Deep-Freeze Features

This weekend, as an historic blizzard fades into the Atlantic and tracks open again for racing, we focus on a few events you can approach. We’ll do our best offering outside contenders that should pump up the prices—explaining them in our traditional “look-beyond-the-toteboard” process.

We know a lot of our readers like Pick-4 wagers, so this week we are adding our special brand of choices you can add to your tickets at the Meadowlands for the exotic wagers offered there on Friday, Jan. 30.

As well, we have suggested contenders in particular races we have chosen from tracks in action over the weekend—and our exclusive, popular horses-to-watch list (H2W).

Week in and week out, the H2W offers live horses, many that will escape public support, for your win, place, show and exotic combinations.
 
Follow tweets at @FrankCotolo, @Twinspires and @HarnessRaycer all the time for great late-minute action from harness ovals everywhere.

Meadowlands Pick-4 Forecasts

Although it is difficult to predict the public choices this far in advance, we do our best to supply you with outside contenders in the following Pick-4 races. Consider, then, the following in your tickets. The early Pick 4 goes from Race 3 through Race 6.

In the first leg, Perfect Picture (8) returns to the scene of a good performance after going against some stronger ones at Yonkers, where he has been collecting checks as well. In the second leg, Race 4, another outside-post horse in the field could escape the public. This one is Blush Hanover (7). No one is going to like where she finished recently but two races back she was well supported at this level and her most recent effort was a good mile at 19-1 (she tired from the second tier in a higher company).

In the second half, starting with Race 5, Helios (4) can shake the pool powerfully. The crowd won’t heavily bet the driver or the trainer and there will be no mercy for his last three races—except for what we will give. The second back has some merit, the third back is an extra-distance and his Jan. 22 is a throw out. At Vernon he was productive and with a better post and a weak field he has a great shot at an upset. In the last leg the horses are drawn to class but why not put Modest Prince (1) in the mix? He has some reasons to have lost to some in this group before. Here, he steps up off a fine win and gets the rail on the handicap, which could allow for an advantageous trip that wins it at a price.

The late Pick 4 consists of races 7—10.

In Race 7 there may be a price on a Ron Burke-trained trotter with Rolls Blue Chip (3). He went off at 11-1 last week and deserved more support but that is okay because he could be abandoned here. If he returns to race as he was two back, before he broke stride, he could be a smooth winner. In the second leg, Race 8, Evil Urges (2) goes back into the hands of Larry Remmen after the trotter campaigned at the big Balmoral mile. He is fresh and opens his seven-year-old season here probably ignored on the board, so to speak.

Race 9 we can present many excuses for the January performances of Twice Too Nice (6) but suffice it to say his class is hidden from his New York miles and this could be a good spot for him to get noticed for a winter in New Jersey. The final leg, Race 10, Jimmer (10) is the right kind of closer for this event. His Yonkers mile on Jan. 19 was aggressive considering he was in a safe spot to take second but went after the leader on the outside anyway. He could be the last trotter standing here.

Don’t forget there is a Pick 3 from races 6—8 and races 8—10 so these are good for those, too. And be alert for generous odds to win on these horses because you can pick up cash there as well.

Feature Race
Jan. 30, Meadows
Race 1

This race could rightfully be called The Sophomores In Search Of Identities were it a stake with the conditions that rule it. Twos turning three and threes turning four but none with a firm definition of their careers—and it’s already too late. The morning-line favorites may not even satisfy their predictions but Cool Vicious could win it and should win it. We would hope his price would match the line-maker’s 8-1, especially with Luis Porflio (“Who?” asked the bettors) aboard. This filly was well supported last time in the slop returning from a long layoff. What was expected then may show up here as a bargain, since her brief history and rare appearances on the track are all to her benefit in this field.

Feature Race
Jan. 31, Charolottetown
Race 3

The smartest outsider play here is Gascoigne Dickie, who will certainly live up to his 6-1 morning line. His drop into this class is almost invisible and his Jan. 24 race was very good. Two, three and four races back he is forgiven for any number of problems and his history from that in higher company is productive, though not supported by the public. We could ramble some good profit with this one on top.

Feature Race
Jan. 31, Charlottetown
Race 11

The probable favorites here had some tough trips but still have to work here to beat Political Crisis, who may escape the public’s pocketbook. He flashed speed early last week and stayed put while horses closed around him. He got fifth, suffering from 8-hole blues to start. He closed well against tougher before that and was respectable versus claimers and kept picking up a few bucks. His back class could show these a thing or two with an aggressive early start and a commanding pace.

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

Buffalo
1/31/15, Nothingbutmach R8; +Orphichus N R13

Cal Expo
1/30/15, +Lil Stevie Onder R4; +Rare Beauty R5
1/31/15, +Jailor R8; +King Of The Crop R11; Arizona Captor R13

Charlottetown
1/31/15, +Fitelle R4; +Jamantha R7; A Fiesty X Ample R12

Dover
1/29/15, Drunk On You ae R4; Millenium Wheel R8; Izzy Real R12
 
Flamboro
1/31/15, Flexie R 6; +No Worry R8
2/1/15, Solana Beach R5

Freehold
1/30/15, +Catalyst R5; +Artizian Hanover R6

Maywood
1/30/15, Sisters Keeper R5; Windsun Montecarlo R8

Meadows
1/30/15, Starzee Tina R3; Escapado R5; Turbochargedroxie R6; +Jolting Jen R10; Miss Kilo R12

Monticello
1/29/15, Lcb Artist R3; Swift Blizzard R11
 
Miami
1/31/15, +Bad Bug R9

Northfield
1/29/15, +Make A Call R7; +The Street Dion R12; +Terror In Motion R15

Pompano
1/31/15, Zeitgeist R1

Western Fair
1/23/15, +Dontcallmebaby R4

Woodbine
1/30/15, Ideal Shadow R10
 
Yonkers
1/30/15, Lauxmont Capri R5; +Mississippi Hippy R10
1/31/15, Hard To Mach R3; Grand Master ae R4

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.