Hearty Menu Of Picks For Exotic Players; High-Price Contenders Covered In Multi-Race Wagers

This second week in a cold February includes our preview blog’s popular presentations, Partners For Picks, Power Plays and some personally selected features—all for TwinSpires’ harness bettors. The ever-popular weekly H2W (the horses-to-watch) list goes on with a great across-the-board percentage rate, delivering high-priced winners that no one else publicly offers. Do your own handicapping and then consider our H2W selections.

Our suggested contenders often include top dollar payoffs – that’s why you don’t read most of them from any public handicappers in print or on line. TwinSpires handicapping blogs for all racing breeds present the best wagering investments in the real of the cyber world.

PARTNERS FOR PICKS

Freehold / Race 2
Thursday, Feb. 8

Again, let’s aim at a high-returning price for the $1.00 Pick 4 with suggested contenders per leg in a Partners For Picks (PFP). Leg two of the Pick 4 is the start of a Pick 3.

Leg one, Race two
In order to start this off with a bang and knock out many other tickets, you have to have the outside contender, Dragoninthechips. His recent race, the second after a drop down, included a fabulous brush that put him on the wrong path first over as he was interfered with in the stretch and faded badly. However, the move was a flare that he is ready to be competitive at this level, as if he were stepping up from his final race of 2017, a 6-1 victory.

Leg two, Race three
This trot has your obvious choices, per the morning line (ML), but in order to pump up the price of the exotics you will have to take a leap of faith with a first-time starter. That is Donato Stageman. A son of Hambletonian-winner Donato Hanover, this guy starts his career at three. His connections have chosen the half-mile after an impressive qualifier in speed and stamina at the Meadowlands. In that prep, he finished fifth in 10 while making a huge, promising brush and maintaining his gait first over. From post 6, Big Boy Floyd is a threat, having just won at Freehold and may be underrated.

Leg three, Race four
Momma’s Artist, a 9-1 ML, may not go off that high if there are some smart handicappers out there. His last race is a toss-out and the one before that, a drop into this claiming tag after three sharp conditioned miles, puts him in a great spot to turn a winning mile around. The two ML choices are soft, even at this level.

Leg Four, Race five
Midnight Zette has been on our exotic agenda before and produced. He becomes a strong member of the top trio of ML contenders surfacing in this field. He’s not likely to be the prime choice, so a fair price should be a sure thing. As well, winning this leg won’t have a negative affect upon the Pick 3 or the Pick 4.  

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Flamboro / Race 7
Thursday, Feb. 8

Beaten favorite from one of our Power Plays two weeks back, Tenor Duharas returns here, taking on some that finished better than him in that race but failed in their second appearance in the H2W. Tenor Duharas returned after two scratches (judges and sick) and was well supported (2-1). That race put him in a better spot than his lead-up mile, where a poor trip ruined his drop-down race. It did not, as we thought, escape bettors, who were sharp not to rely upon recent races to judge him. Were it not for galloping, he would have been a far better competitor. Here, the break may up his price, which is good for supporters.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers / Race 2
Friday, Feb. 9

Oh Jonny B Good N was fourth in our recent P4P and PPS combo at Yonkers at a strong 10-1 and was beaten by a 10-1. Before that he was hanged out too long to get there in the stretch. This is an evenly matched field with no winners yet in 2018. Driver Gingras should pick up some support on his mount and trainer Nick Surick’s entry will get play but Oh Johnny B Good N is best to back. This is the first half of the Daily Double. 

PARTNERS FOR PICKS

Meadowlands / Race 2
Friday, Feb. 9

You can go “Pick crazy” if you want, as we concentrate on the Pick 3 starting with Race 2 and leave you with its second leg launching a Pick 5 and its third leg launching another Pick 3.

Leg one, Race two
Starting this Pick 3 there are also the usual single-race exotics, as well as this is the second half of the Daily Double. Two tough trips have faulted Braida Hanover while being well supported at Yonkers. Starting from outside should not detract from a great mile where she goes off higher than at Yonkers and wins. Dangerous, too, is Escape Again, who did not have much of a chance from Yonkers’ dreaded 8 hole stepping up after three-straight wins.

