Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

We were very busy on the weekend; Friday and Saturday offered us more than a few shots at profits. And, we were tweeting live for the Meadows on the afternoon card, July 28, and for evening paces and Hambo elims at the Meadowlands that night. 

Let’s cover this in chronological order, with the tweets and the blog choices included. 

The frosh elims on Friday, July 27 at the Meadowlands delivered only two seconds for us. Fashion Blizzard (5-2) was second in the second Peter Haughton elim for the colt trotters. In the Merrie Annabelle, Lady Riviera (7-1) was second in the second elim for the fillies. The other colt elim found our choice, Fico, sixth and the other filly elim found our choice, UP Tadys Donato, breaking at the start and being eliminated. 

Saturday at the Meadows was grueling for bargain hunters as we were fourth (14-1) and then third (6-1) in the first two races while prohibitive choices were flying home. That trend continued but for a 5-1 shot in Race 5.  

We were gifted a low-priced overlay with Ideal A Little, paying $5.80, winning like she should have been 4-5 (fair odds for us). Then we were second-placed-third with Darena Hanover and the public attacked again with favorites. 

Our Adios Final choice, A Rocknroll Dance, defeated the huge favorite, Sweet Lou, but his astounding fractions, including a 1:19.2 three-quarters, opened up a late spot for Bolt The Duer, who beat him at 10-1 at the wire. (Photo left by Chris Gooden) 

Our final tweet, Destiny’s Chance, won and paid a delicious $11.20, one of the best prices on the day’s program. 

Our Meadowlands coverage began with a bang as we gave out High Noon, who won the opener and paid $11.80.  

Our “Oaks” elim choices included a win by the obvious Check Me Out ($2.10) and a third with Personal Style.  

The Hambletonian elims found us mostly in contention, with all of our choices finishing third, making the final. Prestidigitator was third in the first elim; My Mvp was third in the second elim; and Gym Tan Laundry was third in the nightcap. Read the details of those races at the archives of all the divisional action from Hambo-eligibles at Hambletonian Society’s exclusive section.  

We took Hurrikane Kingcole in the second New Jersey Classic elim and by that race the rain was pelting the track. He went off the huge favorite at 4-5 and he won easily regardless of the downpour in 1:48.3.

News And Notes

Monday afternoon, July 30, Monticello Raceway presents The Munich Mile, a special event including only drivers of German extraction. Among the cast are Wim Paal, William Harmon, Mike Merton, Peter Kleinhans, Greg Decker, Jr., Keith Haase, Cory Stratton and Greg Merton. The Munich Mile post time is 1:50 p.m., Race 4 on the 13-event program.

The countdown to the 2012 edition of the Sobeys Gold Cup & Saucer continued Saturday July 28 at Charlottetown Driving Park in the Maritimes. The story on the scene has been three-year-old pacing gelding Kingdome Come for trainer Bo Ford.

Trials for the Gold Cup & Saucer are set for Saturday, Aug. 11 and Monday, Aug. 13, with the final on Saturday, Aug.18. We will offer our analysis of the event and the programs at this blog for TwinSpires exclusively.

In the swarm of stakes this time of year the Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park last week was buried in the bettor’s agenda. Sadly, we missed it too, along with a chance to beat the two-time champ Foiled Again. He lost to Classic Rock Nroll, who paid better than 10-1.

In the $111,500 mile, Classic Rock Nroll also beat Aracache Hanover, Flipper J, Trick Man, Valentino and Something For Doc for trainer Tony O’Sullivan. The winning time of 1:50.3 was a lifetime mark for the five year-old pacer.

It’s going to become a landmark year for world marks. At the end of the season we are willing to wager that 2012 produced more world records than any year at least in the past decade. Some popular horses are breaking world records, like Anndrovette, who stormed to a mark of 1:48.1 at Mohawk last week. Lesser-known battlers, like pacing mare Big MacDeal, got into the record books at Pocono with a 1:49.1 mile. The size of the track doesn’t seem to matter, the marks are falling quickly. Even freshmen are making mince meat of marks made by former froshes, including green trotters.

Million-dollar-earning pacer Clear Vision suffered a slight suspensory pull, according to trainer Ron Burke. The six-year-old stable mate of Foiled Again will take a hiatus, as Burke said he does not want to aggravate the injury.

The racing career of Mr Feelgood is over. The pacer, who we nabbed as the 2006 Little Brown Jug winner more than a month before he won (on the old YouBet blog), was shipped to Australasia for a productive season as an older pacer. He won the 2009 Inter Dominion Championship, arguably Down Under’s greatest test for side-steppers. He retired with career earnings of $3.4 million. He will stand stud at Yirribee Stud in New South Wales. He stood one season in the USA, leaving a very small crop and via frozen semen left another 17 foals in Australasia while still racing.

Extraordinary Extras

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 your TwinSpires accounts.  

Get onto our mailing list. We’re beginning to contact people with information to help you play for profit. By clicking here you will be added to the list and be secure as a member (we do not share the emails with anyone). Free stuff is coming your way.

Cartoon by Thom Pye