Harness Racing: Superior Action Avails

The Grand Circuit continues in Canada with some of the divisions’ revered events, many of which deserve individual attention. And if you want to link some to the more exotic wagers, we hope to help there, too, with worthy contenders.

More of our kinds of betting decisions are in the never-ending TwinSpires H2W (horses-to-watch list). This ceaseless arrogance results in some pricey horses for win, place and show, which enhance your exotic combinations as well.

COOL COLTS

Thursday, Sept. 2
Mohawk

Three $30k elims will decide the field of the William Wellwood frosh-colt pace final, all presented on this program.

Elim 1

In a Champlain last week we endorsed Mercutio. The Bar Hopping colt had speed and was caught in a race the judges had to decide. Mercutio was fourth-placed-third and looks good to be in the mix to make the final from this mile. And yes, Letsdoit S is the danger, but everyone will know it so judge your odds.

Elim 2

King Of The North’s Peter Haughton win was division-dominating stuff, and he has had a rest since then. Sure, he will make the final, but he can still be threatened and lost the elim.

Elim 3

We have to bet back World At War Deo here from our decision to take him in last week’s Champlain, where he finished well in third and was respected at the window at 9-2. Temporal Hanover is a Marcus Melander frosh by Walner whose win last week was an impressive improvement.

FAB FILLIES

Thursday, Sept. 2
Mohawk

The Peaceful Way offers a pair of $30k elims for frosh-filly trotters.

Samosa’s Champlain was a 6-1 surprise, settling for second with less support than she deserved. She is raring to go off that race. In the second elim, Dabra Day is a Kadabra filly and we never want to ignore that sire’s frosh fillies. She is coming off a province-bred win which proved she has the international flavor, so to speak, to beat the big girls.

FINALE-FEST

Friday, Sept. 3
Meadows

Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) finals for a quartet of divisions are worth $253k on this Meadows program. (Some consolation suggestions appear in H2W).

PASS Frosh-filly trot

Hold onto your odds line for this one, because the chances for too many of these could find you lacking a strong decision. As the case may be, however, the four obvious top contenders bring us to acknowledge an outsider—A Perfect Helen. Five times this Jeff Gregory-trained filly has completed the exacta in division events, and now she sits on the rail among a field with no dominatrix. “Helen” on wheels, to be poetic, is a Father Patrick gal that could offer great odds.

PASS Frosh-filly pace

The obvious standouts may indeed stand out at the wire, but we read between those lines again with a one-time winner, JK I Feel Fine. You want (a Beatles reference) feedback? Four of five times this Betting Line filly has made the board, and she is not sent by a brand name (trained by Brian Malone) to attract players, while in a perfect spot for a perfect trip against more popular names.

PASS Frosh-colt trot

Here’s an event where a bad post could buy you some odds on a name brand. Ron Burke’s Global Pandemic drew post 9 and will deal with insiders that expect to pick up major support. We liked this horse from the beginning of the season, and he has improved as we speculated. He may be good enough to handle the 9 hole at this track and come home a winner, paying more than if he drew inside. For exotics, Baptism, last week’s H2W entry, will do.

PASS Frosh-colt pace

Last week we had True Blue Lindy to win, and it does not look like Jeff Cullipher’s colt will be beaten here. Certainly, 5-for-5 winner I Did It Myway will be supported strongly even from post 9, but that’s good for “Lindy” who may not have to race to his foe’s speed badge because neither will his foe.

COOL BREEZE

Friday, Sept. 3
Mohawk

Two $75k divisions of the Casual Breeze for soph-filly trotters continue the GC weekend in Canada.

Div. 1

Southwind Cersei qualified at Mohawk and won, while the others in this field raced in province-bred stakes. Granted, that does not prove much class superiority, but the speed differences may throw some bettors off. “Cersei” need not match the times of the others from her qualifier and will, in fact, race faster by the nature of the tracks and the stakes involved.

Div. 2

Two Mohawk qualifier winners go against Grand River foes in this division. Donna Soprano and Rubys Are Nice come into this race with that edge—and it is an edge on its own, without much, if any, other handicapping. These two should dominate.

CANADA CAVALCADE

Saturday, Sept. 4
Mohawk

Goodtimes

Glamour-boy trotters go in two $30k Goodtimes elims. A few new faces show up in round two, but the Hambletonian-class boy has the edge. Trusting his stride, this is the race for Dancinginthedark M. More so than the final, all he need do is the “blood-dance trot” and he wins this by open lengths. Locals go for On A Streak, but we stay with Marcus Melander’s colt and “Streak” chasing. In fact, exacta-wise, we like Colonial As It from Per Engblom better for second. In the second elim, we also support Melander with Sonofamistery. Sure, Locatelli is here from the Hambo (exacta time) but, again, with a strong stride, Sonofamistery has to be backed as best.

North America Cup

Two $50k North America Cup elims make for sharp contrasts. The first is the tougher, but better for betting if Bulldog Hanover gets the most money. We continue to endorse Lawless Shadow, as we have and it has been proved, that he leads this division and could through the Breeders Crown. And here he might still be the kind of price that raises eyebrows in the end. And yes, we already like him in the final.

In the other elim, Perfect Sting will burn more win money as he gets the most support, but the recent strength of Whichwaytothebeach—another early choice of ours—tells us that for price and purpose, Bret Pelling’s pacer is still peaking.

Canadian Pacing Derby

Here race the usual stalwart suspects, the older pacers that have flown and failed by one another in 2021. It becomes tougher to measure this division as the season ensues, but here we are again with the $590k purse and a 10-horse field. It is, in our opinion, impossible to predict the beginning and middle of this field in action—ask the drivers, they don’t dare predict either—but we can make a statement about the end.

Push come to shove (that’s the trip for everyone), the fittest survives and right now that is Allywag Hanover. It may sound like a Pelling promo again but really, this guy, who we’ve also supported throughout the season, has produced and done so at good prices.

Why not (warning, this is a Pelling alliteration) applaud Pelling for putting into play ponies performing perfectly? And with This Is The Plan most likely getting the bulk of the action, especially from the rail, “Allywag” could once again weave his way through the bulk of these brutes and win. We betchya.

H2W LIST

Freehold
9/3/21, +Triumphus R7; +Devious Delight R11

Meadows
9/2/21, +Rebel Devil R9
9/3/21, Andoverthewinnings R2; Betting Hannah R3

Monticello
9/2/21, +Better Bangbang R7

Mohawk
9/4/21, +Lady Arthur R9; Voelz Delight R11

Northfield
9/4/21, Squirt R1; +Blue Ivy R12

Philly
9/5/21, Captain Cowboy R5; Lifeonthebeach R8; +Sunny Crockett R11; +Dazzling Reign R13

Plainridge
9/2/21, +Stihl N R7

Pocono
9/4/21, +Mysweetboymax R1; In Range R10; One Eight Hundred R12
9/5/21, +Candy On The Beach R8

Running Aces
9/2/21, +Rojo Caliente R7; +Baia’s Delight R8

Scioto
9/3/21, +Migrate Blue Chip R10

Vernon
9/3/21, +Dream On A Roll R2; +Summer Chrome R5; +Golden Gun R7; +Saylor R8

Yonkers
9/2/21, +Heavens Showgirl A R9