In Like A Lion …

The weekend ends the short month of February and starts the long month of March. It could feel far longer than its 31 days if the brutal winter continues. Still, March bridges winter with spring and that brings us closer to awaited stakes action and the launching of top-class divisional play.

As well, many other tracks are poised to begin their seasons, some starting before the end of predicted winter weather through March. Our Harness Update blog that appears Monday mornings will keep you up to date on which track schedules could be added to your menu of TwinSpires harness-action possibilities. Don’t forget to read the News And Notes column in that blog, as we offer the exclusive players’ version of the industry news.

But we are crossing that bridge as we come to it, continuing this week with specific overnight events and our highly successful horses-to-watch (H2W) list. Wins, places, shows and exactas abound. We have added harness racing’s newest track, Miami Valley, in Ohio. Please note that horses from our featured overnight events the week before appear on the H2W list as second-time members if they did not win when we highlighted their previous race.

This week’s overnight offerings:

Meadows
Feb. 28, Race 3

A horse has to be an extraordinary performer for the morning-line (ML) maker at this track to give it a good shot when leaving from post 8, which carries a stigma anyway. That just makes other viable contenders from the outside worth better win money and enables us to disregard the post (which by the way gets far more disregard than necessary). In the case of this race we totally endorse Bergerac, a contender that may suffer more in support than performance. His recent trio of attempts were all on “off” tracks and in each, from different posts, he excelled. There is little reason he will not be in this mix, where the favorite may be a horse stepping up. You may swing for a giant exacta using Mccedes, who will go untouched by the crowd from post 3 and could pick up a place spot based on his back class, which includes racing with better and winning at Philadelphia last December.

Meadows
Feb. 28, Race 5

Pop Cop’s Feb. 21 raced should simply be excused, which leaves us with a gelding that was on the improve all of January. His Feb. 14 race included a brave trip with a sharp gain that cost him late. His last January race from post 8 was terrific at this level, stepping up from a lower level without winning. Before that he earned a rise by winning two levels down. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him go off less than his 10-1 ML but not so much as to under lay him. Plus, fan-favorite Dave Palone on Artist Night will suck in a lot of money that could be spread more evenly in this field if common players were less impressed by drivers. Using Goggles Paisano (what a great name) in the place spot would make for a monster exacta.

Flamboro
March 1, Race 2

What looks like strong competition may just be a few strugglers if Justabitevil returns to how she performed two back. She stepped up far too high after that and was beaten by the obvious choice, Abs To Envy. She was second to that one by a mere length three back and deserves a far better chance than the ML maker has her at 6-1.

Flamboro
March 1, Race

Dewer Kash is our type of contender, hiding many of his assets, while checking in with an important angle that is to his favor in this simple claimer. Claimed for $5Gs in his first race here after a London campaign, Dewer Kash strolled from post 9 at 24-1, a tour no one will be happy about as a precursor to this race. But he was scratched at London while entered to return there next and he stays here to step up off the claim for the new connections. At London he was competitive and steered by four different drivers, each holding back for one big brush, which was only successful with a second in December. But the trainer/owner has a great post here to use the trotter and get the claiming money back, especially with the obvious two choices, First Notable Chip and Saulsbrook Fidget on his outside. That could be a great trifecta if you key Dewer Kash and try to take down this number (but don’t forget the win bet). Also looming to upset is Northern Triumph. If he is in the trifecta it becomes an even larger bag o’cash.


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

Buffalo
2/26/14, +Infrontigo Hanover R7
2/27/14, Bagel Man R5; +Gilla Dream R12; +Bluebird Corvette R12
2/28/14, RA Shakenbake R2; +Eagle Yankee R5
3/1/14, +Sand Savage R6

Cal Expo
2/28/14, Pips Jenny G R1; Northern Fling R1; +Poorlittlerichgirl R9; +Girls Lie Too R14
3/1/14, Gold Device R1; +Only In Lodi R1; Fox Valley Dylan R10; +Indescribable R12

Dover
3/2/14, +Suits R8; +Occasionally Bad R12; RD Elegant Yankee—AE—R14; +The Quite Village R14

Flamboro
3/1/14, Lightning Charger R3; Mibestkeptsecret R4; Charmbo Willie R6; Massmanian Devil R7

Fraser
2/28/14, +Rollin Deep R2; +Nazko Tribute R3; +Real Vintage R5 
3/2/14, Red Star Tyson R11

Freehold
2/27/14, +Look Siera R1

Meadows
2/28/14, Dojea Nodoze R4; Perfect Change R6; +Hickory Big Red R8; Four Starz Elder R9; Honeyinthepine R12; Yosemite Camn R13

Miami Valley
2/27/14, +Juntique R2; +Luna Hanover R2; +Pink E Bank R6; +Late For Work R11
2/28/14, +B Good Lexi R2; Action-broadway R10; TM Valley Storm R11
3/1/14, +Bad Angel R3

Monticello
3/3/14, Garbarino R6
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Pompano
3/1/14; +PC Moonshine R7; +Market Force R9

Yonkers
2/28/14; Likeabatouttahell R7; +Cash Poor—AE—R11


Ray Cotolo contributed to this edition.