Showing posts with label Manofmanymissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manofmanymissions. Show all posts

  • A Hot Hiatus Before Heading For Ohio

    POSTED Sep 12, 2012 By Frank Cotolo
    This week the Grand Circuit pauses for a well-deserved hiatus, catching its breath before it rolls into Delaware, Ohio, testing all eight divisions in one form or another on the speedy half-mile track for a week ending with the Jugette and Little Brown Jug features. Watch this blog for information on “Jug”-week input coming all next week. 

    The betting menu, however, remains full, with special state-bred features in the Midwest to another million-dollar affair for glamour-boy trotters over the northern border. There is plenty of action to go around before the whirlwind programs set for national heroes in Ohio next week. 

    Along with the Hambletonian Society and TwinSpires, our exclusive theater covering all the major activity in stakesville [sic] that could affect the 2012 series of champion-making events ensues at the specific blog, the Breeders Crown Countdown. The big show is presented again this year on a single card at Woodbine. Check the blog often for updates on great betting opportunities that don’t appear in the regular TwinSpires blog.  

    Freehold Feature


    On Friday, Sept. 14 the glamour-boy trotters go at it again with another cast of characters from the division in the $80,000 Charles Smith Memorial at Freehold. This is the scene of our introduction to the colt that turned out to be this year’s Hambletonian champ, Market Share. Though he lost the first major stakes on the Hambletonian Trail, he went on to enjoy the big mile at the Meadowlands and trot a hell of a mile when it counted most. But Market Share is not around for the “Smith” (see below about Mohawk).

    This event puts a lot of money on the line for a second-string field in the division, none of which have won more than three races during their so-called premier season. Although the top money-earner (Muscolo) has faced the top tier in the division (though he has not won a race this season), it is Frank Antonacci’s World Cup that captures our fancy.

    With not a lot of opportunities left for this colt (he is not eligible to the Breeders Crown), Antonacci has got to have him revved up for this purse. The strategy, methinks, will be simple: Have driver George Brennan take World Cup to the front as easily as possible and lead the field around the four turns, remaining in first at the wire. He may be worth the price to win as well as he could ignite a decent exotic as the key.

    Millions At Stake


    Mohawk presents the glamour-boy trotters in the Canadian Trotting Classic (CTC), a $1-million mile, on the Sept. 15 program.

    There is no doubt that trainer Linda Toscano will have Tim Tetrick gunning for a good spot early and using everything Market Share has to offer in the stretch. But some factors make this million-buck mile rife for an upset, the territory we need to cover if we are going to wager this event at all.

    Little Brown Fox is Market Share’s nemesis and has been, even though the former never made it to the Hambletonian due to a costly break in his elim. “Fox” took care of his foe in the CTC elim and the two will try to square off sometime during the mile.

    What becomes intriguing here is last week’s performance by Gym Tan Laundry. We have had a lot of faith in this guy leading to the August classic but he never truly fired until recently. In his CTC elim he flew three wide to take the lead at the first quarter against Knows Nothing and lost by a nose for the effort (he gave Knows Nothing the cover he needed as the 4-5 choice after making a strenuous quarter move to the top early against Money On My Mind.

    “Gym” is peaking at the right time, if this is a late-blooming surge. To find any value in this field, we need to go with the scenario that Gym will be the ignored contender and the opportunist to upset. In exotics with a Gym key, consider Solvato, another possible late-blooming member of the division showing recent signs of strength.

    Another $462,000 is offered frosh-colt trotters in the William Wellwood Memorial Final the same night. Isn’t is amazing to think that some of these green trotters may never be involved in a race of this stature? For sure, Aperfectyankee, who is an also eligible here,is not one of those, even if he does not get into this fray. Should he make it, look for a neat price on him, since it will have taken a scratch to get him here (he is the Peter Haughton winner, who inherits the future-book choice to win next year’s Hambo).

