Furious Features At Five Tracks Beckon Challenging Bets

The TwinSpires Harness Blog features and horses-to-watch list (H2W) rolls through January's end. We hope to keep attracting faster horses, older win patterns and younger followers as 2021 ensues. Indulge in the many elements of our selected features. And, we continue with our never-ending TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch list (H2W), with suggestions that enhance exotic combinations with their finishes and produce fair win, place and show targeting.
 
POWER PLAYS

Freehold / Races 3, 4. 5
Thursday, Jan. 28

This week we are challenged by a $1-Pick-3-sequence that seems to swell with contenders. This opens a gap for a great multi-race payoff and for using our selected horses for any single-race bet or multi-wager exotic.

Race 3
In her recent pair of races at Freehold, Cayenne Victory has good excuses for not winning which are also good examples of improvement. From the rail she should improve more. When Ally Way Cast stays on gait he handles this level well enough and deserves to be considered in this group (where the morning line favorite (ML) continues to be beaten.

We caught Exuberance two back and left him to be beaten at Yonkers in an amateur drivers race. Now he returns to Freehold and though challenged by an outside post should reflect a price on the toteboard results.
 
Race 4
Another trot is another challenge, since the level attracts some inexperienced types, some shipping to perform. Lightly raced Wingman Hanover has only to show his back class (by comparison) and wealth of sire (Cantab Hall) to beat these fledglings. His smooth gait will also help, as others show a propensity to jump.

Certainly not a key horse, Umpteen Hanover, leaving from post 8, goes for Noel Daley, a switch from Canada’s top conditioner Richard Moreau. His legs look solid from two pari-mutuel races and three qualifiers.

Twin B Showtime could win at first crack for Linda Toscano. Unraced at two, the Muscle Mass colt may enjoy the four turns over sharp qualifiers on the Meadowlands’ two turns.
 
Race 5
A pace decides if we cash a big Pick 3. YS Sunshine was strong at Freehold in his most recent pair raced there in 2020, though he is still looking for his first win in a year. Im Sid The Kid goes for his third-straight, stepping up a bit again (though it may be moot considering the competition) and could strike again (all odd numbered wins in a streak are the toughest to accomplish). Ari Allstar has had experience with far better stock at Yonkers than these and he was competent at Monticello in one of two that qualify him for a toteboard appearance here. 
 
POWER PLAYS

Meadows / Race 13
Friday, Jan. 29

A slight drop in conditions since her December 2020 show finish won’t hurt Broadway Kabam. She was 2-1 at the Meadows then, leading until a ground-saving duo caught her in the stretch. She is a year older, having rested a month since that effort and is one of two possible drives by Aaron Merriman (which would bring her price down). Maybe he will take the other offered to give “Kabam” supporters a better promise of price. Farther behind the gate, Vector, from post 9, could be a good exotic partner, since looking sharp for the new season.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Yonkers / Race 4
Friday / Jan. 29

Dark Energy N has little excuse for his Jan. 15 race except to say it was raced at Yonkers, where the four turns are rarely kind to slow starters. Darran Cassar’s pacer found no refuge to be able to make an impressive stretch move, but this week might be different. Cassar’s barn always makes up for such losses and adds to his high-percentage win level with win prices that usually go under the radar.

Also, in that race Doctor Butch, finishing second, stepped up in conditions and won his following race at 6-1 and It’s A Marcs World, who finished behind “Dark,” looks like a winner in his next race, not recorded yet.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Miami / Race 12
Friday / Jan. 29

At Miami, George Tyler’s Sandy Sue looks to make amends for being caught late in the stretch and finishing second to another public choice, Rosemary Rose. That one is not here this week and Sandy Sue could easily negotiate a ground-saving mile leaving from the rail.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Meadowlands / Race 14
Saturday / Jan. 30

Last week on the H2W we made note of Justin Credible and at 14-1, he lost by a head to a wire-to-wire performance by a pacer at 5-1. This week, Michelle Crawford’s student will leave from post 3 and surely be less than 14-1 but most likely worth what the crowd measures.

If you key Justin Credible, you may want to try to bury the trifeca number also using Best Trick Ever and Like Clockwork. “Trick” almost won at 9-1 on Jan. 16 using a three-deep brush on this track. The latter was 17-1 racing evenly to finish fifth in a strung-out 10-horse field with a soft favorite.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Miami / Race 6
Friday / Jan. 30

Chris McGuire is as good a trainer as Ohio has and Illinois-bred Fox Valley Hijinx is one of Dr. Ken Walker’s Midwest marauders. Forget last week’s loss, which was a good race with a finish on the grid, fourth at 9-1. He made two moves against the top three that dominated the top three spots for most of the race. “Hijinx” should be an overlay again and may leave to be in the thick of it earlier and use the strong closing power of his breeding to win.

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

Buffalo
1/30/21, Big Pocket Teen R1; Americanation R3; Bugatti R7

Cal-Expo
1/30/21, Villa For Rent R3; Paloma Rui R5; +Gee Wilikers R7
1/31/21, Livinonadreneline R3; +Roaring Home R9

Dover
1/28/21, +Statement Made A R12

Freehold
1/28/21, +Julios Girl R1; +American Venture R7; Galante A R9
1/29/21, +Somesurfsomewhere R1; +Whoucalncrazy R3; +R Sam R3

Meadowlands
1/29/21, +Euro Gap R14
1/30/21, Some Waratah A R

Meadows
1/28/21, Briarwood Belle R6; Wonder Bull R7; Carolina Beach R9

Miami
1/29/21, Sundancediamond R4; Sara Jane R7; MJs Riggins Rebel R9

Monticello
1/28/21, +Book Binge R2; Jericho Willie R3; Starskys Dream N R4
1/29/21, Bullpup R2

Northfield
1/30/21, +Spoxys Girl R6; Adorabella R9; +Beamer N Bud R14; +Fox Valley Sierra R16

Pompano
1/28/21, Gucciriffic R3; Meadowbrook Chip R6’ +Lyons Image R7

Yonkers
1/28/21, Hunting AS R2; Crystal Sparkles N R5; Siesta Beach R7
2/1/21, Mykindachip R6