Betting On The Brink Of A New Season

The holiday season goes into phase two, the celebration of 2015’s arrival and we continue to serve as your primary source for overnight harness action with our thorough TwinSpires harness blog. Once again this week, the final weekend of the year, we offer a handful of overnight races with profit possibilities along with the continuation of our horses-to-watch list (H2W).

One more review blog for the year comes to you on Dec. 29. The expanded version of the weekly review will include our TwinSpires Harness Players’ Horse of the Year and a report on our highest wins of the season and stakes successes.

Happy New Year and remember—we are your best wagering partner and TwinSpires is your best platform for betting harness racing on the Internet, stable or mobile.

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

Feature Race
Dec. 26, Woodbine
Race 2

This is a final of an early winter conditioned series, the Niagara, for soph-filly pacers. The $34,800 purse is available to the best of two Niagara legs the weeks before. Witch Dali won both affairs and will be the favorite to sweep the event. But Artistic Fusion will make “Dali” earn the final’s top purse share.

Artistic Fusion has been battling long miles while leaving from the outside of Dali in this series. She got up to be second in leg one from post 10. She has not seen a better post than this one since Nov. 14 and has still managed to be dangerously competitive. Here is her chance for the last big purse share she can get before turning four.

Feature Race
Dec. 26, Woodbine
Race 7

The Valedictory Final is worth $35,000 for soph-pacing colts preparing for graduation after two legs. Kindofabigdeal looks for a sweep, having won his prelims. The lightly raced gelding that came to the races at three is five for nine this season.

Right next to him is Ideal Shadow, following a similar campaign path. Un-raced at two, he is three for eight and his two prelims in the series were good races with stressful trips. He could topple the obvious choice and deliver a fair price.

Feature Race
Dec. 27, Dayton
Race 3

In this simple claimer for older male pacers, Sandys Candy returns to Dayton after a strong win at Northfield that followed his return to the Cleveland half-miler. His step up into this class is a minor hike, since he was racing in conditions demanding more productivity at Northfield. The crowd won’t be kind to him. In a claimer only a level below this three back he was sent off at 9-1 and he did very well. At a similar price he should do very well eliminating one turn and earning the right to be at Dayton.

Feature Race
Dec. 27, Dayton
Race 6

There are only six male pacers in the evening’s Open event but two opportunities may arise if the crowd goes for the morning-line favorite, Lucky Lime. From post 1, Rockin Finish should do better than his last meeting with this bunch so he will play a role in the battle but the intriguing entry is Lex Vegas.

As an unknown guest to this class at Dayton, Lex Vegas readied with a huge qualifier he won after a mild one following a long layoff. He is bound to be firing on all six cylinders and raring to use the strong brush from his qualifier that sent up the flare he is prepared to step into this division fresh. The crowd will most likely feel he needs this race but we don’t want to give him that excuse, we want to cash on him in an upset that he deserves if he paces to his qualifier. 

Feature Race
Dec. 27, Northlands
Race 3

There is a condition for this $4,000 claiming race and that gives Best Out West a bit of an edge. He won in this class in November and went into straight claimers for the same tag, where he has a few excuses worth attention. Certainly his most recent two races show signs of his early speed and if he gets a clear lead there may be no catching him.

Make It So, from post 9, was awesome from post 9 at this level last week, which is enough to consider him a contender and an exotic participant.

Feature Race
Dec. 27, Northlands
Race 11

In another competitive $4,000 claimer the crowd should be all over Justabitcrazy, an easy call but bound to be a big underlay. Given a shot, BR Money Matters has every right to get support but may not be taken as seriously from post 6 as he was two back from post 2 when he won at this level against a few in this field. Go for the price, since he should be better than the 7-2 he went off last time and certainly the 2-1 he was worth by the public when he won two back.

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

Cal Expo
12/26/14; Cenalta Power R3; Don’t Desert Me R4; Im The Reason R5; Ruths Shadylady R5; Blue Gem R8; TM Valley Storm R11; Persuade Me R12
12/27/14, Get A Little Crazy R10

Charlottetown
12/26/14, +My Uncle Pete R2; Libertys Gig R7; Colossal Killean R8; Never Give Up Hope R13; +Beckenbauer R14

Dayton
12/27/14, +Cyclops R8

Dover
12/30/14, +Heaven Is For Real

Flamboro
12/28/14, +Euro Man R11

Maywood
12/26/14, +Lovedancinwithyou R7; Crankin It Up R10; Dontdoubtthelakers R13

Meadowlands
12/26/14, +Blocking The Way R12
12/27/14, Real Illusion R2; Ring Warrior R3; I’m The Real Major R4; +Johnny Z R11

Northfield
12/28/14, +Abs Jesse Hall ae R12
 
Pompano
12/27/14, +Elian Express R2; +Waldy Jimmy R6; +Vroom Hanover R6

Sports Creek
12/27/14, + Bubba Skinner R9; +Halfa Century R13

Woodbine
12/26/14, Dazzling Rockette R3; Walks Of Life R5; One Night Dance R8

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.