Sophomore Serenade: Courageous Fillies At Northfield; Glamour-Boys Finale At Dover

We are nearing the end of the year and are left with only a duo of major features, Northfield Park’s Courageous Lady (Nov. 26) and Dover Downs’ Progress Pace (Nov. 28). The events are for sophs, filly pacers and colt pacers, respectively.

Of course we will cover those in this blog but with the season’s end near and a lack of features presented through the rest of 2016 and some of the early months of 2017, we will be creating our own features. These will be specifically chosen races at various harness meets running on the TwinSpires track menu. At times we will also attack muti-race exotic wagers by presenting outside contenders, horses players may not see as valuable additions to Pick 3s, 4s and 5s.

We begin our personal features in this blog, to complement the last two stakes of the season. On Friday we take you to The Meadowlands and on Saturday we feature a good betting event from the Meadows.   

So, we will continue to keep the action going strongly with the bread-and-butter overnights that fill raceway programs through the year, attempting to pump up your accounts. After all, wagering opportunities are always in play, even when the season turns over and division characters step into their new ages.

Throughout the year, of course, the TwinSpires’ exclusive, productive horses-to-watch list (H2W) delivers suggested wagering opportunities in all types of bets is here as usual. Always consider H2W horses when constructing tickets.

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
Friday, Nov. 25

In this conditioned trot, Meadowbranch Wendy returns from a three-month layoff, prepping with a sharp qualifier (at The Meadowlands) and dropping to a level where she won this year at Pocono. She has also won at The Meadowlands, before she busted badly in the Fresh Yankee. Also a contender, Lindy’s Best Yet was in way over his head at Pocono last out and drops down to a sound level where he was very good at 26-1 (also at Pocono), after stepping up into that class from a “winners-of” conditioner.

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

Meadows/Race 2
Saturday, Nov. 26

Warp Factor Three had a brutal trip last time, hanging wide through three-quarters and still nabbing the third spot against this same ilk. He is as capable as a few here and yet will not get favoritism, offering a much better price than his recent pair at this track. The crowd may go overboard betting on Agood Time To Rock, since he steps down for Ron Burke and gets fan-favorite-driver Dave Palone in post 4. The attraction may cause too much betting for this Indiana claimer coming from a brief layoff.

Henry’s Way steps up slightly off of a claim and could be seriously involved in an exotic result. Silverhill Blaze was claimed from the same Nov. 16 race in which most of the rest competed but has to negotiate the 8 hole. Some combination of those four could ignite some bright prices. This is the second half of the Daily Double, an Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta.

BRAVE GALS

The $120,000 Courageous Lady at Northfield on Nov. 26 presents eight filly pacers, most unfamiliar to the stakes schedule, racing for a last chance at a big check this year. Five, however, have managed to make six-figures. The top earner and probable favorite, as well as the most recognizable, is the Robert MacIntosh-conditioned LA Delight. He gets post 8, however, and that could take a few steps off of a winning trip at this oval.

Dime A Dance has picked up some good checks for Doug Snyder and is the penultimate earner here, leaving one to the left of LA Delight. Two from the Ron Burke barn are among the lesser in his care. Virgil Morgan, Jr. sends out Bellatricks, who has not been busy on the national scene but has earned six figures.

Chris Ryder’s Time On My Hands should offer a good price (perhaps the third choice or worse) and in the 2 hole should have the chance for a smooth trip to execute a mile upset. Nine of her efforts have been among the top three at the finish and this spot is perfect to make it one more, though with a bigger paycheck.

GLAMOUR GONE BOYS

This is it for the top glamour-boy pacers of 2016—the Hap Hansen Progress Pace, worth $314,600, at Dover Downs on Monday, Nov. 28. Eight colts that have rocked hard through the season against horses like Betting Line, Racing Hill and Control The Moment (all of them gone from this race or competition this season) return to chase one more six-digit purse.

They are led by probable favorite Check Six, Burke’s front-stepper who is bound to come back at four and could be better. Late-season scourge (a big pick for us in a Little Brown Jug elim) Western Fame is here, raring to challenge “Six” at some point and Boston Red Rocks, a disappointment most of the season but showing some late sparks of life, looks to save face with a win against those who have helped make his season so bad.

Also on board is Manhattan Beach, Lyons Snyder, JK Will Power and Katies Rocker, a quartet of check-cashers at various times during the season but rarely making the biggest headlines.

And then there is Easy Lover Hanover, supplemented for $25,000. He sports 14 wins in 30 starts for trainer Ben Wallace but is dwarfed in earnings and the class of his foes. “Easy” was the surprising favorite in last week’s elim and tried to steal the race on the engine but could not handle Six, who took the overland journey to catch him.

Manhattan Beach won the second elim with a shocking Katies Rocker second. That result had a bit to do with Western Fame’s run to the top early, which caught up with him (along with four other foes) at three-quarters. “Boston” was the favorite in that mile and despite a great trip he was unimpressive when it counted most.

Check Six should be the crowd choice and will threaten to wipe up the clock in the way he took a Breeders Crown (BC) elim, on top and in control wire to wire. Trying to repeat that trip in the BC final, he was burned down badly by challenges through most of the mile. In that race, “Manhattan” stormed through tiring boys to be second at 60-1.

Western Fame, according to driver Mark Macdonald, loves to be on top and does badly if he duels for such a spot or has to try a win from behind. Add “Easy” to the front chase and you will be offered a great price on an upset performed by JK Will Power. He will be in a perfect spot to charge if the duel ensues and will also be a huge price and worth the chance since this race goes one way or the other and only one way will pay well.

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

Batavia
11/25/16, Lucky Pablo R3; McTuresque R12
11/26/16, +Eachyahartout R4; Raylan Givens R4

Cal Expo
11/25/16, +Galex R8; Paydaze A Rockin R11
11/26/16, Shark Festival R5

Charlottetown
11/26/16, Souverain R2; Mr Cherry R5; +Rowluck Hanover R12; Silverheel Storm R14

Dayton
11/26/16, Rupp R3; Big John Houn R7

Dover
11/28/16, Kissed By A Dragon R1; Post Time Dream ae R1; Bobby The Greek R11

Fraser
11/25/16, Clintons Memory R5

Freehold
11/25/16, Mass Appeal R9
11/26/16, Blazing Finale R10

Meadowlands
11/25/16, +First Best R12

Meadows
11/26/16, Allstar Energy R3; Gold Coast Muscle R4; Lord Of Winterfell R9; Candy Love R10

Northfield
11/26/16, ++Eloquent Velocity R4; Bikinis On Top R5

Northlands
11/26/16, +Test Pattern R3; +Ronix R4; +Metajka Road R5

Philadelphia
11/27/16, Nobles Finesse R5

Pompano
11/27/16, +Gold Star Bugsy R3; +No Bad Dreams R10

Plainridge
11/25/16, +Painite R3; Mack Caviar R6; Bryans Angel R10

Rideau-Carleton
11/24/16, Herestojessica R8

Saratoga
11/25/16, +Broad Priority R2; +Docs Boy R8
11/26/16, JJ Flynn R5; Feel My Pain R6; Avrogadro Hanover R11

Scarborough
11/26/16, +Nabber Again R1; May Day Jo Jo R7; Desired R10

Woodbine
11/24/16, Steppin Out R3; +Muscles All Over R3
11/26/16, +Southwind Geisha R4