Pacing Past Punxsutawney

If that rascally rodent is correct and the winter is going to surrender a few weeks, then regardless of storms still forecast to sweep through the northeast, spring is just around the corner.

Last week, again, the New Meadowlands cancelled a program that featured a minor stakes leg and a few other tracks in the path of winter-storm Nemo cancelled programs featuring their usual lineups. But Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t care; his prediction stands—spring will be early.

So, here comes the ides of February (Friday, Feb. 15), the midpoint of the month, with a lot of action for your consideration.

This week again, TwinSpires pays 10-percent bonuses on winning Pick 4s at Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday nights and Woodbine on Saturday night.

Check out the details for Woodbine here.

(See Woodbine suggestions for Pick 4 below H2W)

Check out the details for Buffalo here.

Our exclusive horses-to-watch list (H2W) is published between the bonus-awarded plays at Buffalo so look for some of those horses listed on this blog and check for them in the Wednesday quartet of events for the Pick 4.

We have added the Woodine Pick-4 events to the H2W below so you can be aware of some of our suggested contenders, all of which we hope will help you cash a larger exotic than would result from dead-on public choices. Check back here again if that information is not printed below, as we may have to add it after press time.

Last week our H2W list was hot again, including a race that offered three horses that made up a trifecta over a thousand dollars. Here we go again, targeting profits with strong suggested contenders.

And there’s the series at the New Meadowlands, which this week will cover Friday and Saturday.

Series Ensue

The Junior Trendsetter’s first leg was cancelled last Friday and redrawn for Feb. 15. Our choices settled into the second and third of three divisions so we are going to let division one go. In the second division we offer Beachfront, who has had excuses with each mile that may not be in play this week. The Somebeachsomewhere gelding may be good at three and if he begins to show it now this could be the best price you will get on him. Since Rock Icon drew into this division, he is our other choice. He was unraced at two and comes from a very good debut as a soph against similar types in this series. He has a lack of credentials but is a son of Rocknroll Hanover, making him an instant contender that has to prove is not any good, as opposed to the other way around.

In the third split we are sticking with Fiftyshadesdarker, a legitimate morning-line choice that may not turn out to be prohibitive for wagering.

The Exit 16W series continues this Saturday, Feb. 16, with leg two featuring a pair of divisions. The first division looks to favor closers. The problem is there are a few good closers in this race, including Linwood Player, who won at 45-1 from off the pace. We’ll take a shot with another good closer in this field, Who Dat Love. In his last mile he went up against the tough Yo Cheyenne Rocky and had to come from off the pace to get into the mile late. Yo Cheyenne Rocky easily paced away from the field but Who Dat Love was pacing fast down the center of the track to get some say in the race. He should be placed a little better this week, since there is a trailer in this field. Expect him to get away mid-pack or so and find some kind of cover to ride to pull the same move he did last week. 

The second division features Meadowlands favorite Holdingallthecards but someone else is pulling aces in this event. Yo Cheyenne Rocky has proven he is much the best over Holdingallthecards recently. They both won a division of the Exit 16W last week but Yo Cheyenne Rocky took them gate-to-wire, while Holdingallthecards made a brush to the lead. If driver TimTetrick were to pull the same move again with Holdingallthecards, Yo Cheyenne Rocky will have something left in the pocket (he will likely go for the lead) and find room late to pull off the major upset. 

H2W Legend

Always review the H2W legend, published weekly, to authenticate the choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track to decide how you will use the information.

H2W