Showing posts with label Check Me Out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Check Me Out. Show all posts

  • Battlefield Breeders Crown: The Cavalcade Of Freshmen and Sophomores

    POSTED Oct 24, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    Once again, this TwinSpires blog and the exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog are working in tandem. We are splitting up our comments on the Oct. 27 Breeders Crown finals at Woodbine between here and there.

    At the other blog, we present the older divisions in the classic series, while the two- and three-year-old events are covered below. And follow us on Twitter -- @FrankCotolo and @RayCotolo, as we report live on the Woodbine program.

    Shuffle your attention once more to be abreast of all the coverage, available exclusively at TwinSpires in cooperation with the Hambletonian Society. Here are our comments and suggested contenders in the order of the frosh or soph event on Saturday, Oct. 27.

    Two-Year-Old Filly Pace


    Off of a striking win at The Red Mile, Parlee Beach comes to this affair fresh and strong. She qualified at Mohawk to prep and should be ready to pounce on the top choice, I Luv The Nitelife and top the exacta with that one. You may want to add Love Canal for a trifecta. She was our choice in the elim and was a strong second at 13-1 with Somewherovrarainbow, who is bound to be sharp again but may have to settle for a smaller share with these.
     

    Three-Year-Old Filly Pace


    We are ready to support what could be a major upset in this mile with Apogee Hanover.

    This race could wind up with a shuffling speed duel that will give our choice a clear path to take advantage of a closing kick that impressed us greatly in last week’s elim, won by Romantic Moment. That won will have to contend with American Jewel and Economy Terror and the three could cancel each other out.

    In fact, using Shelliscape for the exacta with Apogee Hanover is a wise move that could produce great results if the speed we expect is not at a surplus. This is a wonderful scenario for an explosive wagering strike.

    Two-Year-Old Filly Trot


    We have been fans of frosh-fillies sired by Kadabra since we delivered readers Poof She’s Gone in the Mistletoe Shalee at 6-1. When Bee A Magician began the season we were all over her nine wins from 11 starts. She comes into this event poised to beat To Dream On (she is the only filly to defeat that one) and if she lives up to her 3-1 morning line she is a super overlay.

    Royal Assets could play a role in an exotic combo, having a propensity to follow winners. She is in a great spot to lay low and sneak into the picture late at a great price.

    Three-Year-Old Filly Trot


    Check Me Out can come close to being the first soph-filly trotter to get a bundle of votes for Horse of the Year since CR Kay Suzie earned that honor—but she has to win this event convincingly. We think she will do that and that only some strange misstep that gets her galloping will stop her. Toss out her loss at The Red Mile since she made two wide moves. From the rail here she should command this affair.

    What may make for a juicy exotic is the inclusion of Bluff. We thought Bluff would be the one to beat Check Me Out in the Kentucky Filly Futurity but she never got started in that mile. We will excuse her for that and bank on her getting a good spot early, possibly sucking along to Check Me Out and saving enough ground to get second or third while others fade from giving chase.

    Two-Year-Old Colt Pace


    Three words describe this race: Captaintreacherous, Captaintreacherous and Captaintreacherous (photo right). It has become hard to be anything but cute when talking about a race with this monstrous freshman. He will be 1-10 and there will be little you can do with him. He may race to another world record here as he faces the same types he has been beating regularly. No one knows if he has raced his best and as his third birthday looms we can only watch and try to muster more awe.

    Rockin Amadeus may be on his tail for second, though even at 20-1 the exacta will be slim.

    Two-Year-Old Colt Trot


    Pine Chip scratched from this final but that is hardly consequential since his chances of beating Wheeling N Dealin were slim to none. In fact, who among this group can hand “Wheeling” his first defeat? It is difficult to make as strong a case for any other colt here but Wheeling.

    Last week we took a 60-1 shot, Caveat Emptor, who finished fourth. He may sit in a good spot this time around, leaving as we thought he would in the final, and be up to making this a whopper of an exacta. For a trifecta with some price to it, put the probable second choice, Dontyouforgetit for third.
     
    Three-Year-Old Colt Pace

    This will be the first time all season that we support Sweet Lou. We beat him throughout the year and rightfully so—except at The Red Mile. That was an impressive race against the best of this mediocre crop. Along with Mel Mara, a perfect late-season star, Sweet Lou should handle the likes of the lesser talent involved.

    This rag-tag field is what is left of the crop: Michaels Power, Bettors Edge, Escape The News, Heston Blue Chip, Panther Hanover, Dapper Dude, Thinking Out Loud and Hillbilly Hanover were all second- and third-stringers in the division this year.

    The fact that Michaels Power will get money only helps our duo. Bettors Edge won his elim with everyone on top of him but he will attract money. Thinking Out Loud is a hometown favorite that has one big credit to his season and it was in Canada, Hillybilly Hanover is thriving late but was nowhere most of the season and Dapper Dan brings very little to the table with his resume.

    Sweet Lou stunned the crowd here last year as the frosh-colt pacing hero but at three he was disappointing, though productive by most measures. In class and condition, our pair of picks are the best.
     

    Three-Year-Old Colt Trot

     
    Supplement, shmupplement [sic], Market Share is the utter best of this division and how he lost last week to Intimidate qualifies as a freaky moment that should become an asterisk in the history books.

    It’s true that we backed Little Brown Fox through the year and thought he could have won the Hambletonian had he not jumped in his elim to be disqualified, that was then and this is now—and now, Market Share is undeniably the best. He won’t be worth much to win and the exotics promise to be puny, so we leave this one up to you 

    For the events with older divisions of this year’s Breeders Crown, click here.

    Ray Cotolo contributed to this edition.

