Harness racing is a sport that brings together the masses. Week in and week out, it offers entertainment all across the globe and this weekend promises excitement of historic levels, levels never before seen. And with all of that excitement, I, Ray J. Cotolo, will help you win again. I will help you win so much that you’ll be begging me to stop winning. So grab your alternative “factopedias” and get ready for the greatest harness weekend ever.
Our weekend begins on Friday, Jan. 27, as Western Fair and the Meadowlands each feature a possible profit venture.
The fourth race at Western Fair, the start of the $5,000 guaranteed pick-4, is a grouping of mixed-class pacing mares and a vulnerable favorite. Shipping in from Woodbine, Cant Stop should take the majority of the play. But the value of the race could come from Choose My Jet, a mare moving up the class ladder. She enters off a swift closing effort against similar at Flamboro and could win easily if she improves from that mile.
At the Meadowlands, Downundermatter, competing in race seven, has the potential to start off the $50,000 guaranteed pick-4 with a bang. He’s moving up two class levels off a romp against bottom stock as the favorite. Yet, his class disadvantage is compensated by the lack of form displayed by the rest of the field and, if we recognize that, we can capitalize on his ability.
Saturday’s seventh race at The Meadows is our next event, and it caps the pick-4. While it’s another lackluster form show, we may be able to snag some value from So Dreaming, the one horse that has shown any form of life. He doesn’t have much gate speed, so his one issue will be trying to rally from off the pace. He has hit the board in three of his last four attempts under similar circumstances, but he may finally be able to win against this bunch.
We’ll end our weekend at Miami Valley Raceway and its eleventh race and attempt to snag a price out of Heza Thrill N, who beat a similar group two starts ago shipping in from Canada. Dropping in class after losing stride midway through the mile, he remains a threat at this level; and anything close to his 15-1 morning line could be record-busting value.
Bounce Backs
The “Bounce Back” list features contenders we touted in the past who did not win in their first outing, but are worth considering a second time.
Limitless – Friday, Jan. 27 | Buffalo Raceway, race 3
Presquille – Friday, Jan. 27 | Woodbine Racetrack, race 6
Brillo Camarillo – Saturday, Jan. 28 | Northfield Park, race 12
Shell Bell – Saturday, Jan. 28 | Northfield Park, race 9
Skyway Pippen – Saturday, Jan. 28| Pompano Park, race 2
Preview Review
Friday night we performed well, claiming second in both of our feature races. Limitless ($4.70, $4.10) was runner-up to the public choice, completing a $31.60 exacta in the second race at Buffalo Raceway.
Presquille ($13.20, $7.70) came close to pulling off a 17-1 upset at Woodbine Racetrack.
On Saturday, Skyway Pippen (fifth at 7-1), Shell Bell (ninth, 19-1) and Brillo Camarillo (fifth, 14-1) all missed the board.
And here are the follow-up efforts of our contenders on last week’s Bounce Back list:
Achilles Blue Chip (MVR, R4 1/21) – eighth at 15-1
Freedomformysoul (MVR, R4 1/21) – $10.80, $5.60, $3.60
Machs Beach Boy (YR, R1 1/21) – sixth at 25-1