    Julie Miller’s student, My Man Can, is a definite danger here, as he looks for only his second win. Having overcome a foot injury, My Man Can is primed by the people who brought you Manofmanymission, last year’s terror of a trotter when on gait. My Man Can is “a big horse,” says trainer Julie, “but he’s just great to be around on and off the track.”

    Also look for some value in Cool Victory, who has been showing more talent each time he shows up for a race. He could be a good price here and is looking like he could be peaking as the end of the season arrives.

    The big stakes trio is completed with frosh-filly trotters battling in the $435,000 Peaceful Way Final. All eyes and most of the money will be upon To Dream On, who is five for five in her first season, including the Merrie Annabelle on Hambo day at the Meadowlands.

    She walloped her elim foes last week for trainer Jimmy Takter and seems to be worth every bit of her $200,000 yearling price. If we go against her it will be due to a price, almost an overlay guarantee in fact, from Bee-A-Magician, the filly that won the second elim. We love Kadabra frosh fillies and this one can only get better as long as she stays fit. If Takter’s undefeated gal were not here, Bee-A-Magician would probably be a prohibitive favorite. Perhaps the upset exacta is simple: Bee-A-Magician to To Dream On.
     
    Super Night

    Eight high-pursed events line the Super Night program at Balmoral on Sept. 15. At press time, the races had not been drawn. But based on elimination action, here are some of the horses we suggest you use as contenders in the night’s active stakes schedule.

    Frosh-colt pacer = Collet Hotspur
    Frosh-filly pacer = Thank You Doc
    Soph-colt pacer = Zall Good
    Soph-filly pacer = Fox Valley Hermia, Financial Effort
    Soph-and-up pace = Sporty Gypsy

    Watch Twitter, @FrankCotolo for late updates and more on-the-spot pics this Saturday evening.

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review

    POSTED Nov 27, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    Strange and obvious are the two words that cover the major stakes action we discussed in our pre-weekend blog. Also, our no-takeout Pick 4 at Cal-Expo was cancelled. Those are the teased headlines and here now is the news.  

    Saturday’s Forest City for pacing mares on the little mile at Western Fair in Canada was a curious affair. It looked odd from the beginning as six of the eight pacers lined up with two in the second tier. You rarely see horses of this caliber get rolling in such a configuration but this is a half-mile that doesn’t often host such class.  

    The field left the gate with some of the gals four and five wide going for spots, with our choice, last year’s champion, Dreamfair Eternal, staying well off the early pace from post 5. That was a wise decision since the huge favorite, Anndrovette, was bothered behind a breaker heading for a sizzling first quarter of :25.3. Although she got back on the pace, Anndrovette never had much of a shot trying to negotiate the remaining three turns. 

    The 13-1 Voelz Hanover cut the fractions, getting a break to a 1:24 three-quarters and in the short stretch Dreamfair Eternal (7-2) flew home to be third.  (Upper-left photo by Mark Hall)

    Obvious things went on at Dover where the soph-colt pacing Matron Final paired Ron Burke-trained favorites (an entry) Westwardho Hanover and Hugadragon. We were backing an upset, of course, hoping these two could cancel one another out with a fiery duel. Little did we know that our suggested contender, Lookingforadventure, who has been notorious for winning off of duels, would go off anywhere near the ridiculous odds the bettors allowed. 

    Lookingforadventure was 1,189-1.  

    The winner was Hugadragon and the mega-favorite entry paid $2.10, which was the only mutuel allowed. 

    Over at Cal-Expo on Saturday evening, charting the races was becoming more and more difficult. According to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office, fog “thicker than leftover gravy” was covering the Yuba-Sutter area, “reducing visibility to less than a quarter of a mile in some places.” The driver advisory was not just for people on motor vehicles, as harness drivers on the Cal-Expo mile found themselves racing in the clouds while never leaving the ground. Races 10 through 15 were cancelled, siting obvious dangerous conditions for man and beast traveling the mile oval.  