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Oct 7, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    The last week of The Red Mile’s Grand Circuit meet began on Thursday, Oct. 4, but we were concentrating on the last three days in Kentucky, when the bulk of the Breeders Crown-eligibles prepped for the main event this month in high-class events.

    Friday and Saturday and Sunday suggestions from this blog resulted in some big winners and certainly made betting at The Red Mile produce black ink for wagering accounts paying attention.

    Let’s go backward, beginning with Sunday, Oct. 7, Kentucky Futurity day at the Lexington oval.

    Both of the main events were conducted in the “heat” format, which we embrace because one can scout great overlays in the elims (first heats) that produce the final field (heat two). We were spot on with the Kentucky Filly Futurity, handing out Oasis Dream as the winner of one of the elim heats. Oasis Dream won and paid $27.60.
     
    Though we lost the second heat because our choice, Bluff (27-1) did not fire, we chose the filly based on the scenario that it was very likely Check Me Out, the queen of the division, would lose her first race since she broke in a main event on Hambletonian day. That was the premise for chosing Bluff and the premise turned into reality—just not with our horse. The longshot winning was Win Missy B (see photo left), paying a bit less than Bluff offered. Though we cannot take credit for the winner, if the scenario was accepted and blog followers chose a filly to upset, you can thank us for that; it was an exclusive opinion expressed nowhere else in the harness business.

    Then there was the main event, the colts in the Kentucky Futurity (actually open to fillies but they rarely compete). With the same elim-heat-wagering mentality we chose My MVP to win the second heat over some well bet popular members—and we won. Taking his elim heat, My MVP paid $19.60.

    My MVP lost all of his value in the final, though he won it, paying $6.60. These two elim-heat results (thought they did not pan out in this years Little Brown Jug) prove that this is a profit-making strategy.

    In the first elim heat for the boys we finished third at 9-1 with Another Amaretto, who finished third in the final at 39-1.

    Saturday at The Red Mile we had two fairly obvious winners. In the first International Stallion Stake (ISS) for frosh-colt pacers we won with Fool Me Once ($6.20). We stayed with popular opinion in another ISS with the monstrous pacer Captaintreacherous, who won again ($2.40).

    On Friday at The Red Mile a single hit made the whole program worthwhile in the profit department. Even if you lost with six of the seven horses we suggested, you won money due to the success of Hit The Curb. The frosh-filly pacer won an ISS and paid $35.80.

    A footnote on Friday, though it was a loss unless you play triples and take some of our overlays into consideration, was Lauderdale. This frosh-colt trotter finished third at 93-1 and that made some exotic-wagering players very happy. In that department, also, was Broadway Prince, another frosh-colt trotter, who finished second to the fave in an ISS split at 8-1.

    Straight-out failure was in the mix on Friday, however, as we bombed in the Maywood stakes, when one of our horses broke at the start of the race (9-1) and never had a chance and another was fourth at 13-1.

    Our exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog continues as we head for the eliminations of the season’s divisional classics. We will be reporting live on the night of the elims and finals from Woodbine, so be ready (see below) and follow us for the top value wagers available anywhere in harness racing.

    Review all of the season’s great harness action at the archives we produce at Hambletonian Society’s page.

    News And Notes

    Hambletonian and Canadian Trotting Classic champion Market Share was not eligible to the Kentucky Futurity but trainer Linda Toscano gave the colt a good workout by racing on Saturday, Oct. 6 in a $10,000 Late Closer at The Red Mile. The non-disputed leader of his division took a lifetime mark at 1-9, going the two turns in 1:50.

    Tim Tetrick was in the sulky for the $2.10 win. Market Share is poised to take on the best of his division in the Breeders Crown, with eliminations at Woodbine on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.

    Also prepping for Breeders Crown eliminations, working out at Mohawk Racetrack on Oct. 5 were Daylon Magician and L Dees Lioness. The former, a four-year-old horse trotter, won a qualifier with his usual pilot, Jack Moiseyev. Frosh filly pacer L Dees Lioness put in a tightener for trainer Casie Coleman and driver Scott Zeron, winning in 1:56.

    Googoo Gaagaa, the trotting son of a pacing sire who stormed through the glamour-boy trotting division this season when he met division members, qualified in 2:00.2 at Rosecroft Raceway recently but not for the big “Crown” dance. The son of Cam’s Rocket, a Maryland-based sire, cannot race in the prime events for the same reason he was unable to be in the Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic and Kentucky Futurity—his pacing sire.

    Harrah’s Philadelphia is open again. The fall meet goes through Friday, Dec. 21, with racing Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays starting at 12:40 p.m. EST. There is a special program on Nov. 3, held in league with the Breeders Cup thoroughbred series at Santa Anita. On Nov. 2 the post changes to 3:30 p.m. and racing on the Friday after U.S. Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, goes under the lights at 6:30 p.m.

    Extraordinary Extras

    Indulge in many 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’s Sunday ticket produced two winners, Lismaraslady ($13.80) and Classy Chassy ($11.60). This week’s Saturday ticket produced Born To Rockn Roll ($13.20).

    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 and receive a free copy of a classic horseracing fiction book by clicking here.

    Check out special podcasts available for beginners and veterans of harness betting, a new series available free so you can learn more to bet more and win more at TwinSpires. Click here.
     
    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Sep 30, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    The Red Mile’s Grand Circuit meet is the focus of the sport for the next two weeks. The weekend was filled with Bluegrass stakes for two- and three-year-olds of both gaits.  

    Our campaign began on Friday, where we tried to beat favorites that were spot-on fast and furious. We had a 6-1 second with Deadliest Catch, who completed the $24 exacta with a favorite. Beyond that we were fourth with Here’s Johnny, had a breaker that finished off the board and a scratch with Arctic Tale. 

