Stakes Have Stars Spread Out For Action

National stars spread out this weekend to address some state-bred purses and more Grand Circuit events before all eyes focus on the herd’s arrival at Delaware, Ohio for Little Brown Jug week.

Let’s look at the swarm of events that may warrant some valuable betting opportunities, along with our suggested contenders, most predicted to be overlays at press time.

The Hambletonian Society and TwinSpires continue to generate extra activity at the Breeders Crown Countdown, following all eight divisions in the classic events, scheduled to be presented again this year on a single card at Woodbine. Check the blog often for updates on great betting opportunities from race analysis’s that don’t appear in the regular TwinSpires blog. This week, follow the Champlains and Simcoe conclusions at the blog.

Lucrative Indiana State-Bred Splits

Two- and-three-year-olds that are the best of Indiana this season each battle in a $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) Final. Let’s look at each one in order of their appearance on the Sept. 8 program, with comments for suggested contenders.

Frosh-filly trotters start the festival of INSS blockbusters. A few of these gals are still maidens and one of them interests us. Princess Pablano, driven and trained by veteran Rod Allen, is an Allen-family homebred (her mare is CR Princess Bride). She is lightly raced this year and could be ready to move from maiden status at a price for the bettor and the best purse for Allen so far.

It’s tough to see past Ron Burke’s Mr Jesse, though the rail could cause concern if the frosh-colt trotter has to make two moves. Even so, the most likely choice, Only Just A Dream, will have to negotiate the 10 hole and that can just help Mr Jesse. 

Soph-filly trotters are next and you should look around the two six-digit winners this season (Blueridge Abigail and Cincinnati Star) because they can be beaten. The 10, My Sweet Sheila has been very strong for Robert Taylor and the post will add some value. Somehow, she should be in the mix if not upsetting the top two. 

Soph-filly pacers hit the track next and we suggest you consider American Girl. Ernie Gaskin’s student has made a lot of money by winning only a third of her starts and should go into this pacing on all cylinders. 

Soph-colt pacers could be ruled in this affair by Jammin Joshua, another Gaskin student. He has developed well over a dozen races and is in a great spot to maneuver a big mile for bettors and connections. 

Frosh-colt pacers mix three products of Always A Virgin, with, we feel, the advantage going to Raise The Gin. Steve Carter’s colt has done everything asked of him and could top the season off with a huge increase in earnings and maybe a speed badge. 

Next, the young filly pacers, green two-year-olds that have earned a great deal, with five maidens included. Dirt Diamond has won three of five and can turn in some wicked flashes of speed. Those credentials could compensate for post 9 and a few inside of him with bigger bankrolls. 

Finally, soph-colt trotters conclude the six-digit purse parade. A great deal of support will be handed to the obvious and most likely winner, Jolenes Pinehonker. Aside from having a hilarious name, Lester Raber’s colt loves to win and in this context he could be the best. 

Classic Canada Continues

Mohawk once again presents the glamour-boy trotters in the Canadian Trotting Classic, with elims o Sept. 8. The $1-million final takes place on the Sept. 15 program. 

Here are the two elimination fields, each followed by comments. 

Elim 1
1-Possess The Will; 2-Gym Tan Laundry; 3-Modern Family; 4-Appomattox; 5-Knows Nothing; 6-Guccio; 7-Money On My Mind; 7-Highland Yankee. 

Big money has its target on Knows Nothing, who is an in and out type but remains a hometown favorite, certainly among these. We like Guccio, who looks as if his best work will be done in this second half of the season. As well, he may be able to take advantage of the speedboats that usually force the fractions in the first half of a race, including the hometown favorite. Guccio may never be able to keep up with the usual suspects that try to burn a big mile and not themselves but he is the type to take advantage of them and make a whole lot of money doing it. 

Elim 2
1-Little Brown Fox; 2-Lindys Jersey Boy; 3-Solvato; 4-Sormin Normand; 5-Beer Summit; 6-My Mvp; 7-Prestidigitator; 8-Magic Tonight; 9-Market Share. 

Little Brown Fox is a major threat from the inside and may go off greater than his most recent events since Hambo-winner Market Share is here. However, that one has to negotiate post 9, as well as Stormin Normand returns to battle familiar foes. “Normand” may be the one out to prove the most, wanting to be exposed to a major mile for the money and to meet the final group head on for the million. He should be an overlay here, too. Watch for that pair, they could pull off a hefty exacta based on their overlay statuses.

Freehold Features

The $50,000 Helen Smith Memorial for New Jersey-bred soph-filly trotters is the Freehold highlight on Sept. 7, while frosh-colt pacers head to the gate there on Sept. 8 in the Lou Babic Memorial. 

We would love to project a great upset for the “Smith,” but it is difficult to shy from Aunt Mel, the Erv Miller student who has been installed the morning-line choice (though 3-1 would be a generous price). 

She won her Smith elim following wins in the Zweig for gals and a major stake at Springfield in Illinois. As the top money-earner from her class in this division in this field and from the coveted rail on the half-mile for this event she seems the proverbial mortal lock. 

In the $106,700 Lou Babic, Tony Alegna’s red-hot stable sends out He Rocks The Moon with only the 8 hold to concern him. That is, if you don’t add to the mix the red-hot stable of Casie Coleman, which sends out Ideal Carver from post 5. The latter will most likely be the choice and maybe Alegna’s colt will be bet too heavily, leaving an upset chance from Charger Blue Chip from post 1. Noel Daley, whose stable may not be as hot as the aforementioned but is a force to reckon with in all situations, trains him. 

Historic Repeats Itself

A few Grand Circuit events left over from the Historic Week series are featured at Vernon Downs Sept. 7.  

The $64,600 Debutante Stake for frosh-filly pacers has only four on the gate, so it is hard to nail an overlay this early. The same goes for the open trot Credit Winner, though it carries a $200,000 purse.  

The $1919 all-aged Muscle Hill contest has seven on board and Pembroke Heat Wave would be our suggested contender. She keeps cashing checks against the best in the business and her recent Tioga Downs loss was a trip-decider for the winner, Beatgoeson Hanover, in here at post 1. Cedar Dove will gather most of the money, so go for the upset. 

Ray Cotolo contributed to this edition.