USA
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Europe
UK / IRE
The objective of this analysis is to identify harness racing horses via plus or minus scores that are not identifiable in the past performances. Horses whose races are accurately captured in the past performances are not captured here, regardless of how well or poorly they may have raced.
Consider all races without comment as WUSIWUG – an acronym for What U See (in past performances) Is What U Get. Some races may identify multiple horses that are scored, while other races are clearly defined in the past performances, and no horse is scored. These unscored horses all had clearance in the pivotal part of the stretch, and no uncharted exertion earlier.
Scores do not indicate must-bet or must-toss the next time they race as other handicapping factors come into play. But these scores give the bettor a huge edge in what is frequently the most important factor when making betting decisions and many scored horses have been coming in with generous payouts in their next races. The highest $2 win payout was for VANDALISM who paid $188 for a $2 wager on 12-29 at The Meadowlands. He had been scored with “clear too late with some pace” in his previous start there. (HARNESSLINK.COM article published 12-29) That was the biggest price, but there have been many more long prices (including cold exactas, and even one cold trifecta when three scored horses ended up in the same race).
You cannot assume scored horses will race the following week. Here is the best way to profit from this analysis. On the day you are wagering on races from either Freehold or The Meadowlands, go to the HARNESSLINK.COM site and click on my name at the bottom of any of my articles. This will open up the list of all articles. For horses that show lines that pique your interest, find the article that analyzes the races for that day, then search for the horse. If the horse has a positive score, you know the horse is better than the pp line shows. Click on other weeks that the horse raced if the most recent race does not complete the story for you. This will give you access to all analysis.
If you want to track horses that “sneak out of town” save the scored horses in your virtual stable when they first show up in the analyses. If you are playing another track and you see a horse with Freehold or Meadowlands lines, you can find the race dates at HARNESSLINK.COM and see if the horse had been scored on that date. Tracking shippers is not part of this analysis, but some will be identified on occasion.
This week’s winners that were identified in previous analyses
Freehold 3-22 Race 9 BEST CHOICE $28.80 Once again, BEST CHOICE lights up the board. She received scores multiple times and has won multiple times. The mare dropped three full classes from her last race, and back to the class in which she had already won twice. She was part of a pick-4 and pick-5 that nobody hit.
M’lands 3-22 Race 6 SMART AS HILL $50.80 He was scored on 3-8, then closed well from an impossible spot last week. Did any of you start the pick-4 with him?
M’lands 3-22 Race 9 MASSIVE MATTER $13.80 to show.
No winner here, but if you liked the much-the-best favorite, INTERVIEW FRA A, who was giant winning at 6-5, you might have cashed when the scored (+2) last week MASSIVE MATTER (we posted the video of his race in last week’s column) finished 3rd behind him at 32-1.
The exacta was an ok $47 with the 4th choice finishing second, but the trifecta with MASSIVE MATTER at 32-1 was an off-the-charts $1,100 payout. The pick-4 starting with SMART AS HILL and finishing with three short-priced horses paid $950.
M’lands 3-22 Race 14 *** Special note ***
Regular readers know that I do not make predictions because my final betting decisions are made just before the race. I have identified hot and cold trainers in previous articles as a key decision-making tool. Paul Fusco had only one horse in on Friday night. Based on his recent form, TRANSFER THE ERA went off an appropriate 24-1. The race for win was long over before he got loose and charged home for second. Finishing behind the favorite, he completed a $54 exacta. Place and show prices were $14.40 and $9.20, respectively.
But where’s the hot trainer angle? He only had one horse in that night. The key word is – night. Fusco’s barn had been cool recently, but during the afternoon at Freehold, he had two horses in. They both won. In my opinion, both horses significantly outperformed their form.
I have spoken to trainers with whom I have a lot of respect, that have told me that you cannot judge horses like that. To that I can only offer, “trainers train and handicappers handicap” and this angle has produced significant benefits over the decades I have been handicapping horses.
Freehold 3-23 Race 11 CURBSIDE PICKUP $ 8.80 After multiple races where he was scored, this is his second straight win.
Freehold 3-23 *Race 12 POWER DREAMING N $10.80 Scored at the Freehold qualifier. Freehold qualifiers require personal attendance. This was my first appearance there since the opening of the meet.