    Saturday got lucky for us as a disqualification placed our choice, Rockin Amadeus first in another Bluegrass event, paying $10. Captaintreacherous won again later paying two and change.  

    Three others we gave out finished second: Sir Richard Z Tam (2-1), Dedi’s Dragon (2-1) and Bettor’s Edge (7-1). Rockaround Sue (48-1) finished third. 

    Sunday, Sept. 30’s Bluegrass features were for soph-colt and soph-filly trotters. Our only strike was mild and, as it turned out, quite predictable. Guccio won a colt split as the dead-on choice, paying $2.40. In the other colt episodes, Gym Tan Laundry (3-1) was fourth and Beer Summit (3-1) got fifth. 

    The fillies also handed over an obvious choice as Check Me Out broke her own world record and won, paying $2.80 in one split. Bluff (7-5) skipped a bit at the top but recovered to finish third and Personal Style (3-2) broke at three-quarters while charging in second and finished sixth. 

    The final weekend of The Red Mile’s Grand Circuit meet presents the age-old Kentucky Futurity episodes for colts and fillies of the soph-trotting ilk. The events are embedded in harness racing history (for some info, click here) and is one of the last outposts for heat racing. 

    The Hambletonian crews will be aboard, most of them engaged in heat racing for the first time, which could provoke any number of upsets. We will be covering the events with complete analysis’ in our preview blog this week, including the exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog. 

    Other top events are on the agenda for two- and three-year-olds of both gaits and some other divisions. These are the last big races before eight divisions drop into the box for the Breeders Crown elims. Stay with us at TwinSpires for great harness-betting action and stabs at the best prices the sport offers. 

    Review all of the season’s great harness action at the archives we produce at Hambletonian Society’s page.

    News And Notes

    The biggest news this week is that the Breeders Crown series will return to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in 2013. We were on site in 2010 at the Pennsylvania track to report on both weekends—elims and finals—and hope to be there again with the press corps next year, exclusively for TwinSpires in league with the Hambletonian Society, which handles the series. We will cover this year’s series at Woodbine live but not on site.

    Tom Charters, president of the Hambletonian Society, was enthusiastic about the partnership.

    “The opportunity to return to Pocono Downs in 2013 is very exciting,” he said. “Mohegan Sun and the Pennsylvania horsemen were terrific hosts in 2010.

    “Building on that memorable record-breaking night [in 2010], the Hambletonian Society is looking forward to partnering with them again on what will be a spectacular event for the entire harness industry.”

    Pocono was the first track to host all 12 races on a single program, worth $6 million.

    Western Fair in Canada opens Oct. 12 with a 7:05 p.m. EST post. The London, Ontario oval will host racing every Monday and Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. and Friday and Saturday nights at 7:05 p.m. through Dec. 31. The first major race on the schedule will be the $200,000 (est.) Forest City Pace for pacing mares, slated for Saturday, Nov. 17.

    Herve Filion has accepted an invitation from Rideau-Carleton Raceway to drive on its Sunday, Oct. 7 program. The 72-year-old will make his first Canadian driving appearance in over a decade.

    Filion, a native of Quebec, has spent most of his life living and racing in New York. He sits second in North American in lifetime victories with 15,180, his record being surpassed this year by Dave Palone. His career earnings are nearly $90 million.

    In the standardbred industry’s Top Ten poll, the filly Check Me Out continues to maintain first place. It is uncommon for a soph-filly trotter to hold the first spot, no less keep it for as long as has Ray Schnittker’s dynamic filly.

    One horse that is eligible but won’t be racing in the Breeders Crown is For A Dancer. The soph-filly trotters connections announced they are retiring her for health reasons. She had a pretty good go at the races at two and three. She won the Lady Suffolk in May and an Empire Breeders Classic elim and final in June but she was never a challenge to the division’s super filly, Check Me Out. 

    Extraordinary Extras

    Indulge in many 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 Saturday’s ticket produced two winners, Gibbs ($10.60) and Whistle Pig ($13.40). 

    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 and receive a free copy of a classic horseracing fiction book by clicking here.  

    Check out special podcasts available for beginners and veterans of harness betting, a new series available free so you can learn more to bet more and win more at TwinSpires. Click here.
     

    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Sep 1, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    A lot of the season’s top horses, trotters and pacers, from almost every division, played a role in the stakes-filled weekend. 

    Keep up with race stories and pre-race analysis’s at our exclusvie Breeders Crown Countdown blog and the Hambletonian archive area devoted to the “countdown” stories.  

    The big story of the week, on Sept. 1 at Mohawk, was something to behold as frosh-pacer Captaintreacherous took the $1-million Metro Pace in 1:49.2. He may be the super horse of the season, as predicted. He took off late in the mile, just past a sizzling three-quarters in 1:21.3 (yikes, remember these are two-year-olds) but once he got started he didn’t stop for no other closer. Captaintreacherous paid $3.70, which, considering the territory, could be considered generous. 

    We also nailed a Simcoe Stakes that night as Little Brown Fox won battling against soph-colt trotters in a sparkling 1:51.4, paying $5.10 against the favorite.

    At Pocono, we passed on Check Me Out again, suggesting she would be invincible in this group and she was just that, destroying the world record for soph-filly trotters on a five-eighths track with a win in 1:51.3. She paid $3.40, arguably an overlay.
     
    Also in the sires-stakes finals for sophomores, we nabbed Economy Terror, the soph-filly pacer, as she won and paid $4.
     
    Our choices on the other stakes on the Mohawk program Saturday were not so productive. The Canadian Pacing Derby bettors made We Will See 5-1 but a remarkable mile from Foiled Again (15-1) won it. In the She’s A Great Lady, Macharoundtheclock (12-1) made a bold first-over move and hung from the effort, finishing 10th; the favorite won. Rebeca Bayama was only 5-2 in the A Spring Of Hope but she wound up fourth to the huge public choice, Put On A Show. And Teresas Beach broke badly in the Metro Consolation, having no chance to compete after running.




