Stormy Contenders Strike Back In Promising Exotics; Upsets For Yonkers To Include in ‘Pick’ Affairs

It wasn’t as bad as the week before but much of our content on Jan. 11 was affected by cancellations due to weather. That was then, this is now, so let’s dig into the possible plays for major profit with selected features that include Partners For Picks and Power Plays. Our intentions, as always, are to find the plumpest payoffs available with suggested contenders that are not so much as mentioned by any public handicappers in print or on line.

It’s still cold but not debilitating, so we pick up where we left off, playing courageously in the middle of the first month of another year of the TwinSpires harness-blog series. This includes the ever-popular weekly H2W (the horses-to-watch) list. Do your own handicapping and then consider our H2W selections.

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PARTNERS FOR PICKS

Freehold / Race 2
Thursday, Jan. 18

The $1.00 Pick 4 starts here and it takes on a bit of interest because there are outside contenders that could land a big pot for a brave ticket-maker. Here are our suggestions for that ticket, horses that we can only assume the public will be too shy to support. Remember that each race also presents single-race exotic wagers,

Leg one, Race 2
Goldstar Legend fought hard from the outside last out and finished on the purse grid against her own sex. Before that, at this condition level and in this company, she was very competitive and on the board a few times. Also, Alwaysafirsttime dug in regardless of a slow start last week. That was a minor drop in class. She may do much better here, as if she dropping for the first time into a class she belongs.

Leg two, Race 3
Here’s a mishmash of a conditioned trot rife to upset a chalk-player’s Pick-4 dream. Class alone should not dictate a wager here, yet the morning-line (ML) maker uses that as major factor. We hope the ML is correct, so we could take a good look at Future Flight from the rail. Since his Philly minor check-cashing performances he has gotten closer to his first victory in two years and seems on the brink here. In the same breath, you may consider Matza Man, who has a steady gait and with a trip should impact the exotics.

Leg three, Race 4
Stormin Rustler may not go off the highest price but the ratio of his odds to winning here is very good. He won at this tag two back after a pair of poor Meadowlands performance. His first effort of this year is a good mile, though he finished sixth.

Leg four, Race 5
This launches a Pick 5 while ending our feature. Midnight Zette steps up and could be on a roll. He’s certainly up to beating the ML favorites, which are volatile enough to fail at the best finishes. These are trotters with many burdens and any one of their problems is apt to surface in this contest, where probable favorites keep burning money.

POWER PLAYS

Flamboro / Race 5
Thursday, Jan. 18

Two horses from a cancelled Flamboro Power Plays event last week surface in this event and one fresh entry awaiting a race in the H2W queue join another fresh pick to make this conditioned trot a feature. There is an exacta, a 20-cent superfecta and trifecta available. Here are our outside contenders in post-position order.

Angels Kid was smoked for three calls last week and has been well supported in his recent trio of efforts. He was a favorite status three back. He’s not been a winning kind of trotter in a while but one good trip will get him a photographer’s meeting.

Leonardo Da Lindy appeared once on the H2W then took around eight months off for health reasons, according to the officials. Instead of using his second turn on the H2W we are adding him here because he is fresh and his Woodbine qualifier was a good prep, with no intent to do anything but make the qualifying time to get back in action.

Tenor Duharas returns after two scratches (judges and sick) and it puts him in a better spot since a poor trip in a drop-down race. This will escape most handicappers relying upon recent races to judge him. He will offer some dough if he is an upset win or involved in exotics.

Waikiki Hanover leaves from the 8 hole as one of the ML top choices. It’s a big drop by comparison to his foes but he has faired well in this company before. The post may help the price and certainly he should be a member of the top-four finishers here.

POWER PLAYS

Miami Valley / Race 12
Friday, Jan. 19

This was, for all due purposes, a race carded for last weekend on the evening Miami cancelled due to inclement weather. Tonight, as Race 12 there are four exotics that include the Buckeye High 5. So we offer five contenders in post-position order for your discretionary plays.

Love To Roll steps up after a pair of wins at Dayton, where she received a lot of support through the meet. But the tag price is worth it, so the hell with the step-up factor; she needs to be considered for an exotic spot in almost any race she would pace on this night, at least.

Cas Art Apparel is a key to a larger exotic price in each category with a 12-1 ML. Her poor finishes at Dayton in December have solid excuses; she raced well and with some back class to testify she is not really stepping up much, there is a big chance she can even win the thing.

Karefree Kara was one of our Dayton successes and regardless of her recent failure, mostly due to a tiring duel late in the mile, she is raring to pick up her victory stream under new supervision. From the inside and without major dueling, she should hold off all comers here.

