Harness Racing: Weekly Picks and Horses to Watch for the week

Even though the champs have made their statements, the 11th month of 2021 harness is rife with action. Standardbreds love the coming of the cold, so it’s time to get hot betting them at TwinSpires. The never-ending TwinSpires H2W (horses-to-watch list) continues and the Mohawk Miles search for longshots in any class.

Harness Racing Picks:

MOHAWK MILES

Thursday / Nov. 11
Mohawk

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 2 – Justa Bandit: From a win at near 4-1, he could repeat at an even higher price.
In Race 10 – Cutting Class; Looking for second straight at a better price

MATRON SOPHS

Thursday / Nov. 11
Dover

Three-year-olds are still earning the big bucks by racing in the Matron S. at Dover this week.

Filly trot ($148k)
The race is on to beat Bella Bellini. Certainly, Moni For Lindy is in a great position to punctuate the premise — beating nothing in a Plainridge state-bred final will only increase her odds against the battling beauty of the division — and that offering will be too delicious for us to pass. Let’s gooooooooo.
We are still worried about Iteration. Her break in the Breeders Crown (BC) may not be a problem here, leaving her open to performing at her best, as we expected in her last two efforts.

Colt trot ($156k)
In a division contest where In Range is the Morning Line (ML) favorite, we have to find value elsewhere. Also, we have to have the utmost respect for Melanie Wrenn bringing Swingforthefences back from Indiana dominance to once again challenge the national blend. Along with Ake Svanstedt’s Incommunicado (most have forgotten the Dexter Cup champ) we will enjoy the win and exacta pools with these two.

Filly pace ($129k)
Only two scenarios make this event worthy of wagers. The first is the one where Test Of Faith is worn down in a duel along with her dueler (you pick her). The second is the one where Test Of Faith burns herself out and still only loses by a whisker to (you pick her). It is impossible to choose which—if either—may occur. It cannot be an educated guess, so if we handicap each, the unknown scenario is the most probable—Test Of Faith wins no matter what happens, which is a cause for late determination if the crowd strongly backs Grace Hill, Fire Start Hanover or Blue Diamond Eyes, which makes Test Of Faith a favorite at 3-2 or up.

Colt pace ($164k)
There is little doubt that Charlie May has earned the top spot among these in this division, but there is enough room for an upset to make any personal odds line inaccurate. The fact that Perfect Sting is missing does not make it any easier to measure; a true overlay may have surfaced were he here to eat up some of the pie. He is the favorite, clearly, now, with a ML of a generous 2-1. He is worth less if only considering the failures and lackluster successes of his foes. The Oct. 23 BC elim may have been the forecast for this Matron’s trifecta, in order, with Southwind Gendry second and Rockyroad Hanover third (crisscrossed for the second and third spot).

YOUNG TURKS

Saturday / Nov. 13
Meadowlands

Super-purse finals in the Kindergarten series for each frosh division are the focus of the big program at The Big M.

Colt trot ($300k)
The season’s productive stallions, represented on both gaits and sexes, line the field of this final. Of three by Walner, the lightly raced Coach K Hanover could be the best. This is only his fourth race. The soon-to-be sophomore, from the Ake Svanstedt barn, is a beaten favorite, second to Fast As The Wind, that one coming from a win. “Coach” may have a problem bigger than “Wind” with the only Nuncio son, Theresnolimit S from Marcus Melander. That one leaves from post 10, which should make his odds balloon and wind up the major overlay. No matter, tossing out Wind for the value of the other two is the way to go.

Filly trot ($294k)
The probable favorites race from the outside, but coveted, post 5 sends Jim Campbell’s Misswalner Fashion. Four wins of seven starts, she will be recognized by the betting public but won’t be favorite, says us, over Lilbitalexis, who was fifth in the BC final where she was one of the top three choices (she won the elim). Campbell’s filly should be worth the backing.

Filly pace ($220k)
We all know Niki Hill and most of us will argue she is still the best of the best of this division. However, there is still room for improvement, as always (she lost the BC elim) so this is a good place for an upset—and we do not mean Gotthegreenlight. We’ll take a stretch and look for a strong race from Don’t Fence Me In. A winner of a series’ leg against the lighter of the division, this Captaintreacherous filly is going to make lots of noise for Tony Alagna at three (says us) and can beat the top ones here at a price.

Colt pace ($238k)
If anyone could beat Hammering Hank here, where his arch-enemies are missing, it is Early Action. Though he was eighth at 17-1 his joufney to finish fifth was two-races worth of thrills. He finished right behind Hammering Hank and should be lethal here from post 6.

Harness Racing Horses to Watch

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

Dover
11/15/21, +Sporty Spook R5

Freehold
11/12/21, Franschoek R9; Maydaymaverickhope R10

Dayton
11/11/21, DGs Elsa R10; Tango Dancer R10
11/12/21, +American Empress N R14

Hoosier
11/11/21, +Piningforgold R11

Meadowlands
11/12/21, Watch Me Now N R13
11/13/21, +Paduka R6; Dunbar Hall R12; Truffle Dog R13

Meadows
11/11/21, Malloy R12
11/12/21, Hudsonandbernard R10; Americas Guest R11; Bereaved Hanover R12

Mohawk
11/11/21, +Greystone Natali R9

Monticello
11/11/21, Tuukka R2; +Beach Blast R3; Admiral R5

Northfield
11/13/21, Official Kisser R14

Northville
11/12/21, +Deprived R1
11/13/21, +Hangon Man R3; Fonzie Chacharelli R4

Oak Grove
11/14/21, +King Ragnar R1

Philly
11/11/21, +Brigadoon R1
11/12/21, Dojea Gigi R8

Plainridge
11/11/21, +Mr Wiggle Pants R9; +Deo Galileo R10

Saratoga
11/14/21, Well Lets See R2

Yonkers
11/12/21, Heart On My Sleeve R6; Brandon Hanover R8