    News And Notes

    With his win in the Canadian Pacing Derby, Foiled Again became the richest pacer in history. His winning share of the event earned him enough to balloon his earnings to $4.3 million. He did it in less than six seasons. It’s another feather in the cap of trainer Ron Burke, who kept the stalwart pacer strong through each season. He was a longshot in this field for many reasons, one because he had a poor win record thus far this season and was up against some powerful recency.

    Drop The Ball, now four, met her usual pacing-mare contestants at Philadephia on the last day in August, only this time she went faster than she ever won before. Her 1:48.4 win made her the fastest four-year-old pacing mare in the history of the sport. It was only a Mares Open Pace but she did most of the speedy work alone. It was her fourth win of the season.

    Grand Circuit racing continues at Mohawk through the week. On Sept. 4 there are more Simcoe Stakes, these for soph-filly trotters. Then on Sept. 8 frosh pacers of both sexes go in Champlain Stakes and soph colt pacers battle in Simcoe Stakes. The “Circuit” takes a short break after Mohawk, returning on Sept. 19 for the historic Little Brown Jug week at the Delaware, Ohil County Fair.

    Windsor Raceway is officially closed. The Ontario track gave up the ghost after slots money was denied by the province gaming commission. It was a top track once and in its waning years it was a great place for overlays in overnights, with a true bias for trip handicapping. To read more about the track, see the Vast Performances link below.

    Freehold Raceway, however, started its latest meet. America’s oldest pari-mutuel harness track will present a 51-day summer/fall meet.

    Freehold offers a $5,000 guaranteed Pick-4 (races 2-5) each day of the meet. Freehold races three days per week, Thursday through Saturday. 

    First post for the meet will be 12:30 p.m.

    The Breeders Crown is the next target for all the top horses in their divisions. Click here to get to  the exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog.

    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.   

    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 and receive a free copy of a classic horseracing fiction book by clicking here. And listen to the podcast now available for beginners and veterans of harness betting, a new series available free so you can learn more to bet more and win more at TwinSpires. Click here.
     
     

    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Aug 26, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    If you are one of “the crowd” then you cashed a few tickets this weekend, though most of the returns were pale and paltry. 

    You may have, however, zeroed in on one of our choices, Prestidigitator, from our Breeders Crown Countdown blog, and beaten a big choice as the ex-Hambo contender won and paid $11. That is a top price for this weekend’s big events. With the favorite, the other horse we mentioned, Knows Nothing, also from the 2012 Hambo field, the exacta came back $19.80.

    Our obvious choice of the week, Captaintreacherous burned up Mohawk in a Metro Pace elim as the big choice and was followed by exactly who we thought would follow him, as did everyone, Johny Rock. That exacta paid $7.40.  

    We were correct, as everyone was too, with Check Me Out in the filly Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs. She didn’t break stride, which always means a win against anyone in her division. Her 1:51.3 mile equaled her own world record for a sophomore filly. She paid $2.20 in the win-betting only affair. 

    In the other Metro elims we handed out huge plays, Bigrisk at 68-1 (finished seventh) and Teresas Beach at 48-1 (finished sixth). We admit that during our handicapping we gave these horses far better chances than the public. Don’t worry, however, because the crowd choices won these races, so no other outside contenders did any good to play, either. 

    In the two She’s A Great Lady elims we faired better, with a favorite that wound up third (Parlee Beach) and a second with Cult Status.

    We gave Uncle Peter, the Hambo favorite, one more chance in his attempt to win the Zweig for glamour-boy trotters but he was every bit as miserable on the track as he was in the Colonial, finishing seventh at 7-1. Market Share won it, however, and the Hambo champ was an overwhelming public choice to do so.

    The Canadian Pacing Derby elim at Mohawk also went to the chalk as Betterthancheddar won at 4-5. Our swing at the fence with Allthatglitrsisgold, hoping he was returning with some spunk, was a fan; the 54-1 shot finished 10th.  

    Another favorite wiped up any chances for our second-choice pick when Heston Blue Chip (photo above left) defeated Pet Rock in the Cane Pace elim at Tioga Downs on Sunday evening.  

    News And Notes

    For the umpteenth time, California harness racing was saved from extinction. Recently, the state racing board unanimously approved a license application of a new harness operator for a meet at Cal Expo in Sacramento. W & W signed the management agreement with Golden Bear Racing LLC for the day-to-day operation of the race meet.

    The next meet kicks off on Friday, Nov. 2 and will go through May 11, 2013, with Friday and Saturday programs until Dec. 22. At that time Thursday, Friday, and Saturday racing is added through the remainder of the meeting.

    Colonial Downs will open its 15th harness racing season on Wednesday, Sept. 5 with a six-week campaign over only one-turn mile in harness racing. The meet goes through Oct. 14.

    Colonial offers a 10-race program every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The annual $400,000 (est.) Day of Champions will close the meet with Virginia-bred freshman-and-sophomore pacers and trotters of both sexes in eight divisional championships.

    Director of Racing Craig Andow has put together a number of late-closer series spread over the six weeks. Most of the multi-leg events feature two preliminary legs and a final. Six of the 10 series feature races ranging from 5/8ths of a mile sprints to 1¼-mile marathons.

    Wishing Stone, a multiple-stakes-winner, including the 2010 Kentucky Futurity, is coming back to the states. The trotter has been racing in Europe since the end of his sophomore campaign. Dewayne Minor, who co-owns the horse, said Wishing Stone left Sweden last week and is shipping to The Red Mile after several days in quarantine.

