Best Bet – (3) COMING YOUR WAY – Race 1
Spot Play – (6) SORPRESE – Race 10
20-Cent Early Pick 5 – Race 1: 3/3/1,2,3,4,7/2,5/1,2,3 = $6.00
20-Cent Late Pick 5 – Race 6: 2,3,4/1,7,8/3,7/2,4,6/1,6 = $21.60
20-Cent Early Pick 4 – Race 3: 1,2,3,4,7/2,5/1,2,3/2,3,4 = $18.00
20-Cent Late Pick 4 – Race 8: 3,7/2,4,6/1,6/2,5 = $4.80
Race 1 — (3) COMING YOUR WAY ships in from Mohawk Park, coming off two sharp efforts against better, and she should be tough to beat as the chalk in the opening leg of the Pick 5. (5) MARZANNK HANOVER has the speed to go with these, but she is at a post disadvantage being lined up outside four mares that can leave hard; using underneath. (1) DANDY IDEA should get a much easier trip tonight, and I see her landing in the Tri.
Race 2 — (3) WHISKEY TO WINE, like the top pick in Race 1, is a Mohawk Park shipper that looks like a Pick 5 single; top call. (4) SHADOW ONE comes flying late every week it seems, and she should be an Exacta factor here. (1) SHES A BEAUT CLARK should get a decent trip racing near the front tonight, and she is in the exotics mix.
Race 3 — (3) MYWISHLISTFORYOU figures to get a setup to facilitate her strong late kick tonight, and I’ll give her the nod to roll by these late. (4) TOP ROYAL wasn’t losing to easier when starting from the rail but this is tougher, and she will probably be forced to take the overland route tonight. She can win but I wouldn’t take a short price. (2) SO AWESOME figures to be a threat racing on or near the front, and she is another possibility for multi-race tickets.
Race 4 — (2) IF YOU KNEW SUSIE needs her nose on the gate because she wants the front. She gets out of the second tier tonight, races off the claim for a high percentage barn and picks up aggressive teamster St. Louis. She should go right down the road. (5) ALYSSA MARIE is in great form, and she should be flying late again; Exacta factor. (4) RHYTHM SEELSTER is in great form but her preferred racing style clashes with the choice’s. I’ll play to beat her.
Race 5 — Tough race to end the early Pick 5. (3) REAR VIEW faces so much easier here that she would likely be a single had she not missed four weeks since her last start. Considering that gap in action though, she gets a slight nod. (1) AZUCAR PIPEDREAM drops and moves inside, and she figures to get a much better trip this week; using. (2) LADY NATASHA is another dropper that is in with a shot in this field. (8) AMERICAN ARROW can improve enough to make it into the High-5 considering she is dropping and picking up St. Louis to drive. (4) TOGETHER WE RUN should be good for a small share in this spot.
Race 6 — (3) LA MAGIC might clear to the front quickly tonight and that gives him a good shot vs. these; top call. (2) TWIN B HUGS gets post relief and her consistency should be respected; using. (4) SECRETLY FLASHY is another who is in the mix every week it seems, and she is worth a look for the late Pick 5.
Race 7 — (7) UP JOEYS CREDIT showed enough speed in his qualifier on 11/13 to suggest he can blast from the outside, and I’ll give him the nod at first asking here. (1) FOOLING YOURSELF tripped out to take a narrow maiden win here three weeks ago, and he is hard to leave out from the rail but he is certainly no lock. (8) WHOZAT took a mark of 1:55 3/5 in the summer racing in the Maritimes, a performance that would beat this field by about 25 lengths if he could reproduce it. He is hard to toss from consideration against these.
Race 8 — (3) LADY CATERINA drops, draws well and picks up St. Louis. She should be the one to catch here. (7) MASS BALANCE is another class dropper that rates highly tonight and driver Sorrie has been on a heater as of late; using. (8) ZORGWIJK TIM should be good for another share tonight.
Race 9 — (6) E L WILD SPORT set some big splits when bottoming out the field at Flamboro and I’ll give him the call to repeat vs. these. (4) LIME IN DA COCONUT likely would have won last week had he not run in for most of the stretch drive. He should be a threat again. (2) TRAVEL BAN continues to have issues on the turns, and I wouldn’t take a short price here.
Race 10 — Last time (6) SORPRESE raced here she won a Preferred 3. I wouldn’t expect to get the 8 to 1 morning line quote tonight; top call. (1) MAGICS WIZARD should be the main danger dropping and drawing inside. (3) MUSCLES APLENTY also drops but I prefer to use her underneath in this spot.
Race 11 — (2) IDEAL SPACE is sure to get sent on a speed mission by St. Louis here starting from an inside post and she should be the one to beat. (5) DOLLYS SKY comes off a sharp first up effort and she should be right there vs. these too; using. (3) DALI CAT figures to get a good trip racing near the front. I see her landing in the Tri. (1) ONIMPULSE is another who can get a nice following trip in this spot. She should be part of the High-5. (8) VEE BREEZE is a good one to use in the bottom of the High-5 in this spot.
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Garnet Barnsdale is a veteran handicapper, bettor and racing writer, who has worked as an analyst for DRF Harness for the past six years. He is also a past president of the Canadian Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association.
Photo by Ryan Clements Photos
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