Single & Multi-Race Action Looms; Cashing Craze For Features

Spring is only slightly in the air but harness racing ignores the season and the TwinSpires Harness Blog confidently shares its selected features; joyfully with more action than the dark days of March 2020. Join us in handicapping them and pay attention to our never-ending TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch list (H2W), with suggestions enhancing exotic combinations and fair win, place and show finishes.
 
POWER PLAYS

Meadows / Races 2, 3, 4, 5
Thursday / March 4

The afternoon Pick 4 is a 50-cent base price and presents a few opportunities to bury the number with a targeted ticket. Remember that all of our suggested contenders qualify for the multi- and the single-race exotics as well as win, place and show wagers.

Race 2
A clear second choice for the public last week, Braley Hanover started poorly, giving 9 lengths to the early leader, which was the public choice. Clearly, Scott Betts likes the weaker conditions this week, as well as the better post at this level and the absence of strong competition to assist in this one’s first win of five starts this season.

Gumption may surprise the public by making the 7 hole a good launching post after he surprised the public at 18-1 with a place finish last week in a claiming handicap.

Race 3
Only six trotters are driven for the purse of this local memorial trot. A huge favorite is Massive Stoke and he must be added to the ticket for obvious reasons. But accepting a single in any “Pick” race is next to surrendering the ticket; an upset added must surely take a place on the ticket—again, for obvious reaons.

It may come down to a smooth stride by The Great PG. As a second choice last week, he broke during his challenging brush and galloped home. He could make “Massive” look small. Alberts Dream was sharp from post 8, finishing second at 10-1 and has less to chase here.

Race 4
Timeisoftheessence may impress all the shortcut handicappers but he won his last when the favorite jumped out of action and brought two others in the field with him. This time he will face challenges that should upset his chances. Mainly, we lean on Lyons Friends who almost beat a good favorite last out and whose odds may be higher than his chances leaving from the outside.

Race 5
Oddly enough, if we buried this number, the winner was Undertaker. He travels west from Pocono to take on this Meadows bunch and drops into a claiming handicap to use his one-brush tool to close the deal. You Said It was supported better than expected last time and finished a disappointing sixth sitting behind fading pacers. He will be aggressive from post 1 and in the mix at the end.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Freehold / Race 7
Friday / March 6

Whenever Trond Smedshammer places the four legs of a trotter on a track to race (any class will do), you must respect there are great chances of that animal will race to win and do so at a worthy price. It is that simple sometimes with the stock of certain trainers. Trond sends Bluffinner to the post against some seasoned trotters in this conditioner having lost two so far this season. Most recently, Bluffinner went in a higher class at the Meadowlands. Sent off at 44-1, the gelding did not jump and raced evenly until the unpredictable stretch at the two-turn mile, finishing eighth of nine. This half mile track and a lower class of foes put together in a tenuously rated conditional may surprise bettors—but not us.

In exotics, Bluffinner should expand profits, even in league with probable first-choice Lionhead.

FEATURES~FEATURES~FEATURES

Miami Valley / Race 5
Friday / March 6

In the productive Adam Short stable, Drawing Dragons has struggled in five races this season. In this contest Adam drops “Dragons” into a weaker condition where Dragons meets steeds with similar seasons in progress. Only a few days ago Dragons showed a heap of early lick dueling, got to the lead and dueled again for a bit before the trip wore him out and badly, finishing ninth at 13-1. It’s a perfect race for a bet-back proposition price on the “Short” list.

POWER PLAYS

Meadowlands / Races 2, 3, 4
Saturday / March 6

The Pick 3 presents a trio of races that could result in some winners deep in price. Remember that all of our suggested contenders qualify for the multi- and the single-race exotics as well as win, place and show wagers.

Race 2
On the outside, Full View takes one more shot after dropping in class, which made him a favorite last week where he was third at the wire with two others. Billy Lincoln N had a trio of miserable trips from the far outside, once in which he was interfered with and knocked out of competition from the start. From post 6 in a tepid field, Tahnee Camilleri’s well-bred gelding has a big shot to win his first of the season.

Race 3
This bunch cries to challenge the crowd. None of them seems to dare go a winning mile, except for one that could win against some odds. That is Primo Geovanni. Paul Blumenfeld’s gelding actually belongs in this class and last week he did well at 8-1, finishing second to a third by Full View (see Pick-3’s first leg). From post 9 he may offer as much or more than last week from post 3.

A longer shot is I’m No Pansy, who has been supported better at the Big M than at Rosecroft in this wobbly class. A big price is in the works here, where the McArdle product could take advantage of the poor lot with a decent trip.

Race 4
Launching his 2021 campaign, New Zealand-bred Atomic Blast N should come right back to his November, 2020 form, a win at the Meadowlands from a smart placing off the gate.

Barrage Hanover qualified twice to start his new year. His back class in Pennsylvania and a nominal freshening from qualifiers puts him in the thick of this one.

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
3/6/21, +Rebel Voyager R2; +Way To Go Fabieo R5; Percys Z Tan R7; +Love The Dragon R10

Cal-Expo
3/6/21, Mr Varsity R7
3/7/21, Flashy Dude R7; Rue Hanover R9; Exsqueezme R10

Dover
3/8/21, +Midnite Pass R1

Freehold
3/5/21, +Keystone Orion R3
3/6/21, +Big Smoove R3; +Dance Life Well R4; +Time Out Im Tired R8

Meadowlands
3/5/21, +Hes Gratis R1; +So So DeVie R10
3/6/21, +Palomar R1; +Actor Hanover R13

Meadows
3/5/21, Aime Hanover R1; Magicshore R11; Rockin Lexi R11

Miami
3/6/21, +Word Out R4; Beach Pro R7; Loutenant R9

Monticello
3/4/21, +Zampara R3
3/8/21, +Bonzai Beach R2; +Gracie G R6

Northfield
3/4/21, Let Me Be Clear R1
3/6/21, Delight Kate R2; +Mad Maude R7
3/7/21, Jus Enuf Sass R12

Pocono
3/6/21, Uptown Funk R1; Barbados R2; Zoe F R4; +Rootin Tootin R9; +Captain Nash R10; A Real Miracle R10

Pompano
3/4/21, Big Bad George R6; Saulsbrook Lanny R8

Saratoga
3/8/21, Chicwinner R2; +Credit List R7
 
Yonkers
3/4/21, +All About Madi R1; +Look In My Eyes R2; +Kandy Sweet R2; Ladybeluckytonite R3; +Feelin Red Hot R8; +Amanderosa R8
3/5/21, +Zoeez Boy Henry R1; +Control Tower R1; +Solo Leviathan A R4;