    Minor said, “To have a horse like that in the barn … gives you a great incentive to continue doing what you do.”

    Wishing Stone’s final appearance in Europe on Aug. 15 resulted in a second in the Jubilee Trophy in Sweden. In June, Wishing Stone won the Copenhagen Cup. In 2011, Wishing Stone won the French Grand Prix du Sud Ouest at 1-5/16 miles and also the Kings Trophy in Sweden. He was second in the Gran Premio Continentale in Italy.

    Minor said the horse should be coming back in pretty good shape, adding he would have to “bring him back up to speed again, get his muscles going again where he’s speedy. There is way more speed here than [in European harness racing].”

    The last time Wishing Stone raced in the U.S. he won the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs, one of six of his final eight starts in the states, including an American-National Stakes at Balmoral Park. He was second to Break The Bank K in the Breeders Crown for soph trotters, covered live by us for TwinSpires at Pocono.

    Minor hopes Wishing Stone will race in the Pride In Progress Trot at Indiana Downs on Sept. 22. If not, the Allerage Farm Trot at the Red Mile on Oct. 7 is his next challenge. He also has the Breeders Crown and American-National on his schedule.

    “There is a possibility we might race him again next year,” Minor said. “We’ll see how it ends up this year and go from there.”

    The Breeders Crown is the next target for all the top horses in their divisions. Click here to get to  the exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog.

    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 and receive a free copy of a classic horseracing fiction book by clicking here. And listen to the podcast now available for beginners and veterans of harness betting, a new series available free so you can learn more to bet more and win more at TwinSpires. Click here.
     
     
    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Aug 5, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    Thanks to the Hambletonian Society we spent Friday, Aug. 3 and Saturday, Aug. 4 on site at the Meadowlands. We thank Tom Charters, Moira Fanning and the entire society’s board and staff for being able to represent the TwinSpires wagering public by being members of the international press crew covering one of the greatest programs in the harness racing season.  

    A complete, exclusive story about the Hambletonian race for 2012 will be available at the Hambletonian Trail blog.  

    The two features on Friday night started us off with strange twist concerning the next day’s trotting classic. In the Townsend-Ackerman, which consisted of trotting colts that did not make it into the main event for one reason or another, we praised Little Brown Fox. He was the colt we thought would win the main event but he broke in his elim and did not make it into the final. When this race surfaced we alerted our readers that no price may be small enough that couldn’t be considered an overlay because he would win this minor event.  

    He won, paying $2.40 (the favorite exacta paid $3.80, the trifecta paid $7.60), but he won stronger and faster than the Hambletonian winner the following day (see “Trail” blog). “Fox” won in 1:52, gliding away from his foes, none of which had muscle enough to stay with him.  

    We tweeted a cold exacta win Friday night in Race 8. Sniper Seelster to Lemon Drop Hall paid $34.40.  

    In the Ima Lula stakes our 7-1 Tui was in the race until buried late, finishing seventh. The big favorite, Cedar Dove, won. 

    It was a curious day for favorites and longshots at the Meadowlands on Aug. 4. We stuck with most of our published choices but made an update in the Sweetheart Final that turned into a profit (we hope you followed our tweets). We backed Jerseylicious over our original choice, Cult Status. Jerseylicious won and paid $20. Cult Status finished third and the other horse we mentioned, Nikki Beach, was the huge favorite and finished second. It was indeed delicious in Jersey to find that a triple with those elements paid $123.80.  

    Our only other winner was published in the blog. That was Aperfectyankee, who won the Peter Haughton Memorial Final and paid $10.80. Fashion Blizzard, our second choice, finished third at 8-1.  

    Here is how our others finished, with odds-off stats, in best finishing order:  

    Martini Hanover was third at 13-1; Rollinlikeabigshot was third at 6-1; Starglow Hall was fourth at 78-1; Blackjack Princess was fourth at 3-1; We Will See was fourth at 3-1; Lady Rivera was seventh at 9-1; Zooming was seventh at 6-1; Higher And Higher was eighth at 82-1; Hot Shot Blue Chip broke and finished seventh-placed sixth; and Southwind Moni broke and was eliminated at 47-1.  

    On a $2 basis, if you backed every favorite (just to win) on the Hambo program, you lost $2.40 (a negative ROI). 

    On a $2 basis, if you backed every horse we gave you (just to win), you made $6.80 (a positive ROI).

    News And Notes

    The countdown to the 2012 edition of the Sobeys Gold Cup & Saucer continues as Charlottetown Driving Park presents the event on Saturday, Aug. 18. We will offer our analysis of the event and the programs at this blog for TwinSpires exclusively.
    Rebounding from his Adios failure, Sweet Lou overpowered his Pennsylvania Sires Stakes division Aug. 4 at the Meadows in 1:49.4. The $290,937 event for soph-colt pacers found Sweet Lou sporting new gear and the 1-9 favorite soared to the win by 3-1/2 lengths.

    A notable record from a losing horse in the New Jersey Classic occurred on the Hambo program when Hurrikane Kingcole took the front and guided the field to three-quarters in a blazing 1:18.2. The prohibitive favorite, he  was beaten by a head, unable to take one more step to complete the 1:47.2 mile. The winner, Panther Hanover, gets credit for the time but, as in many world-record performances, the pacesetter cutting the fractions, in this case “Hurrikane,” was right there to share the time. It was only a :29 final panel with that three-quarters time, which was the fastest three-quarters time in the history of standardbred racing.

    The Meadowlands’ Bob Heyden was on the simulcast show Friday and picked a horse that was 20-1 on the morning line. Most Happy Keene, leaving from the 10 hole in Race 11, with Anthony Napolitano driving (a mainstay at Pocono Downs with a few drives on the evening program), had a minor class edge in the conditioned event but his form looked awful. The race, however, presented some dueling and shuffling, enough to allow “Keene” to close five wide and catch a row of horses to win. The “Holly Hot shot” pick paid $88.20. So you see, not all of the in-house handicappers make keen decisions, no pun intended. 

