TwinSpires.com Blog

The early September stakes docket is locked and loaded with two-, three-, and older pacers and trotters on half-, five-eighths- and seven-eighths mile tracks on either side of the north border as we entertain wagering opportunities in four states and our friendly eastern Canadian province. The mega-miles menu begins Friday, Sept. 6.

 

And aside from all the features, more live contenders in overnights are projected in our exclusive horses to watch (H2W) list below.

 

TwinSpires offers special bonuses for Hoosier Park throughout the harness meet. Check out the Hoosier details here.

 

Our featured Breeders Crown Countdown event this week is a senior trot coupling. Vernon Downs hosts a pair of exceptional $200,000-plus stakes fields on Friday, Sept. 6 with the Muscle Hill Trot for older mares and the Credit Winner for older trotting males and for that analysis to work on your wagers, Go to Breeders Crown Countdown. 

 

Classics Continued

 

Fourteen glamour-boy trotters line up behind the gate for this year’s Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations, Sept. 7 at Mohawk. From two elims, the top five finishers from each advance to the $700,000 final on Saturday, Sept. 14.

 

Hambletonian-champ Royalty For Life headlines the first of the pair and if he is allowed to glide as he did in the “Zweig” or the Hambo, it will be impossible to catch him. There’s very little to aim at betting-wise, as Smilin Eli easily takes the second spot in the class of these seven.

 

The second chapter should be all Corky, probably placed well behind Punxsutawney, who is always greedy for the lead. Plus, Wheeling N Dealin is back and he will be trouble for “Punx” on the lead—he has to be if he is going to get any winning done this season.  Fico could be overlooked again and combine for a good exacta with Corky.

 

Grand Circuit Stakes

 

Grand Circuit action at Mohawk for two- and three-year-old pacers is featured on the Saturday, Sept. 7 program in Champlain Stakes (frosh colt and fillies) and Simcoe Stakes (soph colts). In order of the races’ appearance on the program, here are our suggested contenders.

 

Champlain frosh-filly pace: Take That Hanover has survived some awful trips. If this journey is easier, she may rule.

 

Simcoe soph-colt pace: Lucan Hanoer had no chance in the Cane Pace but is back on two turns with a chance to revisit his New Jersey Classic form, where he won off a fast pace in 1:48.3.

 

Champlain frosh-colt pace: Somewhere Fancy takes on the stakes group after two wins in two races all season. He appears the speed of this group and may have an easy go of it.

 

Champlain frosh-filly pace: Precocious Beauty may be the dominating factor in this division, though her price will be short off of her stakes win last week.

 

Champlain frosh-colt pace: Luck Be Withyou busted on the move in the Metro and may have been a factor against our winner, Boomboom Ballykeel. With a smooth sail aloft here he may be too fast for any foe’s comfort.

 

Simcoe soph-colt pace: Validus Deo may have found a perfect spot to charge late against the speedball brigade that includes most of the rest. Tarpon Hanover may be coming late with him for a big exacta.

 

‘WW’ Trot

 

The William Wellwood Trot elims for froshes are on the Mohawk docket for Friday, Sept. 6, with the division’s top colt, Father Patrick, in the first round. Even from post 10 it is difficult to place any of the other nine in his category, so judge the value for yourself.

 

In elim two the competition is far more debatable. We give a nod to the Kadabra colt, Scary Magic, racing for Nifty Norman. The Muscle Hill kids have been productive, so longshot Muscle Midas should definitely be another one to watch.

 

‘Quillin’ Cues

 

The Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway offers two elim divisions on Monday, Sept. 9. Eleven older pacers take on the half-mile affairs, looking to get into the $223,500 Sept. 16 final. The top four finishers from each elim get berths.

 

Two-time “Quillen” champion Foiled Again heads the first division, starting from post 5 in a five-horse field. He meets stablemate Atochia, Sapphire City, Mcerlean and Dynamic Youth. As the obvious choice he may romp if he is at his best behavior, which he has not been of late. This is why Dynamic Youth could have a good shot here.

 

The second division features three millionaires: the Linda Toscano-trained Heston Blue Chip, the Ron Burke-trained Clear Vision and the Casie Coleman-conditioned Michaels Power. Local hero Malak Uswaad N is the only horse in the field with a win over the track, winning in 1:52.3 on Governor’s Day during the Delaware State Fair. Also here, is the Burke-trained Escape the News and the Tony Alagna-trained Mel Mara. Clear Vision was full of muscle against A Rocknroll Dance last week in Canada, going step for step in a two-horse battle. Clear Vision has been improving and may be the best here, though a price is up for judgment.

 

H2W Legend

 

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races.

 

The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last time) because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered but on the also-eligible list. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

 

H2W

 

Batavia
9/7/13, Nurder He Wrote R1; Departure R6; Design Guru R7

 

Freehold
9/6/13 Vintage Oaks R3

 

Maywood
9/6/13, + Major Challenge R4; Anescape R9; +Kansas Wildcat R11 

 

The Red Mile
9/7/13, +Title Shot R7; +Cladslastimpression R8

 

Tioga
9/6/13, Margarita Cash R3
9/7/13, What About Brian R5

 

Vernon

9/6/13, Royalty Free R1; Northern Companion R2; Steuben Huckleberi R3; He Is Risen R5
 
Yonkers

9/6/13, I’m Fabulous R4; Nieghsay Hanover R6; +Virgin Mary R9  

 

Ray Cotolo contributed to this edition.