Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

At the Meadowlands the world of pacing and trotting focused on the Meadowlands Pace and a card filled with talented colts and fillies as well as a stream of top-notch veterans on Saturday, July 14.  

While the pundits and experts tossed around scenarios, we centered on the colt with more talent than the public has afforded over the sophomore season thus far. Because of that, we nailed A Rocknroll Dance, who won the “Pace” in 1:48.1, paying $11.40.  

If you were with us through the entire prediction you made note of the three colts we picked to be immediately behind him. One of them, Pet Rock, who we had in the “Rooney” and were watching closely as he made his way to that win, was second. That exacta paid $125.60 for $2. (The other possible seconds we gave were Bolt The Duer and Thinking Out Loud.) 

In the Hanovers at Illinois’ Balmoral Park, we took home a single win of four tries with Our Dragon King, paying $8.60.  

At Pocono Downs there were more sophomore colt trotter divisions of the Pennsylvania All Stars. These Hambletonian eligibles’ battles and others—Stanley Dancer and Del Miller at the Meadowlands—are available at our exclusive Hambletonian Trail blog. We preview races through the weeks for both divisions with Hambo dreams as the deadline for dropping in the box looms boldly. The reviews of those events and archives of all that has happened since May are at the Hambletonian Society site.

Also, we invite you to enjoy our musings on other standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances. Every weekend as part of that blog we we offer Balmoral Pick-4-and-win picks at the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program page which includes suggested win bets. Last week we hit with Blueridgevalentino at $6.80. 

Connect to Twitter and follow Frank and Ray Cotolo for up-to-the-minute suggestions on wagers at many harness raceways. Then, wager from TwinSpires.  

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News And Notes

The Meadowlands Pace left a few questions afloat, one which certainly involves Sweet Lou. He wasn’t the post-time favorite, a surprise to many. Thinking Out Loud went off the public choice, at 2-1. After winning his elim, Sweet Lou returned to favor among a lot of bettors but the post-time favorite, who also won the North America Cup and had a traffic problem with Pet Rock in his Pace elim, became the most-likely-to-win for punters.

Allstar Legend, who finished third at 99-1, will be taken more seriously next time as his Pace race was dynamic. No one expected him to fire out of the 10-hole spot the way he did, finding a good spot to suck along and reserve some energy. That trip allowed “Legend” to finish third and complete a triple that few wagered would include him.

Bolt The Duer was the “now” horse for a lot of bettors and he disappointed all of his supporters by seeing them all go over the finish line before him. Heston Blue Chip, the other elim winner, struggled wide late to catch the fourth check. Time To Roll proved not to be in this league, which was our suspicion as reported in last week’s blog.

In upcoming blogs, as we continue to follow the division through many more featured stakes, we will offer exclusive comments from conditioners about all the major and minor participants.

With three weeks still to pass before the 2012 Hambletonian, eyebrows are raising about frosh-colt trotter, Tirade Hanover. He is from the first crop of Crazed, who was second in the Hambletonian to the great Deweycheatemnhowe. His recent win at Vernon Downs got the attention of the industry as he won last week in the opening leg of the New York Sire Stakes for his division in 1:57.

Tirade Hanover is trained by Tyler Raymer. The colt cost a measely $10,000 as a yearling and has shown a high level of professionalism from day one. “I think probably the biggest strength he has is he’s good mannered,” says veteran driver Howard Parker. “He's got a good turn of foot.”

Glamour-boy pacers are poised for the next big feature in their division. The $650,000 (est.) Delvin Miller Adios eliminations are set for Saturday, July 21, with the final to go the following Saturday.

Remember Shadyshark Hanover? We were hot on him as a sophomore but he didn’t turn out as productive as we had hoped. Shadyshark Hanover did become the fastest three-year-old in North America in 2011 coming off of a burning pace on Hambo day (he never recreated such speed on his own). The four-year-old is done racing. He has been purchased for stud duties in Australia and will stand his first season at the Morley Park stud, Shepparton.

Cartoon by Thom Pye