    Racing at Batavia Downs moves to a Sunday afternoon – Wednesday – Friday and Saturday night schedule beginning Aug. 5.  Evening post time is 6:25 p.m. with matinee post time scheduled for 1:15 p.m.

    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 and receive a free copy of a classic horse-racing fiction book by clicking here.



    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Jul 21, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    Grappling with freshmen and sophomores on both gaits this past weekend presented us with a good number of plays. However, we were snaked by some longer shots than our longshots and some favorites where we hoped for upsets.  

    The Adios elims got us one winner but he turned out to be a loser with a winning entrymate. Allstar Legend was our choice but he lost to his stable partner Bettor’s Edge, who we liked a few weeks ago in a Meadowlands Pace elim. To make the win bitter, the entry paid a paltry $4.40. “Allstar” finished fourth to make the final. 

    The first Adios elim was a favorite’s delight with hometown colt Sweet Lou (photo below by Chris Gooden), winning over A Rocknroll Dance. Our choice, Hurrikane Kingcole, went off much lower than we thought and finished fourth.  

    Sweet Lou and Bettor’s Edge join A Rocknroll Dance, Thinking Out Loud, Hurrikane Kingcole, Bolt The Duer, Breakin The Law and Allstar Legend in the final next week. 

    Lack of luck followed us to Canada. In the Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk our choice Winning Mister broke early and was eliminated. Mister Herbie beat the big favorite Chapter Seven at 8-1.  

    Our Roses Are Red choice, Cee Cee N, was not up to beating Anndrovette, who beat the favorite Put On A Show at 13-1. 

    A 29-1 shot won the Lawrence Sheppard, beating the favorite Doctor Butch. Hail The Taxi paid $72 while our choice, Scalped, had a tough time of the mile and watched all of his foes cross the finish line before him. 

    On Friday at Yonkers a mishap turned the tables on a huge favorite and handed us a fine win. In the New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) for frosh-colt trotters, the huge favorite, Tirade Hanover, won with our choice, Explosive Action, coming in second. However, “Tirade” was placed from first to second after judges penalized his stretch ride due to stepping into the pylons. Our choice became a winner worth $12.40 and ignited a “hard-way” exacta with the favorite, paying $55. Luck matters and sometimes it pays off.  

    Our other NYSS choices were Brookroaddonnie (scratched), Sant Time (fourth at 20-1), Order By Keeper (third at 5-2), Wannacmyguns (second at 6-1). 

    In the frosh Tompkins-Geers that same evening, at Tioga, we scored with the colt Don’t Ya Know, who paid $7.70.  

    Our other Tioga pics were Simpletwistoffate (seventh at 39-1) and Cool Their Jets (fifth at 9-1).  

    Soph-colt-and-filly trotting stakes from July 21 are available at our exclusive Hambletonian Trail blog. The reviews of those events and archives of all that has happened since May are at the Hambletonian Society site.

    News And Notes

    It became official the other day that Check Me Out, the dynamic soph-filly trotter that has been devastating every member of her division, will not race with the boys in the Hambletonian.
    Ray Schnittker, trainer, driver and co-owner of Check Me Out, took the path of least resistance, to say the least, announcing his filly will race in the Hambletonian Oaks, not the main event with the colts and geldings.
    He told reporters he thinks it is the best thing for the horse. “I’d hate for her to get over her head or have to really kill herself to win.”
    Schnittker said he was worried she might be “barbecued somewhere along the line [against the boys]” but still thought that “nine out of ten times” she could beat most of the glamour-boy colts.
    All of the elim actions for the main event and the fillies will be covered live on our Twitter accounts, with an analysis of each at our Hambletonian Trail blog. As well, we will be live at the Meadowlands for both finals and the rest of the stakes-full card.
    On Monday, July 23, Batavia Downs opens its 66th season of harness racing. A bigger signature race, a new first race post time and Sunday afternoon racing in August are some of the changes at America’s oldest lighted harness track.
    The Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational Pace offers a $50,000 purse this season on Oct. 6. A total of six matinees will be offered, including all four Sundays in August. The other two afternoon race cards are Labor Day and Columbus Day. Post time for all matinees remains at 1:15 p.m. with racing gates opening at 12 p.m.
    Racing will be Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays amd Saturdays at night for the first two weeks with Sundays replacing Mondays in August. Twelve races will be carded nightly except for Saturdays’ 13-race programs.
    Changes were made to the wagering menu; the minimum on trifectas has been lowered to 50 cents. However a $1 wager is required. One dollar daily double wagers are also offered.
    Superfecta wagering is on races with the exception of one and seven. The Pick 4 has been moved to the third race and the late-late double moves to the last two races nightly. The popular Pick 6 begins on race seven.
    North America’s leading dash winning harness racing driver in 2011, Dan Noble, will make his Batavia debut on opening night. Noble led all drivers last year with 773 wins. He currently sits fourth this year with 320 wins. Shawn Gray, currently the leading driver at Buffalo Raceway, will be racing stock at Batavia for the first time.
    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.  

    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

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Jul 14, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    At the Meadowlands the world of pacing and trotting focused on the Meadowlands Pace and a card filled with talented colts and fillies as well as a stream of top-notch veterans on Saturday, July 14.  

    While the pundits and experts tossed around scenarios, we centered on the colt with more talent than the public has afforded over the sophomore season thus far. Because of that, we nailed A Rocknroll Dance, who won the “Pace” in 1:48.1, paying $11.40.  

