/21, +Circle Of Life AS R4; Tempus Seelster R6; Sweet Sally Sue R9
12/17/21, +Casino Bags Anso R5; +Hunting AS R12