Promising Prices For Exotics And Spot Plays Around The Ovals

We would like our bettors to enter March like the proverbial lion and continue to roar, so let’s begin the month that ends with strong late-winter series as spring stakes races loom boldly with features and our signature horses-to-watch list (H2W). Aside from the great chances of success wagering on H2W horses for valued win, place, show and exotics across North America, what follows are strong suggested contenders that scream of opportunities.

Let’s hit the afternoon pools Thursday at Freehold again, taking on selected features and adding contenders for a Pick 3. The Miami Valley Pick 4 is our Friday target again this week and for Saturday we return to the Meadowlands with a few spot picks that are deep, outside contenders.

F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Freehold/Race 3
Thursday, March 3

The Pick 3 launches with a quixotic trot. A huge drop makes Le Tissier the morning-line choice and certainly staying on gait could justify that status, but looking around him finds more valuable pools available. You don’t have to look too deep to enjoy the presence of Southwind Venus, a Muscle Hill sophomore with potential, making the Freehold rounds on her way to a stakes campaign. The public could become too excited with Le Tissier and let “Venus” offer a better price than the 3-1 chances given her in the morning line.

As well, the race presents another filly, green sophomore Preoaks Prayer, who cannot be counted out on a single race (she debuts at three here for Julie Miller). No proven loser is she. Her only race, which was at Freehold, saw her return from a gate break to be deeply involved with the field at three-quarters at 5-2. She should be the higher price of this duo and certainly can prove to be a winner.

Freehold/Race 4
Thursday, March 3

Leg two of the Pick 3, a typical conditioned pace for fillies and mares, offers another dropper, Sadies Place, that may be played too much solely for the class dip. Within the realm of fair odds, Miss Behave is worth the morning-line 7-2, coming off of a tough outside trip and disqualification for a lapped-on break at the wire (finishing fourth, placed fifth).

From the rail, Factor J could lead the group around with a quick leaving move and hold on if she is allowed to maintain some lazy fractions to three-quarters.

Freehold/Race 5
Thursday, March 3

In the last leg of the Pick 3, even if you use probable heavy choice Hailstorm Volo, supplement the exotic and bet against him to win with one of last week’s Freehold feature contenders, Touch Of Charm (also on the H2W list). She galloped right off the gate at 3-1 last week and should be given another shot off of her Feb. 16 odyssey on the outside.

F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Miami Valley/ Pick 4/ Races 9—12 
Friday, March 4

It’s promising if a Pick 4 begins with a contentious race, such as the first leg, race 9, of Friday’s quartet. It suggests the exotic can begin knocking out a lot of tickets. This is where we come in, trying to make a case for a good horse that the public may ignore. One of those contenders here should be Its Jesse Time. A recent claim for Hugh Beatty, Its Jesse Time returns in a conditioner, where new connections cannot lose him. Since Dayton, where he won a conditioned and took on claimers, he has been a grinding success, cashing checks from mostly overland trips.

Tinder took about a month off after attempting to take on much stronger competition, though he fought gamely from an outside post at 77-1. He has won in this class at Dayton and was second in a better conditioner at Miami. Surely he will not be a public choice, as they punish him for the hiatus and losses in his last pair.

Leg two, Race 10, is another conditioned pace and another contentious affair. An outside contender here that may enjoy odds better than her chances is Paige Moon Dancer. This is still her best class of late and the 8 hole may mean little with her strong grinding-off-the-pace style. She was a winner for us in last week’s first leg. Our other winner last week, Mama Made Me Blue, is also here and should get too much public support.

Of the many in this field that return to this class and the few that take a small hike, Artie’s Last Party is in a similar spot as “Paige,” only she has speed. From last week’s cast in the Pick 4, Velocity Lana returns in this race with a spot in the H2W.

