Jul 10, 2011

Cotolo’s Harness-Weekend Review, 7-11-11

Two double-digit winners on a weekend where we did not send many contender suggestions to readers made for a very successful wagering experience.  

We can certainly claim bragging rights to the score in the first Meadowlands Pace elims, where we totally ignored the headliner, public choice and dead-on favorite, Up The Credit. Coming off of a great mile in the half-million dollar Hoosier Cup—where we also backed him—Custard The Dragon (pictured left) returned to action against “Credit” and walloped him and eight others to win at 11-1. George Teague, Jr.’s colt, giving us a win price of $18 in the “Hoosier,” paid $24.20 on July 9.  

In the second elim we were second with Powerful Mist. A word about him: He was too far back early and was gunning to beat pace-setting Big Jim (the favorite) and would have beat him with a better position early. He will be dangerous, perhaps more so than “Jim” in the final next week (Credit did not make the final). We will have more about that situation in our Thursday blog.   

Those of you who follow my Twitter page and are watching the TwinSpires Twitter entries caught gist of our tweet on a race at the Meadowlands on July 8. We defied the favorite, Pastor Stephen, in a sophomore Open Trot, for the support of Broad Bahn. We had it nailed as “Bahn” went wire to wire and paid $10 to win. “Pastor” was second for a $13.60 exacta.  

We also reminded everyone at Twitter about “Custard” the night of the race, so if you didn’t catch the blog you should have caught the tweet and given it major consideration. Follow me on Twitter for racing news, updates and last-minute picks on the weekends.   

For more trotting activity, continue to check our Hambletonian-eligibles, exclusive Hambletonian Trail blog. Follow the analysis’s there and the reviews, results and archives at the Hambletonian Society home page. There is still a lot of winning we can do before the Hambo elims in a few weeks.  

Division Details


At the beginning of this season we implored you to be aware of our detailed watches of the glamour-boy divisions. Taking our suggestion should have paid off for you already, as we have scooped every tout and handicapper everywhere on some of the best wins of the season to date in these divisions.  

Though we got off to a slow start, our TwinSpires harness blog was the only place to our knowledge that went to bat for wagering on Custard The Dragon after he won the “Hempt.” We also praised Powerful Mist even when Up The Credit stole the headlines in the North America Cup. We told you that Big Jim and Big Bad John were not the mighty colts the standardbred press expressed.

As for the trotters, we suggested this division, too, was deep with talent and our Hambletonian blogs have given you the go to bet on Charlie De Vie, Broad Bahn, Whatever It Takes, VC Chocolate, Rarely Ordinary, Whitewater Rapids, et al.  

Our expertise has delivered many sophomore scores over the last six seasons. We provide you with the exclusive and unique result of our experience here at TwinSpires, as we did before at YouBet. No other website offering harness wagering offers what we give you here week after week. You don’t need any outside handicappers to tell you to wager on the obvious choices. You can watch the toteboard for that. What you need is what we deliver, details that lead to cashing valuable tickets. And when it comes to these two divisions, we have supplied readers with the best available details on contenders that can win and, when they do, pay very well.  

The season is near half over and there are plenty of races left for these divisions and others where we present evidence for great bets as late as possible. We hope to be on site for the great stakes this year at the Meadowlands and the Breeders Crowns in Canada where we will blog and tweet real time. Stay with us and spread the word. TwinSpires harness texts and tweets are serious tools for your wagering accounts.

Harness News

By now you should be aware that the sport’s top-rated equine, See You At Peelers, is still unbeaten. She delivered a track-record performance in a division of July 9’s New York Sire Stakes feature at Vernon Downs.

One race after Mystical Gypsy tied the 1:51.2 track mark for soph-filly pacers in “Peelers” toured the seven-eighths-mile oval in 1:51.1, a standard for her age, sex and gait at the Empire State track, while keeping her career record unblemished after 19 starts. We will follow her closely as she works toward meeting the boys in the Little Brown Jug.


As well, the soph-filly trotting champ, Jezzy, won the gals’ version of the Yonkers Trot and is undefeated this year on her campaign to win the Hambletonian Oaks. Like Peelers, Jezzy has dominated her division from the beginning. She did, however, win this mile by a surprisingly short margin to a filly we have touted this season, Lady Rainbow.

The crisis affecting Running Aces Harness Park ensues. A budget impasse caused Running Aces to cancel the holiday weekend programs. The harness track, and its thoroughbred counterpart, Canterbury Park, are hoping for a ruling to reopen the pari-mutuel facilities.

Cartoon by Thom Pye

2 comments:

  1. Twin spires is a website that has an information about their biennial convention. Their community goes with the support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual. Now you can check sister sites to casinos for new updates games. You need to ask for permission if want their data. Join their website for event registrations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete