• Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Jun 29, 2014
    The big news in the sport was not our repeat of a Sebastian K-to-Modern Family exacta ($7.20) but the fact that Sebastian K raced the fastest trotting mile in the history of the sport (1:49) on the Pocono five-eighths oval.

    Veteran horseman and our official harness-blog cartoonist Thom Pye said, “I have lived to see the face of The Deliverer” and that is how many of us felt as we witnessed the monster mile. Amazingly enough, Sebastian K, appeared to record the trip easily and looked tremendous drawing away from Modern Family down the stretch.

    The exacta did not match the one we had with the same two horses at the Meadowlands ($38) since Modern Family ($2.10, $2.10 ok) was only 6-1 and most other monies wagered across the board were on Sebastian K, who went off at 1-5 ($2.40, $2.10, $2.10 ok).

    Since we are not proponents of the speed factor, the biggest news about our efforts on the Sun Stakes program were the prices for some of the winners we supported. Doo Wop Hanover’s “Hempt” consolation payoff was outrageous ($7, $4, $3). He was clearly an overlay, as was Dancin Yankee ($6.60, $4.40, $3) in the pace Invitational. As well, we watched a muscled Sweet Lou ($3.20, $2.20, $2.10) pay more than expected.

    The freshman sires stakes at the Meadowlands on Friday, June 27, yielded two winners, one that was moved in a redraw for the frosh-colt pacing fields. Dealt A Winner ($8.20, $4.20, $3.20) won after being reassigned to division one. We scored, as did most bettors, in the first split for the filly pacers with Stacia Hanover ($3.20, $2.10, $2.10 ok). In the second division we were third with Smart Zone ($2.10). The single split for filly trotters gave us a hefty show price with Southwind Cartier ($9.20).

    We share the results of our soph-trot analysis’ here with our weekly update. The Hambletonian Trail comes to you in cooperation with TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society. You can read the recap race stories and data on the history of the August classics at the society’s archives.

    The week’s results from the Hambletonian Trail blog covered the big soph-colt trot event on the Pocono program and here, too, was a surprise price for the magnificent Father Patrick ($3, $2.20, $2.10). On Sunday, June 29 at Pocono, we scored with the fillies Lifetime Pursuit ($4.80, $3.60, $3) and Shake It Cerry ($2.80, $2.20, $2.20 ok).

    At Buffalo there were two splits for the colts and we only had one third with Flyhawk El Durado ($2.40).

    TwinSpires and Hoosier continue a three-pronged power-packed program for harness players. Tuesdays, wager all you want and earn 10 TSC Elite Points per dollar bet. Click here for details. Every Thursday night, there is a 20-percent bonus on hitting the Pick 4 starting at Race 3. Click here for details. And the ongoing 10-percent Pick-4 bonus every racing night on Pick-4 hits continues through the meet. Click here for details.

    In between published harness blogs, follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter to get tips on Hoosier contenders you can use in your tickets. Other possibilities appear in exclusive H2W list.

    H2W RESULTS

    The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing first or second completes the result with a race favorite or another H2W horse listed in the same race (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete the exacta).

    Winners

    Some Like It Hot, $24.20, $9.80, $5.90, Yonkers
    What About Brian, $9.20, $5, $4.40, Tioga
    Milliondollardad, $6.50, $2.50, $2.60 ok (Exacta $17.80), Buffalo
    Geronimo Fame, $3.40, $3, $2.70, Tioga
    Sling Shot Shooter, $3, $2.20, $2.20 ok, Hoosier

    Seconds

    Rocky Regal, $7.70, $5.40 (Exacta $21.80), Saratoga
    Sassy Sarah, $2.80, $2.80 ok, Scarborough

    Thirds

    Insane In Spane, $7.80, Yonkers
    Fresh Dream, $5.60, Pocono
    Diamond Gambler, $4.60, Ocean
    Lex Lugar, $3.60, Saratoga
    Light N Shadow, $2.20, Meadows
    Eagle Now, $2.10, Yonkers

    News And Notes

    Baby races at the Meadowlands on June 28 presented some fine progeny to watch as the frosh season ensues. The program began with a Cantab Hall colt, Musical Rhythm, heading to the front for a gate to wire 1:59.1 win for trainer Tony Alagna. Buzzy Sholty scored a double on the day with a nice pair of Donato Hanover fillies he trains—Donatos Babe, a 2:00.1 winner, and HS Carry On in 2:00.3

    Explosive Matter-filly Shafina Hanover was a winner for Noel Daley in 2:01.1. Ake Svanstedt won the next couple. He brought a Yankee Glide filly named Thats So Ironic in 1:59.3. Lima Pride impressed for Svanstedt in 2:01.2. He’s from the first crop of Muscle Massive. Trond Smedshammer. had a winner in Buen Camino in 1:59. This is a good sized home-bred by Cash Hall

    Shes Heavenly opened the pacing races with a handy 1:55.4 score. She’s another winner from the first crop of Rock N Roll Heaven. Casie Coleman sent out Oneisalonelynumber to win the tenth in 1:57. He is a Bettors Delight colt. Bedroomconfessions got a perfect trip to win convincingly in 1:55.2. She is by American Ideal and goes for trainer Tony Alagna. The day’s final race was the fastest with the Well Said colt Paparazzi Hanover winning.

    After working in the breeding shed, seven-year-old trotter Wishing Stone made his 2014 racing debut in a conditioned handicap at the Meadowlands, winning at 9-1. Wishing Stone stood as a stallion at Deo Volente Farms in New Jersey. He fulfilled breeding contracts for 331 doses of frozen semen overseas and bred to 30 mares in North America. He follows the racing-stallion-racing pattern as have some successes abroad, including Ready Cash, France’s richest trotter and a popular sire, Coktail Jet and Mack Lobell, who both won the prestigious Elitloppet after stud duties. Wishing Stone is well known in Europe, having competed there at four and five. In 2011 he won the French trotting race Grand Prix du Sud Ouest at 1-5/16 mile and also the King’s Trophy in Sweden. He was second in the Gran Premio Continentale in Italy. A year later he won the Copenhagen Cup in Denmark. He returned to the U.S. in August 2012 to continue his career in North America.

    Dresden Raceway opens the 2014 season on July 1. After the 10-race opening card, racing will be conducted at Dresden on Sunday afternoons through Labor Day, the exception being the two holiday weekends. Dresden will race on the Aug. 4 Canadian holiday Monday and on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 1. Post time for all 11 cards of racing will be 1 p.m.

    To honor one of the greatest driver careers in the history of harness racing, the Meadowlands will present an evening that will celebrate the career of Cat Manzi. On Friday, July 25, the “Cat-Man” will return to the Meadowlands, not to drive but to take part in an evening that will pay tribute to his storied career. Manzi, a winner of 14,812 races, currently third all time among North American drivers, spent many of his best years driving in the tri-state area and came to the Meadowlands during the track’s opening seasons where he finished in the top five in the driver’s standings 12 times. Manzi’s greatest win at the New Jersey oval was undoubtedly the 2006 Meadowlands Pace with Artistic Fella. After two unprecedented race accidents that came in untimely succession, Manzi decided to end his career.

    Running Aces is running programs and in this week’s blog we will be adding entries to our H2W list. Again this season, we warn you to keep your eyes on horses trained by California veterans Tim Maier and Gerald Longo. The stalwart horsemen from the heydays of the West Coast harness circuit handle competitive stock at the Minnesota raceway; these pacers and trotters are often ignored by bettors on site and through the simulcast network.

    Extraordinary Extras

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

    Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

    Cartoons by Thom Pye
    Learn more about Pye harness art and cartoons, click here
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