ME Radar Girl raced a lot of long, hard miles at Northfield, where in a company not unlike this she burrowed to the finish line. She won’t be such a longshot, especially coming from the Burke barn but you cannot count her out of exotic action.

Ginger Tree Alexis is perfectly placed in this company and should have no trouble handling the post. She has been in the thick of exotic finishes eight times in a row, counting her campaign at Dayton. There is, in fact, immediate danger of her taking the top slot and at a higher price than if she was leaving from the inside.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Charlottetown / Race 3
Saturday, Jan. 20

Ideal Space could replicate her bright Dec. 9 win at this level (and with a better starting point). She was 9-1. she could also repeat a mile as she had on Dec. 26, another win. Granted, she is 5-2 in the ML here and may be a bigger favorite. However, that morning-line estimation would be some value, should she go off at that in this abbreviated field.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Charlottetown / Race 11
Saturday, Jan. 20

Cougar Gal was doing well at Charlottetown and after being one of the top choices in a lower condition she impressed bettors during a one-program trip to Truro on Dec. 17. She returned to Charlottetown, stepping up a bit but let bettors down with a sub-par performance at 5-1. Then she returned in an optional claimer at 2-1 again, firing well but failing due to an outside trip. She’s back at Charlottetown in a good spot to class up her act for 2018 and may still be worth what the public allows in odds. 

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Charlottetown / Race 12
Saturday, Jan. 20

A tight field of six goes in this conditioned event where Smiley Bayama drops from last week, where the Preferred race in which he was going to compete was cancelled. There are only six here, so “Smiley” may have something to grin about since the speed in the field hasn’t showed much stamina at this level. Plus, Smiley is in a good spot to get a perfect trip that will pay off in the stretch.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers / Race 7
Saturday, Jan. 20

The start of the Pick 5 (check for carryover) may knock a score of tickets out of the running if our suggested contender comes through. Coming from a layoff with two decent qualifying preps, First Of Itskind could be ready to win, and at a price, in his first race since November of last year. He has done well and been respected in the betting at this level and could be on his game after the freshening. He races for new owners that bought him at a mixed sale in November and they want their money back (the price was $40,000).

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers / Race 8
Saturday, Jan. 20

We’re being picky in the Pick 5, going with its second leg here and none others. However, this is also the start of a Pick 3, so here’s a chance to blow some of those tickets out of contention. Somewhere Fancy has a 10-1 ML, no doubt caused partially by post 7 as a starting point. The other reasons have to do with his mixture of performances in different classes, as he then fit the conditions. Still, his Dec. 2 Yonkers race at this level has a trip excuse and after that he was terrific winning at Saratoga against better horses. Last week he just missed at 8-1.


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
1/20/18, Northern Matador R1; Chickenwithabanjo R4; Mach Stockn Barrel R11; +Dunks Brother R12

Cal-Expo
1/19/18, RSS Express R6; Hello Sevens R8
1/20/18, Hot On The Pace R1; Senga Nitro R4; Art Genta R6; Eastender R8

Charlottetown
1/13/18, +American Captain R1; +Political Crisis R4

Flamboro
1/18/18, +Tymal Illhavanothr R1; Gronk R7; Hetties Commander R7

Fraser
1/19/18, Lildudepurrfection R2; +Wabash Cannonball R2; Tito Santannon R2; Whatkindofchance R2; +Millbanks Bart R7; +Brand Security R11

Freehold
1/18/18, Just That R6; Some Power R8

Hawthorne
1/18/18, +Dali Special R3
1/20/18, Miss MA Jones R5; Beamer N Bud R5; Go See Lo Go R9

Meadowlands
1/19/18, +Its Chocolate Time R11; +Super S Yzerman R12; +Fly’n With Royalty R12
1/20/18, +UF Dragons Queen R6; +Lady Of Heaven R6; +Carobbean Pacetry R6; +Cousin Mary R6

Meadows
1/19/18, +Southwind Warsaw R10

Miami
1/19/18, Brando R3; +Smokey Joes Café R4
1/21/18, +Cantab Lindy R8

Monticello
1/19/18, +Rockinsangria R9; KJ Dale R9

Northfield
1/20/18, Million Dollar Man R5; My Caroline R13

Northlands
1/20/18, Senseless Beauty R4; Starface R5; Appellate R6; Johnny Gun R9

Pompano
1/20/18, +River Valley R1; +Anderlecht R6; +Dynamic Rayzer R7

Yonkers
1/19/18, +American Flight R1; +Sassa Hanover R12
1/20/18, +Missile J R6