    Our Watch List reported only one winner, and nothing to brag about, with Charlie Beans at $2.90 at Batavia. Of the others that raced (see the Nov. 24 blog for the list or email me through TwinSpires) Key Western finished second (paying $11.60 to place) and Show Me Glory was sixth at Northfield. Morgan Shark was second at Balmoral. Also at Batavia, Rush Of Fools was in a dead heat for fourth and Warners Rambaran was seventh. They all remain on the list for their next starts.  

    Harness News


    Our TwinSpires Hambletonian-pool winner, Broad Bahn, will be retired. He is going off to stud duty. He follows his nemesis, Manofmanymissions, who also leaves the track to help propagate the breed.
    Pompano Park harness launched its MEGA-9 wager on Nov. 26, offering patrons a chance to win a minimum $5,000 guaranteed pool for a base 10-cent wager. The first night's payout was $13.46 for those selecting seven of nine. The guaranteed minimum pool will be offered every race night through the mandatory payout night of May 5, 2012.
    Northfield Park adds a $30,000 guaranteed Pick-5 pool on Nov. 28. It begins with Race 3 and has a carryover this week of $7,779. The Pick 4 that night includes a $10,000 guarantee beginning with Race 8. The track’s “Pick” events offer a reduced takeout of 14 percent, the lowest in the sport, not counting the TwinSpires-Cal-Expo no-takeout Pick 4 on Saturdays.
    (Cartoon by Thom Pye)

  • Cotolo’s Harness-Weekend Review, 11-7-11

    POSTED Nov 6, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    A parade of eliminations highlighted our Saturday-and-Sunday action (Dover Downs and Chester Downs), along with a stakes double for soph-colt trotters and FFA pacers at Indiana Downs.  

    We tackled Cal-Expo’s no-takeout Pick 4 last Saturday night and came up with two winners (remember, we urge you not to pass up win best on our higher odds picks from the ticket). Our big score was with Thouartthegreatest in the third leg. He won and paid $63. Another of our choices in that race, Axelrod, completed a $123 exacta. We also scored with a single from the second leg as RW Island Spirit won and paid $8.40. The ticket resulted in a third, a win, a first and second, and a third.  

    On Saturday at Dover, Matron elims featured frosh pacers and trotters with few surprises. We offered two passes, the first for the Matron elim featuring filly trotter Check Me Out. We thought she would be the dead-on choice since winning the Breeders Crown but we had no idea the others in this race would be so highly ignored.  (Photo top right by Mark Hall)

    Check me out went off five cents to the dollar. Her foes’ odds were astronomical (here they are in order of favoritism): 232-1, 342-1, 370-1, 424-1, 425-1, 430-1 and 450-1. The 430-1 finished second, creating an exacta of $21 as she won by 16 lengths, breaking a world record for her division on a five-eighths mile track. 

    Our second pass (filly pacers) featured a win by Destiny’s Chance, which we refused to take as the probable favorite here after giving her out and winning at Lexington to the tune of $63. She won, paying $2.20.  

    Delano (colt trotters) was the surprise—not because he won but because he paid $6.40. Forever Just (colt pacers) lost to the pair we thought would be the choices, Hurrikane Kingcole and Heston Blue Chip, respectively. 

    The second elim for filly trotters was not won by our choice, Chocolatte De Vie; she finished sixth. 

    At Indiana Downs, what’s left of the soph-colt-trotter crop went in the Oliver Trot Classic. We liked Live Jazz for the Campbell brothers. He went off at 7-2 and was making a go of the top into the stretch but was beaten by another 7-2 shot, Mr Web Page.  

    The FFA pacers for the Indiana Pacing Derby left us no choice but to call a pass since Foiled Again was tons better than all the foes in the field, especially coming from his terrific mile at Woodbine where he just lost the Breeders Crown Open Pace. Foiled Again won the “Derby,” paying $2.10.  

    Similar results spanned the Chester card on Sunday, Nov. 6 in elims for the Valley Victory, Goldsmith Maid and Governor’s Cup, all freshman stakes.  

    A pair of “Victory” elims (colt trotters) saw super-favorite Vic Smith jump and lose. That’s okay, we called that a pass anyway. In the other Victory elim we finished third with Quit Smoking Now to the obvious choice, Possess The Will ($2.40).  

