Hot Harness Forecasts Rising

More solid handicapping action is available this weekend here at the TwinSpires Harness Blog, including the never-ending TwinSpires H2W (horses-to-watch list), with suggestions enhancing exotic combinations and fair-priced win, place and show finishes.

POWER PLAYS

Thursday, June 10
Running Aces

Let’s take a charge at the Minnesota track’s Pick 3. Do not forget that the choices in the Pick 3 legs are up for individual bets as well.

Race 4
Huge favorite SD Watch Me Now is no single for us. We will use him with Doubleontherocks, who should be closer in the ML than he is against the former. Luck Plano’s statebred sophomore broke and was left galloping home but is still a sharp opponent for the winner of that race, Alilthundadownunda, which we backed last week.

Race 5
Hopefully, Anna B will go off at her 6-1 ML. As well, Gerald Longo’s Rockin With Lou is going strong for him and he is taking the reins while giving his other entry, Kiss On The Lips, to Jake Cutting. We will use both of Longo’s steeds with Anna B.

Race 6
From the H2W list last week, we include Shesureissomething. She raced a big mile to be second last week and should be sharp again against similar. Add Bearly Behavin, who finished fourth at 42-1 last week, just behind Plano’s Alwaysalittlemore, who will be one of the favorites in this. Leaving Plano’s horse out of it saves some buck and replacing him with Bearly Behaving will make some bucks in an upset.

HAMBO HOPEFULS

Friday, June 11
Meadowlands

A $50k Open for soph-colt trotters features a number of promising Hambletonian entries. Nine meet behind the gate—seven of which are sons of Hambo champ Muscle Hill.

Nancy Takter’s Really Fast already has a six-digit bankbook. The aptly named colt has only lost once in four starts, looking charming doing so. His competition is getting heavier, though, as other fine trotters flex their sophomore muscles.

In Range and Sonofamistery come from Marcus Melander’s power barn; the former is 1-for-1, near perfect if you do not count a break in stride at the gate in a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes which eliminated him at the start. He is a son of Bar Hopping, who, if you read this blog during the early pandemic lockdown, was given high marks by us as a promising first-time sire: “The only first-time trotting sire is our contender in the colt and filly frosh divisions. The only problem is the public will be drawn to his sire--most offspring of Muscle Hill get lots of attention.” In Range made $411k-plus at two, the seventh highest earner. The latter had not won in three starts.

Ake Svanstedt has a trio here, all by Muscle Hill. Of them, we like Mon Amour, though he has to contend with post 9 for a winning journey. We have no evidence Lindysmusclemania won’t get better, so he is dangerous with one win in two starts. Only Calle Palema, Ake’s third, seems out of step, so to speak, with the group; he has not hit the board in four starts.

The others are less obvious but still unavailable to dismiss. Price-wise decisions remain to be seen, but Mon Amour is bound to look less of a contender than he may be and if he is just a little bit better in this mile, he may be bet a lot more in the coming month. We’ll take the bigger payout.

MARE-MANIA

Saturday, June 12
Meadowlands

The third round of the Miss Versatility series for mare trotters, with two $30k divisions, starts the program. One challenge is overwhelming: is there one in seven that can beat the monstrous eight in the field—Manchego? If you want to play this race you have to make a decision about an upset to try.

We have been bucking for an upset twice against Manchego with No Mas Drama but there has been little drama, so to translate, no less any success. We would not rule her out here, either, but look for Svanstedt’s Felicityshagwell S. This is only her fourth start of the season and should a circumstance of trips lead Manchego to put in more steps than the others, Ake—who’s driving the mare he trains—could take advantage of the situation and turn over a big price.

In the second division there may be arguments for each of the eight going. Still, the hot horse is Next Level Stuff. In the other division last week we went wire to wire with Bret Pelling’s When Dovescry.

What’s wrong with Sorella? She never truly was as good last year as everyone thought she would be; still, few thought she would not come firing back early in the season as a mare. She was second twice, unable to dominate when it counted. Lucas Wallin’s Ab’sattitudexpress is 3-for-5 but could not catch Sorella or When Dovescry last week. Pelling’s mare has excelled since he took her over last season and she may be on a skein now and could pay better over probable favorite Next Level Stuff.

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. Some repeating horses may not appear due to our deadline to post.

H2W LIST

Buffalo
6/11/21, +Drunkonaplane R2; London Seelster R5
6/12/21, Surfers Paradise R3

Hawthorne
6/12/21, +Casa Miasa R12

Meadowlands
6/11/21, +Innis Fallen R5

Meadows
6/10/21, Knight Lauxmont R8
6/11/21, P-drive Hanover R7; Sarah Gator R10

Monticello
6/10/21, Shiplap R2; Burning Desire R4; Carracci Hanover R6

Northfield
6/12/21, +Rainbow Writer R1

Northville
6/12/21, Nytro J R1; Tuition Money R5; Times Are Tight R13

Philly
6/10/21, Hayek R6; Steuben Hanover R6; +Barley R7

Plainridge
6/10/21, Hired Luck R1; Shes A Fireball R8
6/11/21, Royal Pride R1; +Smooth Aceleration R5

Pocono
6/12/21, American Virgin R9; Elver Hanover R10
6/13/21, +Ineffable R10

Running Aces
6/10/21, Trinitysfancyfilly R7

Scioto
6/10/21, +Shenzi AS R2
6/12/21, Needham Hanover R1; Quality Closer R4

Vernon
6/11/21, +Nanuet R2; +Frisky Joe R7; Ulster R7

Woodbine/Mohawk
6/11/21, No Better Joy R7

Yonkers
6/10/21, On A Streak R4; +Followthewind N R5; Siesta Beach R7
6/11/21, +Repeal Or Replace R10