Spring Overture For Sophomores; Local Series Offer Value Wagering; Hoosier-Action Perks Align

A busy weekend looms as we begin our preview blog. A number of local events beginning Thursday and continuing on Friday pave a path for a Meadowlands weekend with moderate but enticing purses adorning a number of early-season features. It is, indeed, an overture for the return of 2018 stars and 2019 stars in the making from all divisions. Lota of action surfaces for picking and choosing betting opportunities. Also, more Hoosier Park perks are in the offering, so click here. TwinSpires’ exclusive harness horses-to-watch (H2W) list is on top of the dry-bone daily racing, presenting contenders with potential prices the public hopefully misses. Do your own handicapping and then consider our H2W selections. Consult the H2W for all of your harness action. HOOSIER IN FOCUS Thursday, April 25, two local finals are on the Hoosier program. Check the special offers on the TwinSpires website for account bettors, including the High-Rollers Club. First, there is the $17,500 Kenneth Stohler Memorial Final, sending 10 pacers into action with the usual exotic platforms available. Two contenders surface from our H2W list; they appeared last week for the first time, lost, and are entered in this event. Both are from the productive barn of Lewayne Miller. Lewayne is listed as the driver of both his horses, which, of course, will change by post time. Reducing the chances of any horse to win based upon its driver is a mistake, as we measure it, and in this case, especially, when these two are major contenders. Norman’s Madeline, who has been at the wire twice in three starts, has every right to be respected against the obvious favorite in the field—Afraid Not Hanover—who may have more competition in the pools than it looks on paper. Northern Salina, Lewayne’s secondary entry, hit the board second in two tries and may be the higher price of the duo. These two invite a bettor’s challenge, as this race is much more open than it will appear in the public eye. The second Hoosier feature on the program is the filly-and-mare Windfall Final, worth $15,000. Ten pacers also go in this one, another two from Miller. Again, both of Lewayne’s barn members draw our attention (ignore whomsoever winds up driving either) but Tell Me Its Summer is bound to be the public choice with three wins in as many starts. His other entry, Madeline’s Craycray, also from last week’s H2W list, can win her first with this mile and will do it at higher odds, for sure. For price and purpose, we will go with Lewayne’s co-star. A Lewayne exacta is definitely in the mix here. SHADES OF GRAY In the $50,000 Shades & Gray Invite at Miami on Friday, April 26, we again take sides with Queen Of The Pride, while still in wonder of how she lost last week’s feature to Rylee Roo, who is here again. That one got a perfect trip; it is the only excuse the “Queen” lost, so here she is a definite key to exotics. Using her and wanting a price for the purpose, we will bring along High Reward and Dragonfly for second and third, visa versa. HOOSIER OPTIONS Friday, April 26 offers two features at the Indiana plant. First is a conditioned event, the Jerry Landess pace ($15,000). The nine of them are still at the start of their season, led by Little Rocket Man, who is yet to lose in three starts and bound to be the big favorite; too big for us. Just behind him is Rockie Got Framed, who has been on the board twice in three starts and has every right to defeat the pacer to his immediate left. The $17,500 Mark Fransen Final is the program’s nightcap, with 10 Open pacers, best of the series’ legs over the past few weeks. A few of the top win-percentage trainers send out stock here, topped by Jeff Cullipher’s Tom’s Arockin, three-for-three from the rail. Cullipher also sends another, threatened by Walter Haynes’ Meadowbrook Raider and Jamie Macomber’s Jagger Rocks. Again, we sway from the obvious to back DI’s Big Elvis. Five times he has been first or second in seven races and the Charles Stewart-trained pacer may go off far at odds greater than his chances for our money. SOPH FINALS Saturday, April 27 the Meadows there are four sophomore-series finals for colts and fillies on both gaits on the card. Soph-filly trotters go first for $28,700 in the Margaret Provost Final. The two obvious contenders are Giant Possession and Sweet Madam, along with a Burke entry, Firedbylindie, who could be