    If you were with us through the entire prediction you made note of the three colts we picked to be immediately behind him. One of them, Pet Rock, who we had in the “Rooney” and were watching closely as he made his way to that win, was second. That exacta paid $125.60 for $2. (The other possible seconds we gave were Bolt The Duer and Thinking Out Loud.) 

    In the Hanovers at Illinois’ Balmoral Park, we took home a single win of four tries with Our Dragon King, paying $8.60.  

    At Pocono Downs there were more sophomore colt trotter divisions of the Pennsylvania All Stars. These Hambletonian eligibles’ battles and others—Stanley Dancer and Del Miller at the Meadowlands—are available at our exclusive Hambletonian Trail blog. We preview races through the weeks for both divisions with Hambo dreams as the deadline for dropping in the box looms boldly. The reviews of those events and archives of all that has happened since May are at the Hambletonian Society site.

    Also, 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 TwinSpires.  

    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.

    News And Notes

    The Meadowlands Pace left a few questions afloat, one which certainly involves Sweet Lou. He wasn’t the post-time favorite, a surprise to many. Thinking Out Loud went off the public choice, at 2-1. After winning his elim, Sweet Lou returned to favor among a lot of bettors but the post-time favorite, who also won the North America Cup and had a traffic problem with Pet Rock in his Pace elim, became the most-likely-to-win for punters.

    Allstar Legend, who finished third at 99-1, will be taken more seriously next time as his Pace race was dynamic. No one expected him to fire out of the 10-hole spot the way he did, finding a good spot to suck along and reserve some energy. That trip allowed “Legend” to finish third and complete a triple that few wagered would include him.

    Bolt The Duer was the “now” horse for a lot of bettors and he disappointed all of his supporters by seeing them all go over the finish line before him. Heston Blue Chip, the other elim winner, struggled wide late to catch the fourth check. Time To Roll proved not to be in this league, which was our suspicion as reported in last week’s blog.

    In upcoming blogs, as we continue to follow the division through many more featured stakes, we will offer exclusive comments from conditioners about all the major and minor participants.

    With three weeks still to pass before the 2012 Hambletonian, eyebrows are raising about frosh-colt trotter, Tirade Hanover. He is from the first crop of Crazed, who was second in the Hambletonian to the great Deweycheatemnhowe. His recent win at Vernon Downs got the attention of the industry as he won last week in the opening leg of the New York Sire Stakes for his division in 1:57.

    Tirade Hanover is trained by Tyler Raymer. The colt cost a measely $10,000 as a yearling and has shown a high level of professionalism from day one. “I think probably the biggest strength he has is he’s good mannered,” says veteran driver Howard Parker. “He's got a good turn of foot.”

    Glamour-boy pacers are poised for the next big feature in their division. The $650,000 (est.) Delvin Miller Adios eliminations are set for Saturday, July 21, with the final to go the following Saturday.

    Remember Shadyshark Hanover? We were hot on him as a sophomore but he didn’t turn out as productive as we had hoped. Shadyshark Hanover did become the fastest three-year-old in North America in 2011 coming off of a burning pace on Hambo day (he never recreated such speed on his own). The four-year-old is done racing. He has been purchased for stud duties in Australia and will stand his first season at the Morley Park stud, Shepparton.



    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Jul 7, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    The sweltering heat turned into dangerous conditions for man and beast, causing some raceways to cancel their July 7 programs—even the night cards. Temperatures in the hundreds from the Midwest to the Atlantic seaboard swarmed over the minds and bodies of all creatures—even bettors! 

    At the Meadowlands all eyes were on the glamour-boy pacers in the Meadowlands Pace elims on Saturday. The return of Sweet Lou was productive, as he beat our choice, the entry of Bettor’s Edge and Allstar Legend, in 1:49.1. “Legend” finished fourth, earning a spot in next week’s final. 

    New York champ Heston Blue Chip took the second elimination in 1:49. A wall of colts closing late sucked up our first choice, Time To Roll, leading into the stretch. Our other contender, Pet Rock, finished third and made the final as well. 

    At Pocono Downs there were three sophomore colt trotter divisions of the Pennsylvania All Stars. These Hambletonian eligibles offered some value, as it turned out. In the first division we gave you Fashion Astral at $13.80. In the first division we were second with Frost Bites K, losing to the favorite, a $4.40 pay. In the third split we were right about Uncle Peter but everyone agreed with us; he won and paid $2.10.

    We hoped for a speed duel that would take out Googoo Gaagaa in the Yonkers Trot so that Stormin Normand could close on a dueling trio. But “Googoo” broke as Archangel set the fractions and “Normand” got up for second.  

    Friday’s frosh events were not so kind to us, as two of our contenders broke. The closest  we came to a win was Classic Martine finishing second at Pocono.  

    It’s July and our exclusive Hambletonian Trail blog continues to preview races through the weeks for both divisions as Hambo hopes live and die. The reviews of those events and archives of all that has happened since May are at the Hambletonian Society site.  

    Every weekend 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 Cinnamon Spider at $9, So Be It at $8.40 and Lady Lakers at $21.80.

    Also, we invite you to enjoy our musings on other standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.  

    Connect to Twitter and follow Frank and Ray Cotolo for up-to-the-minute suggestions on wagers at many harness raceways. Then, wager from TwinSpires.

    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.

    News And Notes

    If you haven’t read the Eric Carlson exclusive interview by Ray Cotolo you can read it by clicking here. Eric won his first Meadowlands race the Saturday after doing this interview.

    This is the best, if not only, time of the year when the issue of sires may be important to harness racing bettors. The freshmen have hit the track and that means new crops from sires expected to be great as well as proven sires are being represented by progeny.

