Fierce Features At Four Tracks Offer Strong Contenders, Including Miami Valley Pick 3’s Legs

January, 2017, races into history, literally. Already, we face the last weekend of the first month of the New Year. As we draw closer to stakes-and-series plays, we continue with personal harness-race features from at tracks carried by TwinSpires.

As always, we target contenders not necessarily endorsed by the public or the public handicappers. Profiting on pari-mutuels continues to be our plan, looking to cash tickets worth more than their public support. This means we cash less tickets but make more money.

Review our contenders on the suggested feature races and those without explanation on our H2W (horses-to-watch) list for strong results in win, place, show and all exotic pools. Do your own handicapping, and then compare and consider our selections when betting.

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Freehold/ Race 2
Thursday, Jan. 26

Beyond the obvious contenders, as indicated by the Morning Line (ML), Stakeout emerges as a tough foe. His stepping-up status is debatable and what is more important is he enters into this conditioned race off of a race where he was the favorite, coming off of the race before that where he was hanged for two calls. Those two races followed a pair of qualifiers after having some gait problems in a higher calling than this event. He should be a good price over Caribbean Beach and Major Z Tam.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Freehold/ Race 7
Thursday, Jan. 26

Braveheartedmille steps up after a strong trip, having at the wire as the choice in this class at Freehold after shipping from Pompano. Getting post 7 here prompts many handicappers to cross her out but we have her as a major contender. The 10-year-old by Grinfromeartoear has shown much of her sire’s speed but has wound up short on too many occasions. Suddenly she raced at Freehold and won battling for the lead while on the outside. She will probably pick up cover in the second tier or just try an all-out attack on whomsoever leaves and leads this group into the stretch. The price will be far better than her win last week.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers/ Race 2
Friday, Jan. 27

Making a case for Thisguysarockstar does not agree with the track handicapper’s assessment, as he made the seven-year-old 10-1, but a good argument will convince others (hopefully not the majority of the betting public) he is a sound contender. He comes into this event after being one of the top three choices at this level, finishing fourth at Yonkers. A new trainer took over for that event, where he wound up short taking the lead. Dropping in for a tag brings the gelding back to his base price, which is a good sign, although he lost three at Yonkers at this level. The two top ML choices are not so attractive that Thisguysarockstar cannot be taken seriously.
 
FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES
 
Miami Valley/ Races 3,4,5 /Pick 3
Friday, Jan. 27

In the first leg of the Pick-3. Race 3, there is a horse that may kill lots of tickets early. If the ML is correct and the crowd sways from Keene Allure, the exotic price will already be more than promising. Toss out her last race in a higher company at the top of this meet and check out her two best efforts since last December and you have a horse at her best level ready to slam a win home. She needs to be in your ticket to shoot for a great price.

Race 4 doesn’t present strong favorites, so whether you are using them or not, be brave and put Bookem in the combo. Not only does Bookem eliminate another bunch of tickets, he does so as a legitimate contender that may fly under the crowd’s radar. His recent race shows a strong middle-race move, though thwarted by an outside route. Before that he breaks and is eliminated and then three out of four efforts have him strongly in the thick of the action, finishing second.

Who wouldn’t want to be alive for the third leg if the two aforementioned win? (Remember, all Pick-3 horses we endorse for the exotic we also support for individual win bets.) For this event, we take the final step with another outside contender, Togetherforever. This mare has already won at this level and did so supported at 9-2. Toss our her first at this young meet.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Charlottetown/ Race 2
Saturday, Jan. 28

Mr Macleod struggled in higher company his most recent two times out but three back he was second, just caught at the wire, by ML top choice Canadian Mint. In that same race, which was this class, CJ Bluefin was third (she is here, too). Of the three, Mr Macleod should be offering the best value in this short field.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Charlottetown/ Race 6
Saturday, Jan. 28

Since winning big over a cheaper crowd, Alittleeastermagic has finished fourth three times in this class and in each race she was formidable. None in this group are headed for glory, no less an easy capture of the top share of a small purse, so with the right handling and trip—not a stretch leaving from post 3—Alittleeastermagic could take this with a good payoff.

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
1/27/17, +Bad Mood R2; +Northern Matador R6; Fight Night R9

Cal Expo
1/27/17, +Twomickeytrip R4; Barbarian R5; Cenalta Cougar R7; Girls Girls Girls R9
1/28/17, +Directing Traffic

Charlottetown
1/28/17, Pictonian Stardust R1; Someone Like You R3; Parkhill Jugernaut R4; The Tominator R8

Dover
1/30/17, +Jurgen Hanover R3; Shellyblockbuster R12

Fraser
1/27/17, Givemeaminute ae R7
1/29/17, Colbaltslaststand R2

Freehold
1/26/17, +Fat Boy R3; Meat Loaf R4; American Hill R5

Meadowlands
1/26/17, Heretic Franco N R7; Never Ever Clever R8
1/28/17, +Prince Palani R3; +Jackson Brady R9

Miami
1/27/17, +Chips R2
1/28/17, +ER Rudy R6

Monticello
1/26/17, Frankie C R7; +Wizard Of Art R10
1/30/17, Mustang Sena R6; Bullville Bren R7

Northfield
1/28/17, Joshuas Mercedes R6

Northlands
1/28/17, Shes A Ladro R3; Rocket Moma R6; Outlawtriggerhappy R6; Speed Shift R8

Pompano
1/29/17, +Free Love R1; Del Rio Seelster R5; +King Of The Crop R7; +Silver Spir R12

Woodbine
1/26/17, +Levy Taylore R10
1/27/17, +Blue Fox R8; +Waasmula R10
1/28/17, Mach Code R3; Musselsfrmbrussels R5; Crown Classic R10
 
Yonkers
1/27/17, +Tyra R8; +Deuces For Charity R9; Village Jessica R10
1/28/17, +Phil Your Boots R7; +The Spy R8
1/30/17, +Givemeyourheart R2