The Wonder Of Winter’s Wrath

Bitter cold, precipitation, biting winds, early darkness, early dawns and layers of clothing contribute to the scenario of harness racing’s 2015 season. Battling one another and the elements will be common for horses and horsemen across the continent.

But with our home or mobile connection, we can come in from the cold and access TwinSpires with our personal creature comforts and be serious pari-mutuel investors as we also begin a new season of playing. Be with us week after week as continue to serve subscribers as the Internet’s primary source for overnight harness action in TwinSpires harness blogs.

While we wait for the first features of the new season, we offer another handful of overnight races with profit possibilities, along with the continuation of our horses-to-watch list (H2W).

Follow tweets at @FrankCotolo, @Twinspires and @HarnessRaycer all the time for great late-minute action from harness ovals everywhere.  

Feature Race
Jan. 2, Western Fair
Race 1

Given a better post than his most recent trio of affairs, and having performed well in his most recent of the trio, Arockalypse Now stays at this level after dropping down twice to arrive. The posts plagued him on this tight half-mile oval but here he has little excuse (post 6) and his class should kick in early; he may even try to steal the mile from the start. His 10-1 morning line would be a gift.

Charmbo Orbit would be a wonderful exactor companion. Post 8 and what appears to be a step up (from Flamboro to here may be compatible to this class and he raced better at Western Fair before he left for two events) will keep the bettors away from him. It would be a hoot and a holler to start off this card with a big winner and a big exotic.

Feature Race
Jan. 2, Western Fair
Race 3

CR Amigo’s sire was one of the longest shots to win a Hambletonian Final in recent years. He was a good trotter when things went right in a racing mile and his four-year-old son may very well be coming along with the same style for victory, offering similarly high mutuels.

From post 4, CR Amigo starts his four-year-old season light raced but earning well in the process of 19 races. He is back at this level after jumping at Flamboro while negotiating post 9 (though it is in the second tier there it can be more trouble than beginning from the far outside). He was the favorite in this class at this track two back but never got a shot once he was forced three wide (this is a hard track to slingshot a late challenge). Considering the proposed public choices here—Cuda Sixty Six and Myolinist, both with class issues, we could have a strong price going for us.

Feature Race
Jan. 3, Pompano
Race 5

One Lucky Dragon has not had much luck in his last three but has put in a trio of well-raced miles while dropping into this class. At 5-1 last week he made his trademark move and picked up a piece of the pie. In this mile he has every right to be a contender, especially since Blended Whiskey is the morning-line choice based on class alone. A decent trip, not an attempt to pace away with the quarters, will win this for him at a price.

Feature Race
Jan. 3, Woodbine
Race 4

In this conditioned event, Grin For Money steps down, but into the class he should have stepped up into after his return race on Dec.13, when he won handily. Not so high above his head last out, he raced a check-cashing fourth at 86-1 because the public did not believe this guy is getting better. Trainer John Kopas has more confidence and so should we in this upcoming effort.

Class hikes and drops will befuddle the public in this one and that is to our advantage if we seek good form. Grin For Money, as a true contender, has good form and will offer a good price among the obvious choices that have no great reasons to win.

Feature Race
Jan. 3, Miami Valley
Race 10

This is an opportunity to take advantage of a few positive factors that the public won’t cherish at all. Rossridge Handsome comes to the first weekend of the new Miami Valley season from Northfield, where he has been earning a good living though he has not won in a spell. But he has excuses in at least four of his last five and now he will take on lesser foes on a three-turn track, giving him every reason to be taken seriously. But his morning line reflects a dismissal in this group, which is where we would like to step in and sensationalize with support that should be profitable across the board, no less to win..

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

Balmoral
1/3/15, Just The Way It is R4

Cal Expo
1/2/15, +Don’t Desert Me R4; +Cenalta Power R7; +Blue Gem R11
1/3/15, +TM Valley Storm R5; +Im The Reason R5; +Get A Little Crazy R8; +Persuade Me R11
1/4/15, +Ruths Shadylady R2

Dover
1/1/15, Bossa Nova Baby, R4
1/4/15, Sir Globalop Z Tam ae R14

Flamboro
1/1/15, Excellence R8
1/4/15, +Last Lecture R6

Freehold
1/2/15, Rules Little Man R5; Artizia Hanover ae R8

Maywood
1/1/15, +Dontdoubtthelakers R5

Meadowlands
1/2/15, +I’m The Real Major R12

Meadows
1/5/15, +Maurel N Hardy R1; Exclusive Photo R7

Miami
1/3/15, +Luke Henry R5; And We’ll See Ya R6, +Lex Vegas R12

Northfield
1/1/15, +Abs Jesse Hall R11
1/2/15, Up Front Kellie Jo R3; +Blue Time Ice Lady R12; Kelly Blue Chip R13

Pompano
1/3/15, Hillbilly R1;  +Elian Express R2; Rage N Ryan R8; Smile A Little R9

Western Fair
1/2/15, Jamigo R2; Dontcallmebaby R4; Nightontheroad R9

Woodbine
1/3/15, +One Night Dance R12

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.