Race 11 is leg three and if you are alive due to our contenders winning the first pair of legs you could be in for a huge payoff. We like using a horse on the way up, calling your attention to Ride A Cowboy. Off of a tag race for $12,500, she soars to a $20,000 price and she may be worth more for a few reasons. First, her recent two races in$12,500 are spectacular drives, the most recent defying three outside calls. Next, she has been very good in claimers after being very good in conditional affairs where the competition is usually tighter than in claimers. Any others you choose will be fairly obvious but don’t ignore Ride A Cowboy in the single-race exotics for this leg.

Finally, Race 12 is a mare-pace Open and it is no easy task. From last week’s Pick 4 and now on the H2W is Cast No Shadow, second then as the beaten favorite and tonight getting the second-tier 10 hole, and Addys Way, who will most certainly be the bigger price of the two. We will go with both of these again to wrap up the Pick 4, where even a short price would not take away from a great Pick-4 price if we are correct about the first three legs.

F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S ~ F E A T U R E S

Meadowlands/Race 5
Saturday, March 5

We address this one of the two Meadowlands races for Saturday night with a spot play that should offer a strong price. In this conditioned event, we like the claiming horse, Fox Valley Legend. This gelding eats up a football field of ground in the second halves of his races, regardless of his post and with a few obvious speedballs here available to compromise each other, this could mean a great path to victory in the stretch. Don’t leave him out of your tickets, especially at a high price and if you go for the Jackpot Hi-Five.

Meadowlands/Race 10
Saturday, March 5

Jackrluckytoo is very well supported a lot and rightfully so, considering this class is his meat since coming from Yonkers, where he was a responsible favorite in conditioners and strong coming from behind on four turns. He has already won half of this 2016 events, three of six, which is as much as he won all season at three, where he raced 17 times. This sign of maturity could mean he will have a much better years as an older pacer than in the glamour-boy-pacer ilk. 

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
3/4/16, +Bugatti Beauty R9
3/5/16, _Dodger hanover R5

Cal Expo
3/6/16, Gigity Gigity R1

Dover
3/3/16, Embry Seelster R13; +Annies Shooter R13

Flamboro
3/3/16, +Rubber Soul R5; +Stirling Breeze R7
3/6/16, +Hetties Commander R10

Fraser
3/4/16, My Camalina R3; Jay Flight R5; Incognito Cowboy R8
3/6/16, Eliseuinthedust R2; Shes All That R5; Lefty Malone R8; Lisplaced R10; Broadies Dancer R10; Credit Risk R12

Freehold
3/3/16, +Touch Of Charm R5; M A Bay R7; +Palms Beach R8; +Travers Hall R10
3/4/16, +Muscarene R8; +H-harleythejet R11
3/5/16, +MT The Banc R1

Meadowlands
3/5/16, +Exquisite Glide R1; +Speed Trap R12

Meadows
3/5/16, +South Jersey Honey R6; +Hickory Big Red R10
3/7/16, +Drinksonthehouse R5

Miami
3/4/16, +Velocity Lana R10; +Cast No Shadow R12; +Addys Way R12
3/5/16, Lucky Jet R2; Kyron R7; Metro John R7
3/6/16, +Hard To Rick This R6

Monticello
3/3/16, +Gansevoort R4; Regalwood R6; Amazing Quest R9

Northfield
3/5/16, Call me Elizabeth R6; +Hopeful Trust ae R12

Pompano
3/5/16, +PCs Wildcard R4; Super Duke R4

Saratoga
3/4/16, +Local Art R6

Western Fair
3/4/16, Electicintensions R4

Woodbine
3/3/16, In The Shadows R1; Maddys Credit R9
3/4/16, Yes You Can R2; Candida R6; Jetpedia R8
3/5/16, +Cheyenne Reider R1; Zingers Laugh R1; Twin B Sweetheart R2; +O Narutac Perfetto R5; Boat House Row R8; Avatartist R9

Yonkers
3/3/16, Depth More Depth R2
3/4/16, +Sir Jillian Z Tam R9
3/7/16, +Lean On You R9

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition