Power Plays Feature Comeback Kids; Exciting Exotic Action Highlights Mid-Month Weekend

We’re keeping the cold season hot with live contenders for all types of harness wagers as our in-the-money percentage of strikes hovers in the 40s, with many of our suggested contenders participating in all single- and multi-race exotics.

Mid-February we offer our blog’s popular presentations, Partners For Picks (PFP), Power Plays (PPS) and our carefully selected features, along with the continuing list of horses to watch with the weekly H2W. We urge you to take these suggestions seriously in order to hit with high-priced possibilities that are not available from the usual public handicapping groups on line or in print. Do your own handicapping and then consider our H2W selections.
 
POWER PLAYS

Freehold / Race 3
Thursday, Feb. 15

Three suggested contenders in a PFP at Freehold from recent week’s blogs return in this race. As opposed to posting them in the H2W list, we add a fresh one to make it four in the mix for inclusion, as you see fit, in all of the single-race exotics. Here they are in post-position order:

Donato Stageman worked his way into one of the two $50-plus exactas we handed off to players who enjoyed the chances of two favorites last week in a PFP combo. It was his soph-season start after an impressive qualifier at the Meadowlands, where he finished fifth in 10 while making a huge, promising brush and maintaining his gait first over.

Big Sky Glide is a late-starting trotter who was third in another PFP at the beginning of February. He broke in one of three pari-mutuel betting events after bad-gait behavior forced three qualifiers. In one he left from post 8 at Freehold at 88-1 and finished third, making up close to 11 lengths. He would have little excuse but for a break to not be deeply involved in this race.

Future Flight is the added contender. We nailed him mid-January at 5-1 in a PFP combo. That was his only win of five starts so far this season but he is the second highest earner in this trot and should be able to increase his speed badge from his slow solo win.

Midnight Zette was third at 12-1 last week while rolling there in that position for the entire mile. He has been successful in exotics for us before and he is a strong contender in this field and should offer a fair price  
 
FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Freehold / Race 10
Thursday, Feb. 15

Dragoninthechips eluded the bettors last week but we had a lot of good things to say, which resulted in a place finish that complemented the favorite’s win for an exacta worth $50.00. This is his sixth event for the season with no victories and with a morning line (ML) of 10-1 he promises to offer more big prices, especially up against the strong ML choice gets the rail and there’s another obvious choice.

PARTNERS FOR PICKS

Yonkers / Races 2, 3, 4
Friday, Feb. 16

The second half of the Daily Double launches a $2.00-based Pick 3 and the second leg of the “P3” starts a $2.00 Pick 4. Here are our suggested contenders for the P3. legs. Remember that individually, the Pick 3’s races may offer strong single-race exotics, as well as win, place and show pools from the following horses:

Leg one, Race 2
Any number of cases could be made for a few of these $20,000 claimers, including a claim and some tough trips, but we like the prospect of a repeat win from Adonis Bay. The crowd dismissed him last week at 15-1 and he pops up here with an ML of 9-1. He has been racing well, goes here from the same post 6 as his win, and could easily start a streak with win number two.

Leg two, Race 3
When the public backed Natural Leda as the favorite at this level, two and three races back, he was not so responsive, edged out, perhaps from the new rail? Whatever the case, he came back to finish second last week at 18-1. Racing with live cover, he was able to make a productive attack on the field late, which may be the case again here, unless he changes his style and makes it to the top early—where he can win as well.

Leg three, Race 4
Ricimer A had no chance from post 8 last week. The two races before that, at Yonkers, he was 9-2 and very much alive, stepping into this class from a lesser conditioned event. He has some back class at Freehold and Philly and he gets a ML or 7-1 with a much better chance of winning it than that. 

PARTNERS FOR PICKS

Meadowlands / Races 4, 5, 6
Saturday, Feb. 17

This claiming-handicap pace gets a Pick 3 going (the second and third legs launch another two Pick 3s). Of course, single-race exotics are available in each of the Pick-3 legs.

Leg one, Race 4
From last week’s PPS, two entries return in leg one. The first, May I Cruise West, finished third at 5-1 to close out a winning trifecta from this blog. This is a mild step up to the $12,500 tag of this event but that shouldn’t be cause for alarm. We noted last week that he usually races better than his odds and he did against that group and likely will here. Leaving to his right is the other PPS contender, Baggage Claim, who went off 7-2 last week but had trouble from post 9. He was claimed from that and should be expected to race well for a rebate and may do so while dismissed, offering to pay more.

Leg two, Race 5
Iwillmakeyousaywow truly took on the field last week at this level, gaining throughout the mile but for a ¼ length late in the stretch to finish third. Two back he also gained, though finishing off the purse grid. This is only his third start of the season and the crowd may not follow him well with a change of driver and from post 8.

Leg three, Race 6
Drunken Desire A would have shown up on the H2W but being in this Pick-3 stream he may better serve the price. This is a good spot for his claiming-handicap attack. Twice at the Meadowlands he has started poorly and brushed four and three wide, respectively, racing against the likes of these. There is no visible reason he won’t go strongly into the stretch and this time he may catch those attempting to steal with speed.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Meadowlands / Race 10
Saturday, Feb. 17

A big price is the aim here with a deep look at Ever Again. From the H2W list, he becomes this selected feature’s top contender, even after three finishes that will have handicappers using sharpies to put lines through him as if he is a scratch. However, the finishes of those races—in higher conditions—deserve scrutiny. They each have bold moves that though they seem desperate, would not serve any horse in a race. His touch of class could work wonders here and, hopefully, fool the bettors—if they aren’t us.


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
2/16/18, +Mr Sideburns R7
2/17/18, Hardts Or Bettor R3; Catch The Wave R3; Whosurpapa R7

Cal-Expo
2/16/18, +Stormin D Odds R6; +Dontdoubtthelakers R8; +Twomickeytrip R12
2/17/18, +Ragins Flight R9

Flamboro
2/15/18, Windemerenightlife R4; Machlicious R7

Fraser
2/16/18, +Premium Stock R8
2/18/18, Luna Dancer R1; Watts Choice R9; Hot A Rena R11

Freehold
2/17/18, +Just That R10

Hawthorne
2/15/18, +Morgangetserway R1; +Bling R4
2/16/18, +Lougazi R7

Meadowlands
2/17/18, +Commentariat R11; Rockin Machine R13

Miami
2/18/18, +Walter White R10

Monticello
2/15/18, +Mad Mad World R6

Northfield
2/17/18, Audrey Anna R3; Derek Delight R7; CG Satin R10; Mama Rocked Me R14

Northlands
2/17/18, Joyful Sound R2; Royal Mistress R3; Sin Machqueen R9; Mr Peterman R10

Pompano
2/17/18, No Reason At All R1; Real Evidence R5; River Valley R7
2/18/18, JDs Profiteer R5

Woodbine
2/17/18, Classy Dragon R5

Yonkers
2/17/18, Uva Hanover R11