A Short Holiday Halt For Harness With Trot Trimmings

HAPPY HOLIDAY, safely and soundly, from the TwinSpires harness blog. Christmas Eve and Christmas day are sans races as the season drives into the year’s end. More wagering opportunities emerge on the road to 2021. Below are suggested feature races and contenders from our never-ending TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch (H2W) list.
 
POWER PLAYS

Philly / Races 3, 4, 5
Thursday, Dec. 24

A Pick-3 sequence may be all it takes to win money for buying last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve, as well as a last chance to bet until Saturday, so here’s our spin on all three, which include the usual single-race exotics along with win, place and show.

Race 3

There seems to be a standout to start the stream—Hotsprings Volo. A beaten favorite at this level after a tiring overland journey, Anette Lorenton’s filly has hit the board eight of 13 times in her sophomore campaign. Four or those trips were wins and one was at Oak Grove, the new Kentucky track working its way into a fresh harness circuit in the Bluegrass State. Whether or not the public likes her over St Martins, the morning-line favorite (ML), will be determined when the betting begins. We hope they do.

Winnie The Goo, a filly by switch-hitting sire Googoo Gaagaa, can upset if her legs keep the trotting beat going, but sans a gallop, she could sprinkle some value in the single-race exotics.

Race 4
Rentier made a strong brush last out and finished fourth at 24-1. Staying in this class again should continue his improving at Philly and pay off well enough to keep all exotics worthy of using him.

Landonfitz just missed last time and if not hampered by post 8 has a great shot at playing a big role in the exotic mixes this time around.

Race 5
The third of three trots takes home the Pick-3 prize and hopefully with our biggest paying trio. We lean into Hashtagmadeyalook, who raced well here twice since Pocono closed and was a beaten favorite two back.

Add Infinite AS, who would be on the H2W for the second time and may have raced better at Philly if not for a break early in December.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Meadowlands / Race 10
Saturday / Dec. 26

Since getting into the hands of Brett Pelling, Springsteen has searched for a path to looking competitive while coming off as incompetent. At Philly in his last start, the pacer went off as the longest shot in the field. That may have had more to do with the public’s assessment of Pelling’s son, Jack, who was the driver than Springsteen’s lack of prowess this season. Whatever the case, knowing daddy Brett, Springsteen would not be racing outside of a claimer if Brett thought he was inept at this point.

All that being said, Springsteen is worthy of a shot in this affair, even from post 10, since Brett certainly has faith in him and has handed the reins over to Todd McCarthy.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Cal-Expo / Race 6
Saturday / Dec. 26

One look at the resume of Dont Wannabe Late in a field of seven and it’s instant contender time. In 19 starts, the Kathleen Plested-trained pacer has hit the board 16 times—six of those starts that are wins. To his left, Marys Pretty Girl sports a 15-for-24 board-appearance record. Which will take the most money?

Plested has been kind of quiet with raw-numbered winners but those taking the cake have paid rather well. Here, that scenario is once again in play. Dont Wannabe Late should be worse than a second choice, which it better for the bettor. Last out on Dec. 18, he was way back early in an 11-horse field at 11-1. Finishing sixth, he made up 8 lengths.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Pompano / Race 1
Sunday / Dec. 27

A qualifier finish of last in a field of six cannot be tossed out as a previous race since the horse must have made the time requirement if being entered in a pari-mutuel race next. Such is the case of Rocknroll Wildcats, who raced well off of the non-betting test to finish an even fourth at 31-1 eight days later.

George Anthrop’s pacer competes in the first event of the Sunday program after the usual seven-day race, this time in a conditioned event, where we expect a substantial improvement and look for a great win price.

Ten for 18 in the money, Anthrop’s pacer has a mark from a half-mile track, obviously slower than every win mark owned by his six foes. He finished in his comeback claimer in 1:53.2, just three ticks off of the winner. 

H2W Legend

Review our choices and confirm the wagers available at the prescribed track. H2W offers possible contenders researched from reviewing races. Horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track with the date of their race and the race number (R6 ) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name, it appears on the list for the second time (horses are listed twice only if, at first, they failed to win. An “ae” signals also-eligible. Types of wagers to make are based on your judgment.


H2W LIST

Cal Expo
12/26/20, Cruisin For You R1; Hi Ho Julio R 3; Akanay R7; +Lincoln R9

Charlottetown
12/26/20, Ten Mile Beach R5; The Time To Win R7

Dayton
12/26/20, Panoramic View R6; Drawing Dragons R10; The Dark Shadow R12

Meadowlands
12/26/20, +Blood Line R7; Fizzing N R7

Meadows
12/29/20, +Touch Of The West R5

Monticello
12/28/20, Hotrod Richard R2; Wynnfrith R4; Clara Bea R11

Northfield
12/26/20, Look Kimbo R9; My Hearts Rockin R11

Philly
12/24/20, Protostar R6; Two AM R8

Pompano
12/27/20, Ideal Feeling R7; Live Lucky R9; Fritzie Pic Up Man R10