Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

Hello from my neighborhood track, Penn National Racecourse (see photo by Sharon Hindermyer). Here I was by the paddock, sheltered from the rain pelting the track, watching my thoroughbred-trainer friend Frank Cifarelli walk his steed before sending it to the gate in a maiden-claiming event recently. I have lived close to Penn National for two decades; in an area rich with racehorse farms and training facilities, and still love to hang out with horsemen and betting pals.

 

Harness racing, however, keeps me busy in my home office, where I am logged into TwinSpires, watching racing streams and on top of all the action. This past weekend we followed our suggested contenders from the Thursday blog, as usual, all weekend. 

 

We scored only once in weekend features but it was a dandy. Economy Terror won the Betsy Ross at Philadelphia, as we predicted, and paid $21.80. 

 

The Dan Patch Invitational at Hoosier was the perfect event for Bolt The Duer. He won it in his usual opportunistic style, getting the pocket and saving ground while a few others burned the fractions to ashes. He went off at 5-2, while last year’s champ and our choice, Rockincam, finished third. 

 

We were second in both Art Rooney elims at Yonkers, falling to a 5-1with Mach It So (7-2) and the 7-5 choice with Lone Wolf Currier (2-1).  

 

In the New Jersey Sires Stakes for soph colt and filly pacers, we were third in the first colt division with Rocnrolwilneverdie (6-1), last with Authorize in the sole filly split and fourth in the other colt split.  

 

For result stories on the slew of soph-colt-and-filly trotters’ stakes on May 24, visit the Hambletonian Society’s special archive page for the Hambletonian Trail stories. 

 

H2W

$23.40 Hoosier Jetta, Maywood
$10.40 Berosus, Buffalo
$10.20 They Call Me Moon, Meadows
$6.40 Lebo Jones, Cal Expo
$5.20 Allamerican Cheer, Scarborough
$5.00 Frog Juice, Scioto
$3.20 Luvalicious, Scarborough
$2.60 Mybrothergeorge, Scioto 

 

The following are the horses that finished second or third along with their post-time odds. Special notes on those finishes follow.  

 

Seconds:
Primrose Path (6-1), Maywood; Run Rose Leah (7-2), Northfield; Dartmouth Hall (5-2), Buffalo; Bombay Away (2-5), Buffalo; Strong Hope (12-1), Tioga 

 

Thirds:
Mack Brenlin (5-2), Maywood; Can You Fly (11-1), Scarborough; Four Hoof Drive (5-2), Buffalo

 

All adjustments for returnees to the list and additions will be in the Thursday blog.

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News And Notes

A reminder about Yonkers Raceway: After the Art Rooney Pace/Lismore stakes program on June 1, the track will be dark for live racing until Friday, June 14.

Racing returned to Mohawk on May 25 for its 50th season of harness racing. The 84-card meet will host live programs on Thursday through Saturday nights, plus Monday nights, until Oct. 14. Post time is 7:25 p.m. EDT The most anticipated event on the stakes calendar is the 30th edition of the Pepsi North America Cup, featuring the finest three-year-old pacers on Saturday, June 15. A special 7:05 p.m. post time is scheduled for that program, topped by the $1-million race. Other major race dates this summer include the Maple Leaf Trot on Saturday, July 20; the Metro Pace and Canadian Pacing Derby on Saturday, Aug. 31 and the Canadian Trotting Classic on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Buffalo Raceway Sunday afternoon racing will begin on June 2 and continue until the end of meeting – eight Sundays in all. The track will be continuing a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday schedule through July 21.

In the first start of her four-year-old campaign, Maven set a Woodbine track record and equaled the Canadian record for older trotting mares in her $30,000 division of the Miss Versatility Series. Maven, who captured the Breeders Crown last October at Woodbine and was one of Check Me Out’s top foes in their soph season, got under the wire first in 1:52 for regular pilot Yannick Gingras. Trained by Jonas Czernyson, Maven lifted her career bankroll to $929,680. The daughter of Glidemaster had an 8-5-0 record last season from 15 starts.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in many standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.  

 

Every weekend as part of that blog we offer Balmoral Pick-4-and-win picks at the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program page which includes suggested win bets.  

 

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. 

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog.

 

Cartoons by Thom Pye