Opus Overnight

News reports about sagging jet streams and frigid weather ensue as we head for the penultimate weekend in January. Even if the climate was tepid, however, there would still be the seasonal lack of feature races in the standardbred community. However, from coast to coast raceways are brewing up a slew of overnight events to keep us harness bettors investing.

Once again, then, we concentrate on overnight events with a few specially chosen races (this week we venture to different tracks than the last few weeks because value is present throughout the pari-mutuel world) and our horses-to-watch (H2W) list, both which have been productive as 2014 heads for its second month.

This week’s overnight offerings:

Charlottetown
Jan. 25, Race 3

Honeymoonisover returns to this conditioned trot after two failed Open appearances. She has faired well at this level and once was the dead-on choice. The program choice, the mare leaving to her right, has won at this level but may be sorely over-bet, giving Honeymoonisover a clear shot at winning as an overlay. Incredible Her Bee has every right to race well from the inside and should play a big role in the exotics’ results.

Charlottetown
Jan. 25, Race 6

The crowd may be mistaken if they buy into the morning-line (ML) chances of Scotian Lass in this conditioned pace. Two excuses accompany her recent efforts at a higher level while three back and four back she was competitive after winning as a big choice while dropping into a lower class. She hovers at this range, though, and could very well present an outsider’s victory if she can out-step Hornswoggle, the second ML choice that drops after disappointing with big chances to win. Lexis Mandy could be the element that inflates exotic prices.

Dover
Jan. 26, Race 6

You can go out on a limb for this one with a possible longshot contender for a few reasons. First, the ML choices, all three, are not glowing prospects for a win. Next, they are spread out from the inside to the outside and third, they all look like they will battle for control of the pace. This leaves us with Kenzie’s Beach Boy. We have no doubt he will offer a price, considering his 59-1 failure after qualifying upon his arrival from Philadelphia. But while there, he raced some good miles, even if they ended poorly. He also steps down into this condition and has nothing to do but improve. These are the kinds of big-priced horses we adore because they are poised to wake up and when we get them in a situation where few to none address them as contenders, they are super scores.

Dover
Jan. 26, Race 11

Stubbs Hanover has a fine shot at the two horses inside of him that should get all the win money. He was in a crowd, only 4 lengths off of the winner in this company last week, leaving slowly from the outside. Before that he was on the move big time when he was bothered enough to break and lose all chance of competing past three-quarters. He won a $20G claimer as the 2-1 choice three back and that group was arguably as good, if not better, than this one. As a key overlay, also, a trifecta with SB Mikes Hot Beach and Polaris N could come back big balloons, as they used to say.


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 but on the also-eligible list. 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

Cal Expo
1/24/14, +Twentyone Guns R4; +Plum Crazy Baby R10; +Dragons Wall R11
1/25/14, Hi Ho Hi Ho R6; Tiger Bait R7; +All Is Lost R10; Melboy R11; Big Guy Two Win R11; +Energy Angle R13

Charlottetown
1/25/14, Trustmeonemoretime R1; Flag Of Honor R2; McMaverick R7; Artners In Crime R8; Capitalism R10; Bakardi Arti R13

Dover
1/26/14, DVC Jazzy Jolt R5; Arpeggio Hanover R7; Lord Terror R10; Devils Embrace N R12

Flamboro
1/26/14, +Modern Image R10

Frasier
1/24/14; +Runaway Disirae R4; +Pureform Sydthekid R4
1/26/14, +I Hear Voices R4; +Branding Party R5; +Mmmmmh R7; Jolt Of Whiskey R9; +One Last Shot R11;

Freehold
1/23/14, Mr Salming R4; +Hagi R4; +Ala Carte Bill R8; +Kaya’s Sweetheart R9
1/25/14, Tulfra R1; Travvers Hall R2; Cyclone Cully R2; +No Tears Here—AE—R3; +Major Bet R4; Youth Uprising R11

Northlands
1/24/14; +Too Young Man R7; Cinderella Smiles R8
1/26/14; +Smooth Criminal R10; +Man Alive R11; Little Bit Faster R11

 Meadows
1/24/14, +PL Dragon R3; +Bootswiththefur R4; +Mattachardle R6; +Trend Spotter R6; Hall Of Memories R12

Monticello
1/23/14, Flower Girl Charis R4
1/27/14, +Day To Fay R2; Eng-amer Davanti R2; +Lightning Madison R4

Pompano
1/18/14; +Ding Dong Boy R1; +Mai Tai Guy—AE—R1; +Just Fred R2; Flight Exec R3; +Oh My Joepa R4; Red Hot Yankee R5; Mc Kelvie R6; +Odd Man Out—AE—R10

Western Fair
1/24/14, +Flip Top R8 

Ray Cotolo contributed to this edition.