Jam-Packed Wagering Weekend Awaits In Harness Racing

Into the final month of the 2020 calendar year, we scan the North American harness raceways for more wagering opportunities, selecting races as weekly features for win, place, show and single- and multi-race exotics. And, we deliver another edition of our never-ending TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch (H2W) list.

Soon, we will be opening the TwinSpires harness-blog books to our followers, announcing our TwinSpires Harness Players’ Horse Of The Year (there is still time for a horse we support to pay $100 or more to win and catch our 2020 leader). As well, we will share our list of blog winners (from features and the H2W list) that offered prices of 4-1 and up all season.

POWER PLAYS

Philly / Races 7,8,9,10
Thursday / Dec. 3

The 50-cent Pick 4 is the target of a Power Plays (PP) feature at Philly on its afternoon program. It features all trotters. Plus, the usual exotics—Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta and win, place and show are included for of our suggested contenders.

Race 7
Happy That raced here at this level in September and qualified well at Rosecroft for a two-race stint at Dover, where he put in two strong miles. He returned to this level and finished on the grid at 50-1; not bad and a good prep to return and score here.

Willing Hanover has stepped up with some success and should be one of the top three public choices if only off of his race on Nov. 19 where he was full of trot and just missed.

Race 8
Another conditioned trot. Don’t be scared, this looks like one to pump up the exotics. Sylvesteramericait rode the overland route as a favorite and was passed by four others. That was a tougher group. He has won at this level at Philly and should continue a steady earning pattern for the year, putting him in the mix for all types of bets.

Anette Lorentzon’s Infiniti AS has a long history of finishing on the board. Toss out his last race at the Meadowlands. The one before that in a skimpier class as a win and had a field much like this one.

Race 9
The third trot in the stream is a fair group of elders, including Rod Allen’s Andela. Stepping up last time, Andela was strong against this class, finishing a grinding second at 13-1. The crowd rarely and unfairly rallies around Rod’s trotters, giving the horse fair prices, the types that pay off to win and as an exotic partner.

Lucy Mae Hanover need be respected after her 99-1 third. She was misread in that because this is a good class for her and Cantab Hall products make money at almost every level.

Race 10
Imitating his sire’s worse habit, Euro Gap (Manofmanymissions) broke at the Meadowlands and never made one good step at 23-1. Here, stepping down a bit, he might more resemble his Breeders Crown-winning sire. He’s lightly raced and the crowd won’t measure him as dangerous.

Dot Dot Dot Dash rolled well on the outside and was part of a photo finish with four others. The mare is in a good spot, around a level where she won at Pocono. 

FEATURES~ FEATURES~ FEATURES~

Dayton / Races 8, 9, 10
Thursday / Dec. 3

Dayton’s Rolling Doubles can post some decent prices. Let’s look at three races on this program in the rolling stream.

Race 8
Suddenly Sam was claimed two back and then qualified for the new trainer and in this class he raced first up for three quarters at Northfield, tiring late from three turns overland. The missing turn, so to speak, will help him here, perhaps to his first win in 10 starts this season. A strong price is surely expected.

Race 9
At Hoosier, My Uncle Cuz stepped into Opens with little applause against tougher and held his own on his journey up the class ladder. Coming here for this Open is a good move and may earn the trotter some respect he deserves.

Ladys Dude ships in from the Meadows where we had her last week on the H2W. She could play into the single-race exotics here.

Race 10
They don’t come much tougher than this one. Poor, staggering pacers are racing in a low class with dismal recent efforts, if you can call them efforts at all. So we look deep beyond the obvious math for a true outside contender. We find Fox Valley Halsey, who shows some tough trips that could have resulted better against better company at Hoosier than in Ohio.

FEATURES~ FEATURES~ FEATURES~

Meadows / Race 6
Friday / Dec. 4

Two horses from two Meadows features last week show up in this race and look good here, both as contenders fit to make the board. Neat finished fourth at 11-1 against our winner on Nov. 27 and goes again for recentl claimer Brandon Presto. At 6-1, Imideal Hanover, also from the Presto barn, stressed out for three calls in the outer flow to finish ninth and gets the rail here for what should be an easier trip to strongly participate.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES~

Meadowlands / Race 2
Saturday / Dec.5

The second half of the Daily Double is a simple claiming race that starts a Pick 3 stream, which is anyone’s choice. The overnight does have a caveat, though, considering Thunder Dome. Staying in his proper level at the moment, Thunder Dome has raced well in the last five races, suffering trip trouble in each while still showing late gains. From coveted post 5, he has little excuse to get into trouble. Here he might gauge his best move at the right time after saving some ground and catch the short speed that should take this race into three-quarters before revealing its flaws. 

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES~

Meadowlands / Race 6
Saturday / Dec.5

This conditioned pace allows us to look deep into recent performances to come up with a suggested contender that might not agree with the public. Decision Day drops a bit from his steady Meadowlands appearances and draws post 3 after three tough but productive miles on the far outside of his foes.

In the single-race exotic configuration, Mindtrip figures prominently. He has performed better than his odds in his recent two efforts stepping up from a win at the Meadowlands. He could turn the tables on Decision Day or finish in league with him for an exacta and two-thirds of the trifecta. A Pick 4 also begins with this race.
 
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

Cal Expo
12/4/20, Friskies Angel R5; +Place At The Beach R7; +Fly Away R10; Dancingonthesand R11
12/5/20, +Marced Magic R1; +Winonefordoug R10+Outlaw Blue By You R10

Batavia
12/5/20, +Acefourtyfourdon R11

Dayton
12/5/20, Always Windy R3; Ryan Rackateer R7; Americas Fleet R8+American Music R11

Flamboro
12/3/20, +Major Comfort R1; OK Jasmine R10

Meadowlands
12/5/20, He’s Electric R5

Meadows
12/4/20, +Touch Of The West R1
12/7/20, +Massive Stroke R4

Monticello
12/3/20, +Six Roses R1; Ideal Rowan R3; Swiss House Onfire R4

Northfield
12/5/20, +TC Scandal R1; +Party Belle R9; +Baddabingbaddabang R9; Full Deck R14

Philly
12/3/20, Belair Beauty R11
12/4/20, Alyvia Deo R3

Yonkers
12/4/20, +Walkinshaw N R10
12/5/20, Electric Western R1; +Tookadiveoffdipper R7

Woodbine
12/3/20, +Black Smile R3; +Dagger Watch R7; +Fear The Shadow R7; +Magnus Seelster R7; +Mohegan Blue Chip R10; Monty Mono R10
12/4/20, +Gloire Dream R3