Harness Weekly Update: More betting opportunities as tracks open in spring

The TwinSpires Harness Blog Weekly Update covers our successes and failures from selected features and the H2W (horses-to-watch list). H2W horses through the following Monday appear in the next Update’s results.

The update for leg 2 of the Borgata series, March 28 at Yonkers, will be included in the next Preview edition along with our decisions on leg 2.

Thursday, March 24

Both of this week’s Mohawk Miles contenders were beaten. One, Serious Mojo, was a favorite and finished sixth. The other, Something Royal (5-2), also disappointed his odds, finishing fourth.

At Monticello, a favorite ruined our exotic chances in the first leg of our Daily Double-Parlay races. Dellas Boy (7-1) finished fifth, with Meetyouatmidnight (23-1) following in sixth. In the second leg, win-place-show coverage returned some investing change when Dateline Hanover ($5.70, $3.60) finished second. In that race, if you played two straight exactas (see News & Notes) with the top two choices in the win spot, you were rewarded $38.80.

Friday, March 25

The second leg of the Matchmaker series at Yonkers had four divisions. In division 1 we were second with Scarlett Hanover ($2.10, $2.10), while Mystifying (10-1) finished fourth.

Another second followed in division 2 and delivered the best price of all four divisions, Blue Ivy ($13.80, $5.70). Dragon Roll (2-1) was fourth. A 7-2 shot won.

In division 3 we won with Miss You N ($2.80, $2.30, $2.10). No Win No Feed A ($4.40) finished third ($4.10), and Lit De Rose (5-2) was fifth.

In division 4 we finished second with Best Head West ($6.80, $3.40) and fifth with Karma Seelster (2-1). The favorite won.

Saturday, March 26

Pocono’s feature only worked for the place spot with the favorite Kinda Lucky Lindy ($3.00, $2.20). The better priced choices we endorsed, Consus Victory (17-1) and Blenheim (5-1), finished seventh and fourth, respectively.

H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Exactas listed include a H2W horse finishing second to a race-favorite or if the first two finishers are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses are listed—a cold exacta; most prices are for $2 exactas). The note “OK” determines that prices are correct (even when a show price exceeds a place price or all prices are the same).

Please note that some results reflect horses racing after the blog posts (they appear the following week).

This week, there were 34 H2W horses (a 9% win-hit rate and a 26% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Statement, $7.20, $3.20, $2.20, Monticello
Oh K Man, $5.20, $3.20, $3.00, Northville
Secret Bro, $3.50, $2.80, $2.30, Yonkers

Seconds

Western Showgirl, $19.20, $8.80 (Exacta $107.80), Meadowlands
Tartan Patch, $2.40, $2.10, Cal Expo
Diesel Accelerator, $2.40, $2.20 (Exacta $3.60), Northville

Thirds

The Great I Am, $3.20, Northville
Bound To Score, $3.00, Northville
Wizzel Stix, $2.80, Cal Expo

NEWS & NOTES

To neophyte bettors: Make note that when we designate an exacta “cold” it means we specifically promoted the combo of horses in that order (you be the judge on our credit if you boxed the two). Other exactas noted in the H2W results reflect plays where the race favorite was in the win spot, and our selection completed the ticket by finishing second.

Harness racing is back in southeastern Pennsylvania when Harrah’s Philadelphia (Philly) races its 2022 opener on Sunday, April 3. After opening day, Philly operates on a Sunday (12:40 p.m. ET), Thursday and Friday (12:25 p.m. ET both days) schedule through the month of April, with the exception of a dark day on Easter Sunday, April 17.

Plainridge Park harness racing in 2022 begins April 11. This season’s schedule is complex. Racing begins, however, with a simple Monday-Tuesday-Thursday rotation for April, May, June and July. Friday is added on July 29 through August. Post time through August is 4 p.m. (ET). September through November present alternative days. Please check the track’s website for exact changes from month to month.