the top public choice. Looking deeper into the competition we see one of two Wilbur Yoder trotters, Lindy Missunshine. She has raced five times, won twice and was second once, showing the kind of consistency that one can support at a price. Yoder’s other filly (Giant Possession) will get more attention at the windows, so look for Linday Missunshine as a bargain among these. Filly pacers are next in the $26,300 Ruby Cook Final. Burke’s duo here will be swarmed with support, leaving us to look outside of the Burke box. It’s easy to see that Morning Shadow is available for an upset. She has been on the verge of more wins than the one she has in four starts, placing three times, and a good trip can get her there. The $31,100 Ben Wood sends colt trotters to the gate, with a Burke boy bound for favored status. We have an upset in mind courtesy of Stinglike ABK. This is only his third start at three and he was on the board for both. If he gets better, this is the place to pick up a good price for the effort. Glamour-boy colts complete the finals’ quartet with the $25,400 Tom Kirwan Final. Brian Brown’s Doctor Jimmy has been spectacular and the public will agree with wagers. Burke will challenge with a pair and they will have their fans. Under the radar, we will take Doc’s Hooligan. Two wins in four starts is quite enough to make us pay attention but we add to it the fact that he sits right behind Doctor Jimmy and the catbird seat may be the best place here as Burke’s duo and a good challenge from Captain Hill could cancel out all speed factors. MEADOWLANDS GLAMOUR Saturday, April 27, the Meadowlands hosts some local finals for glamour-boy sophs that invites our price-driven analysis. H2W offers contenders for some in the first leg of series also on the card. The $54,500 Walner Final for soph-colt trotters starts the features. We were all over Winnerup at Philly for both of his efforts. He won the first and raced third in a crowded field a week later. He is one of Trond Smedshammer’s good lookers in the glamour-boy trotting crop and is in a good spot to pay a price winning against a trio of Burke boys. Glamour-boy pacers best in a series assemble for the $58,500 Wiggle It Jiggleit Final. This is a tight bunch, many of which will be showing up in bigger events as the season ensues. This field of 10 may endorse talents of improving colts since their seasons have just begun, but which one could be peaking for a price on this night? With only two starts, one win and one second in the series, Ross Croghan’s Prince Of Tides has a major shot here. Already this season he is showing more muscle than his entire frosh season. He could, however, be left behind in the betting due to the usual brands involved: Burke’s duo, Nancy Johansson’s JK Captain Jack, Cullipher’s Dealers Table and Jennifer Bongiorno’s Respect Our Flag. This could be quite an overlay, going off far higher than his 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 Buffalo 4/26/19, City Kid R7 Cal Expo 4/27/19, +Yankee Time R4; +Regina Beach R10 Flamboro 4/25/19, +Saulsbrook Bailey R8 Freehold 4/26/19, Something Fine R5 Harrington 4/29/19, Blue On Black R1; Evolution Tour R4; +Tiger Baron R5; Bobbies Power Play R10 Hoosier 4/25/19, Dontcloseyoureyes R5; Voom Or Bang R9; +Fox Valley Minka R14 4/26/19, Elite Awards R7; Statham N R8; +Beckhams Z Tam R10 Meadowlands 4/27/19, Top Flight Angel R4; Dontellmeagain R9 Meadows 4/27/19, Reggie Raider R12; That’s Official R14 Miami 4/25/19, Chip Or Cash R7; Jimtastic R10 4/27/19, +Too Hot To Stop R3 4/28/19, +JD Jay Dee ae R14 Mohawk 4/26/19, +On The Minute Mark R7 Monticello 4/25/19, +Audacious Warrior R1; Somkinda Hanover R5 Northfield 4/27/19, +Rockin Kasbah R6; +Champagne Shower R8; +Allthatjazz De Vie R16 Northville 4/26/19, +Bourdain R8 4/27/19, +Times Are Tight R10 Philly 4/26/19, Juxta Cowgirl R10 4/28/19, +Sweet Sun Daze R9 Plainridge 4/26/19, Guiltywithanexcuse R2; +Sortie Hanover R4; BJ Rowdy R11 Pocono 4/27/19, Sir Pugsley R7; Dakota Ole R10; One To Draw To R14 4/28/19, Classiesistar N R2; Art Scene R13 Saratoga 4/25/19, Autumn Estelle R5 4/27/19, Don’tcallmefrancis R1; In The Huddle R2; Bet On Success R4 Scarborough 4/27/19, Kim’s Day R2; +Frost Free Hanover R5; Lucky Michael R6 4/28/19, +Manhattan Express R7 Vernon 4/26/19, Painite R7; Frisky Joe R8; Island Adventure R10 4/27/19, Somedew Somedont R2 Yonkers 4/26/19, +Golden Kronos R2; Stratocaster R6 4/27/19, +Major Crocker A R5; Tact Tate N R7