Leg two, Race three
This cheap conditioned trot is filled with inconsistent types. That being said, a strong price could surface from a dip in conditions, as with Wired Hanover. This is only his second start of the year and he fits conditions pitting him against sloppy gaited trotters. Expect a price and a very different style. 

Leg three, Race four
Trotters go again, though matched more evenly here. This conditioner points strongly to the Woodbine shipper Mass Psychology. Racing against much tougher in Ontario, her race lines can be picked apart to come up with decent performances. This was Per Henriksen’s student at two and three, a good sign for her to excel as a mare.

 Also in the mix is second-time starter Holy Bones. Julie Miller’s sophomore is a Donato Hanover filly that has been schooled in four qualifiers, breaking only once. She is not a proven loser and if she is near as good in a pari-mutuel race as she has been qualifying, no one should be surprised if she wins.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers / Race 5
Saturday, Feb. 10

Do Over Hanover was third when we threw him out of a selected feature race on Jan. 27, which was won by the favorite, with the place and show horses complements of this blog for a cool exacta and triple. In that race, though, he defeated Rock N Roll Legacy, who came back to win over Bettor Rock On N, in our cold exacta last week. The crowd may sour on Do Over Hanover after some dull performances but his back class can show force at any time.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers / Race 12
Saturday, Feb. 10

Toatsmygoats has class enough to be prominent in this field for Surick. A few others here have made as much as him this season but that should only level the odds, which we feel will be better than his recent effort at 7-1. He has two wins and a place in five starts and post 2, which are favorable facts in a conditioned race that ends the evening’s program.

POWER PLAYS

Meadowlands / Race 4
Saturday, Feb. 10

This $10G claimer’s 10-cent superfecta headlines the single-race exotic menu co-featuring an exacta and trifecta. Here are our four contenders to inspire your “super” ticket. They appear in post-position order.

Workhardplayhard was all out two times in a row and well supported after a small drop in class. Those races were strenuous miles; this one looks like it could be an easy roll to the top, perhaps even starting and finishing on top.

May I Cruise West is still worth the tag. He usually races better than his odds and looks very competitive against this group after a bright second at 14-1 when its connections liked the higher tag.

Two races ago, Jojo Jove was claimed and failed to pop in his first mile for the new owners. But that race can be forgiven as he brushed into a tough stretch drive on the outside. Here he has every reason to find a path into the exotics.

Baggage Claim finished seventh after a strong move to get to the front. He was challenged in the stretch and six others rolled over his tired frame. In the 10-horse field there were only 3 lengths between him and six others. He may offer better odds than his last five, dating back to last December in higher classes.


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

Buffalo
2/10/18, +RM Hawk R3; +Jolt Of Whiskey R7; +Major Trick R7; Cartoonist R9; Mr Sideburns R11

Cal-Expo
2/9/18, Twomickeytrip R1; Ragins Flight R4
2/10/18, +Windsun Galaxie R3

Fraser
2/9/18, Amysterytome R7; +Tito Santannon R7; Semper Fortis R8; +Hammers Silver R11

Freehold
2/9/18, +Big Sky Julieta R2

Hawthorne
2/8/18, +Lougazi R7; +Bling R8
2/9/18, Stonebridge Lyric R3; Gabe Henry R9

Meadowlands
2/9/18, Kabang R6; Shesgotthebeat R8; Commentary R10
2/10/18, Drunken Desire R5

Miami
2/11/18, Walter White R7; Pine Dream R11

Monticello
2/8/18, Mad Mad World R7

Northfield
2/10/18, +Im Shameless R6; +BB Liberty R13; +That’s My Girl G R13

Northlands
2/10/18, +Emmas Big Girl R5; +Gray Zee R7; Take On Da Boys R0

Pompano
2/10/18, +Rush N Supreme R1; +Whatwhatmyfeetdo R6

Woodbine
2/8/18, +Gerardo R5
2/9/18, +Katies Gal R8; +Bettin Jake R8
2/10/18, +Credit Risk R9

Yonkers
2/8/18, +Franco Rayner R5; +Gypsy Leather R9
2/9/18, +Vanquished N R3
2/12/18, +Itzaziam R4