    In the Goldsmith Maid (filly trotters), Our choice, Win Missy B won but we stayed clear of the race since she went off at such low odds, paying $2.40. In the second elim for this event, Fancy broke and finished off the board. 

    Another suggested pass was A Rocknroll Dance in a Governor’s Cup elim. He won, paying $2.10. Then a surprise to us, as our choice for the second elim, Escape The News, won as the even-money choice. Paying $4 from what we expected to be at least $6.  

    Dover hosted sophomore Matron elims. Filly trotters started the card with Cedar Dove winning off of her Breeders Crown victory; Pantholops was off the board. Filly-pacer Drop The Ball came back and won after a disappointing “Crown” affair but only paid $2.60. Chapter Seven is suddenly the best glamour-boy trotter in action (see news below), winning his split over our 76-1 shot, Magnum Kosmos.  

    Progress Pace elims for soph-colt pacers included a win for Alsace Hanover over one last shot we gave to Powerful Mist. Then, our 80-1 shot from the Breeders Crown, Fashion Delight, won the second elim paying only $5.40.    

    Harness News


    One of harness racing’s most reveled figures, Stanley Bergstein (photo left), passed away this week. Mr. Bergstein was as dear to the sport as any one personality, having shared his talents in many roles over decades of service. I was fortunate enough to be his editor for many years at the ill-fated TIMES: magazine and was proud to be considered a friend. I was on TV with him during the Little Brown Jug some years ago. It was a thrill considering I learned about him during his local OTB-harness TV show (Racing From Roosevelt/Yonkers) in the 1970s. We mourn his passing and are forever in his debt for things he taught us and contributed to the sport.  

    Manofmanymissions has retired. The unevenly performing yet smashingly speedy sophomore trotter was his own worst enemy, breaking stride many times during a commanding charge. When he trotted smoothly he was clearly the best of this division. He will go to stud in Indiana. 

    Whatever It Takes, another sophomore colt, one that we backed here a few times along the Hambletonian Trail, had to be put down last week due to illness. He never got going in the mainstream of the division but took some fields down at good prices when he was at his best. 
    (Cartoon--dedicated to Stan Bergstein--by Thom Pye)

  • Cotolo’s Harness-Weekend Review, 10-31-11

    POSTED Oct 30, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    Last week, after the Breeders Crown eliminations, I suggested that there might be people who wish to enter rehab based on an “addiction to wagering on promising horses that the public rejects.” It is a condition that swears people off of prohibitive favorites, under-lays or whatever you like to call horses backed vigorously by the majority of bettors. If you were one of those people and you were successful in rehab, returning to wagering with an undiluted respect for the most probable winner, you cashed tickets in the 2011 Breeders Crown program at Woodbine on Oct. 29.  

    The Breeders Crown program, 12 races with most of the divisions’ best horses, produced an average win price of $7.50. If we eliminate the highest win price and the lowest, a usual ploy when attempting to calculate an accurate average, that price becomes $6.86.  

    If you won with every horse, that pick-12 cost $24 and returned $90.40. If you only played the favorites, your $24 got you back $25.60, a profit less than 2 percent.  

    The highest prices of the evening were 18.90, 12.90, 11.40, 11.00 and 10.60.  

    The first Pick 4 paid $53.10 and the second paid $196 for dollar tickets.  

    This was not the kind of card under any circumstances that would find me, as a player with an “addiction to wagering on promising horses that the public rejects,” turning a profit. The best, mediocre or the worse horses offered in any dozen races, I would not be playing all the races and I doubt very much if I would have profited from the few I played.  

    So, our work to discover those horses in the finals that would, in our opinion, go to the gate with odds better than their chances, was unproductive, which in the scheme of any dozen races, is not uncommon. With that explained, let me review what happened to our suggested contenders in all of the races, including how we dealt with the closing odds. 