Freehold 3-23 *Race 12 COUNT MARA finished second at 7-2. Get yer ice cold, heeyah. Two scored horses showed up in the same race. Exacta paid $37.60 in 6-horse race.
M’lands 3-23 Race 1 RANDOM HANOVER $11.20 to place at 18-1. Scored in last, and completed $54 exacta behind 6-5 shipper from Pocono.
M’lands 3-23 Race 13 CAVEMAN A $ 4.20 Scored in his last race at M’lands
Meadowlands Qualifiers 3-23
Race Horse Score Analysis
3 4 RESOLVE TO WIN 1 Lineup throughout stretch
5 1 TIME OF PEACE 1 Had more
9 5 SHINE ON SUSAN 1 Strong restraint while clear
10 5 WHATCHULOOKIN AT 1 Lineup with pace throughout stretch
WHATCHULOOKIN AT QUALIFIER REPLAY
Meadowlands 3-22
Race Horse Score Analysis
2 5 BROOKDALE JESSIE 1 Blocked in stretch.
3 8 INCREDIBLE BADGER 1 Blocked in stretch.
4 4 LOVELY HEART 1 Interference behind breaker, came on again.
4 6 GREEN PASTURES 1 Looked like winner, broke in stretch.
5 7 WARRAWEE YANKEE 1 Probable winner if not for late break
7 10 LINCOLN BOULEVARD 1 Weave in traffic
8 9 DANCE MONKEY 1 Blocked between
9 2 URNTROUBLE HANOVER 1 Blocked with trot.
9 9 MASSIVE MATTERS 1 Pushed wide to get around dull cover more than last 3/8.
11 3 WIGGLING JENNA 1 Tight quarters along the cones
11 8 WON’T BACK DOWN 2 Outside 1st quarter, far back behind dull cover, big close.
WON’T BACK DOWN REPLAY
12 6 SUPER GIRL 1 Was closeup, then put in bad steps and was pulled back.
14 4 TRANSFER THE ERA 1 Race for win was long over before he had clearance with pace.
Meadowlands 3-23
Race Horse Score Analysis
3 7 TRENTE DEO 1 Blocked
4 9 LOOTABLE 1 Very wide first eighth
6 9 ALTA BLUES A 1 Skipped while making big move. Lost momentum.
7 9 OUTSIDE THE FIRE 1 Tight along cones
8 1 DEAN B HANOVER 1 Checked while blocked mid-stretch, then flattened
9 7 ADAM CROCKER A 1 Blocked with pace.
10 7 LEXUS KODY 1 Broke on top when asked for more. Was he going to be beaten?
LEXUS KODY REPLAY
12 8 COMBUSTION 1 Checked, then strong brush before half
14 9 MV OK PALACIO BR 1 Clear too late with most pace.
Freehold 3-22
Race Horse Score Analysis
2 3 SANDRADIMPLES 2 Blocked with pace.
SANDRADIMPLES REPLAY
>>> Video of 2nd race of 3-22 Freehold <<<
2 8 RELAY ROLL 1 Lineup along cones
3 3 COAL CREEK 1 Had more.
3 5 BRICKYARD KING 2 Clear too late
4 6 ON WATERSEDGE 1 Trouble getting wheels clear on the far outside.
5 7 CAVIART SABRINA 1 More
6 4 DINGLE 1 Weaved into lineup, never clear.
7 1 CORSINI A 1 Strongest in stretch
9 2 AIDA DE VIE 1 Most pace along cones.
10 2 RACING FOR RICK 1 Weaved into Blindswitch
10 5 BYRDS THE WORD 2 Cut off with pace (leads the league in excuses 
)
BYRDS THE WORLD REPLAY
10 8 LOVELY LADY MAY 1 Very wide last turn and kept on coming.
Freehold 3-23 *** Terrible track condition, performance is questionable for future reference ***
Race Horse Score Analysis
1 5 WHATA TWIST 1 Kept 3-wide the last 3/8.
3 4 GENTLEMENSATTITUDE 1 Blindswitch, taken out.
5 6 SHOEMAKER HANOVER 2 Long 3-wide from behind dead cover much the best.
5 8 TURBOCHARGEDPETE 1 Never clear
7 5 MACHIATTO A 1 Weaved into traffic in the stretch.
by Gil Winston, for Harnesslink