    Among pacers it is interesting to note that Badlands Hanover, who has been siring for some years now and now does so in Canada, leads in two-year-old earnings. “Badlands” was a front-stepping speedball who, when he went to stud, led the new atmosphere of breeding for speed in the standardbred industry. Badlands progeny showed the early foot of their sire and convinced a lot of other breeders and conditioners to definitively alter training methods that once emphasized strength and stamina in standardbreds.

    “It’s all about breeding for speed now,” Joe Thomson of Winbak Farms said to me in an interview when Badlands stood his first season in Delaware.

    So, in 2012 it comes as little surprise that second on the list of money earning sires of freshmen so far is Somebeachsomewhere, the Canadian fireball that went to Hanover Farms to do his stud duty.

    In keeping with speed, frosh-trotting leading sire is Kadabra. He was soph-trotting champ during a year he was not eligible for the Hambletonian and beat most of the classic’s eligibles racing in other major stakes that year. We jumped on his progeny early, documenting his success with fillies, and delivered a good number of winners during our run at YouBet. Poof Like Magic was our winning choice the year she debuted on track and made her mark.

    We will keep you posted if we notice any early season trends in freshmen from new sires, trying to grab an edge the only way we can when it comes to using sires to handicap harness horses.

    Horse-of-the-Year San Pail, a three-time defending Maple Leaf Trot champ, will not be in the 2012 edition on July 21 at Mohawk, according to trainer Rod Hughes. After finishing fifth- in a June 22 qualifier at Mohawk (timed in 1:58.3), Hughes was concerned. He said he noticed that the trotter’s left-hind boot was down “and that’s never a good sign.” Apparently San Pail hit himself in that area at some point in the qualifier. A vet found a slight injury in that area, so he is not going to the Maple Leaf Trot.



    Cartoon by Thom Pye

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Jun 9, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    The weekend preview blog did not hold much for overlays.  

    We had only one posted winner, that one in a Fan Hanover elim at Mohawk. Romantic Moment won it and paid $14.50. We were off the board in the other elim with Rockaround Sue.

    The monstrous Sweet Lou skewered his North America Cup elim field in 1:47.4, leaving no chance for our possible upsets. Sweet Lou, a world record holder at two with a 1:49 mile in last year’s Breeders Crown, broke Well Said’s 1:48.1 mile in the 2009 North America Cup final from the Canadian record book and is now the fastest sophomore pacer of all time.

    We were third in the other elim with Pet Rock.

    There were a bulk of three-year-old trot stakes for colts and fillies. Our Hambletonian Trail blog previews Trail races for both divisions and reviews those events at the Hambletonian Society site.

    At Cal Expo, the no-takeout Pick 4 on June 1 only paid $253.80. Our suggestions finished 6,5/4/4/5,3.   

    Tweet winners continued during the weekdays and nights.
    6/2
    Aringarosy, $29.80, Hoosier
    Cinderella Guy, $19.60, Pocono
    Little Brown Fox, $10.20, Meadowlands
    6/3
    Flashbacks, $33.00, Pocono
    Man About Town, $25.80, Pocono
    Zorgwijk Kentaro, $32.80, Flamboro
    My Civil Dollar, $15.60, Pocono
     Powerful Mist, $7.60, Philadelphia
     Daring, $5.80, Flamboro
    Lima Sensation, $3.10, Flamboro
    6/5
    Enfilade, $14.80, Pocono
    Night Call, $12.00, Pocono
    Little Rooster, $6.60, Pocono
    Meadowbranch Jack, $4.80, Pocono
    Hawaii And Sun, $4.60, Pocono

    Connect to Twitter and follow Frank and Ray Cotolo for up-to-the-minute suggestions on wagers at many harness raceways. Then, wager from TwinSpires.

    Get onto our mailing list. Soon we will be offering ways to learn more about playing for profit. Enter your email for free by clicking here.

    Check our Balmoral weekend Pick-4-and-win picks at the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program page and peruse other various topics on harness racing at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.

    News And Notes

    Though the stakes are abundant at Mohawk these two weeks, there is still much doubt in the air about Ontario’s harness industry staying financial sound. It’s too lengthy to go into in this blog, so for an editorial update click here.

    In keeping with the Ontario theme, the same day that their closest neighboring racetrack, Kawartha Downs, announced they will cease racing next year, Rideau Carleton in Ottawa announced it will continue to offer harness racing. Track spokesman Alex Lawryk said, “The ownership is committed to horse racing. That story is available by clicking here.

    Since we last offered news and mentioned See You At Peelers, the mare has been retired.

    “She had charisma, like a great horse,” said trainer Jimmy Takter. “She knew she was a good horse and she carried herself with such pride when she went out on the track.”

    You At Peelers won the first 22 races of her career before being hampered by a virus that caused serious health issues last year. She is now a broodmare, her first assignment with the 2008 champ Somebeachsomewhere.

    Her health problems ensued at three and Takter was too concerned to continue to race her. He said, “I don’t want to jeopardize her. She’s been too good to me.”

    Takter’s wife, Christina, bred See You At Peelers. The Takters had experience breeding trotters but See You At Peelers was the first pacer they ever bred.

    As a three-year-old, See You At Peelers won her first nine races, including a world-record-equaling 1:49.2 triumph in the Empire Breeders Classic at Tioga. She also equaled the stakes record of 1:50 winning the Fan Hanover Stakes at Mohawk and became the first filly to beat the boys in the Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers Raceway.

    After taking time off to recover from her heart ailment, See You At Peelers began her four-year-old season by winning her first four races in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at Yonkers. She finished seventh in the final and competed for the last time on May 18 at Yonkers when she was seventh in the open handicap.

    “I thought I had her back when she raced those first four starts,” Takter said. “I guess she never fully recovered. She never became the same again.”

    Cartoon by Thom Pye