Harness Racing’s Auld Lang Syne: Never Too Late To Profit Off Last-Minute Miles Of The Year

First and foremost, we wish everyone a Happy New Year. Thank you blog followers and all who participated in this year’s Players’ Pools. We hope your trust in our handicapping and in your own methods brought you a profit wagering on harness racing at TwinSpires in 2016. We intend to attempt making 2017 even more profitable for everyone wagering on harness racing through TwinSpires.

Thanks, as well, to everyone at TwinSpires, including our main contacts Lucky Kalanges and Ed DeRosa, for their support of weekly and special projects concerning harness racing’s best resource on the Internet. Also, thanks to the Hambletonian Society, especially Tom Charters and Moira Fanning, for their cooperation and partnership in making the TwinSpires Hambletonian Trail and Breeders Crown Countdown blogs exclusive outlets for novice and veteran harness racing bettors.

A blog addition this week is the TwinSpires Harness Players Review. Our year-end blog, a separate post in 2016, includes our TwinSpires Players’ Harness Horse of The Year. As is the tradition, the horse chosen will be the highest paying winner from our 50-some-odd- posts in 2016.

Included in that edition, we list all of the posted winners from the year that have paid at least two digits (4-1 and up) in the order of win prices high to low (while including their place and show prices). There were many more winners during the year but we’ll reduce the list to the best double-digit paying victors.

For the ultimate weekend of 2016, here are our weekly personal features and the exclusive TwinSpires horses-to-watch (H2W) list.

F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Meadowlands/ Race 3
Thursday, Dec. 29

Hill I Am is sitting on a win after a seven-race season that has not found him in the winner’s circle. He was well meant in this class last week from post 9 after a scratch and before that he was a level up, a beaten favorite from an overland journey. This could be his motivation to win more in 2017 and at a price here. Bossy Volo has a good shot to add to exotics and upset. With some tiring speed up front and an easy trip, he may produce a surprisingly strong mile. This race starts a Pick 4.

F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Northfield/ Race 3
Friday, Dec. 30

A simple scan of Nashville Nasty’s past-performance lines, not including her Dec. 22 race, depict a pacer faced with tough trips on the Flying Turns of Northfield. On Dec. 22, however, the well-bred mare hiked the mile on the outside and managed to hold on for third at 33-1. She could peak here, going under the public’s radar, while that class-crazy crowd over-bets Hooray For Hazel, a sophomore that is twice a failure at this level. This race launches a Pick-5 stream.
 
F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Northfield/ Race 6
Friday, Dec. 30

If you are brave enough to defy the obviousness of the most likely favorites leaving from posts 1 and 2 then join us in supporting Marmaria. She raced so well in a conditioned-claimer on Dec. 22 that she steps up in this $6,000 claimer. She raced as well as possible at Northfield, where she shipped in from Indiana to begin a journey up the class ladder. There are good reasons to go against Bikinis On Top and Sookie, the duo poised to receive tremendous backing, the best being that Marmaria should not get a fair shake in the win pool, leaving a great price for backers and eliminating many Pick-3 tickets in leg one.

F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Pompano/ Race 2
Saturday, Dec. 31

It’s easy to recognize the most likely favorites in this non-winners of two; the morning line has to be correct considering the evidence on the surface. But Brynn Beautiful is a strong contender and she is listed at 8-1. She was just beaten by Gold Star Lovebug last week but this week could be very different and that is where we should be investing. Brynn Beautiful will become four in no time after this race and she should begin her four-year-old campaign a winner that paid more than her chances.

H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

H2W LIST

Cal Expo
12/30/16, Directing Traffic R3; Centalta Eclipse R4; Lodi Machette Man R5; +Anderlecht R14
1/1/17, +Smoke Eater R4; Real Attitude R5; +Centalta Diamond R14

Charlottetown
12/31/16, Fleurje R4; Simon Said R8; Bold Arrow R10

Fraser
12/30/16, Comes Home First R1; +Rollin In Paris R4; Lets Go Places R8; +Andy The Messenger R11

Meadows
1/2/17, +Big Game Hunter R1

Meadowlands
12/29/16, St Lads Morgan R4
12/30/16, +Gypsy Bellevue R3

Monticello
12/29/16, +Busy Corners Rose R1; +Sammies Delight R1; Snoz R2; Crown Isle R3; Tie Your Shoe Ed R10

Northfield
12/29/16, +Kiss My Yankee R13
12/30/16, Derek Delight R1; Darns Diva R11; +Starnight Dancer R13

Northlands
12/31/16, Shock The Monkey R1; +Archie Bunker R4; +Somewhereinmexico R10

Pompano
12/31/16, Gold Star Sonata R3; Match Point R5; Dr Flamingo R8