    Race 1

    It began strangely, as the horse we chose to win became the race favorite. We could not flatter ourselves and think our published choice affected so many bettors but we had no idea why Jersey As went to post as the public choice. Our three “exotic material” choices, which we added in each race as horses you should consider using in exotic combos, included the three that made the race’s $183.70 triactor—Frenchfrysnvinegar, Action Broadway and Autumn Escapade. Jersey As raced in the rear and found that spot so comfortable she resided there until the mile’s end. We did not bet this race. 

    Race 2

    Our choice defied the dead-on favorite, going off around 5-2. She had a tougher trip, fanning three wide in an attempt to catch the favorite but finished second behind the favorite, which paid 2.90. We did not bet this race, which resulted in an exacta worth 5.30.  

    Race 3

    Our choice, Pirouette Hanover, went off a hard 5-1. She had to negotiate an outside trip, getting into a deadly duel in the stretch, contributing to suicide fractions which allowed the favorite to sweep pass those two late to win. We played to win; she finished third. 

    Race 4

    Hurrikane Kingcole went off a hard 7-1 and got a good position early. However, the favorite was monstrous. This freaky two-year-old colt made a three-wide brush to the top and ate up real estate to the tune of becoming the fastest two-year-old standardbred ever, winning in 1:49. We played to win; he finished third.

    Race 5

    Royal Shyster got rolling at 18-1 and looked fabulous getting the lead from the 8 hole right off the gate. He stayed there until the half, when the favorite took the lead from him and stayed there until the 7/8ths, when the third choice, on our exotic-material list, at 4-1, closed to win it. We played to win; he finished fifth. 

    Race 6

    On Sept. 3 we suggested you play Anndrovette. She won and paid $19. In this race, she was the celebrated public choice. We liked Maureen Rocks and so did a lot of other people, sending her off at an unappetizing 3-1. She raced on the outside as she had the week before but could not catch the favorite. The horse finishing second was on our exotic-material list, paying $13.10 to place, having gone off at 29-1. We did not bet this race; she finished third. 

    Race 7

    We had two conditions for this one. First our choice, Lucky Jim, had to go off at juicy odds. The second condition was out of our hands. He had to at least give us a shot by racing without breaking. The first condition was satisfied at 8-1 but he broke making a three-wide move only 4 lengths off the leader, who was the favorite and probably locked up Horse of the Year honors by winning. We played to win; he finished seventh (never regaining his gait).  

    Race 8

    Here we expected a favorite to win. In fact, we thought we would be looking at a world-record mile considering Drop The Ball blew away her elim field and was in the best of shape. However, the co-second choice (on our exotic-material list) was far better, passing her and strolling away with the win. We did not bet this race; she finished second. 

    Race 9

    As we have most of the second half of the season, we figured Manofmanymissions would win if he did not break stride. Still, he went off the second favorite to the colt that won the other elim for this division. In front at three-quarters, he broke, and the favorite soared on to win. We did not bet this race; he finished seventh. 

    Race 10

    This was to be the race that made history for us. We had to beat a monster of a filly, the prohibitive choice. On the toteboard, our choice, Pantholops, was 99-1. Her actual odds were 152-1. She was disadvantaged having to come from post 10 but that did not stop us because her odds were way better than her chances. As it turned out, she raced well, mostly on the outside with cover, though she, like the rest of the field, were powerless against the big favorite. We played to win; she finished fourth. 

    Race 11

    Here we were simply wrong about how our choice would race. We expected far more from Fashion Delight than he delivered. He was 60-1. However, we were right to think the highly touted favorite would lose. He lost to the third choice, though only by a nose. If our choice came out of the race all right we stand by our opinion he will return for a strong four-year-old season. We played to win; he finished eighth (by only 3 lengths; a mere 6 lengths separated the 10-horse field at the wire). 

    Race 12

    The public thought as we thought they would think, making our choice, We Will See, a solid choice, close in the wagering to the second choice. We expected a powerful mile by this guy, who at four, dominated older horses most of the season. But he surrendered  to a pair of horses we cashed in on this year, the winner being the longest shot of the evening at 8-1. We did not bet this race; he finished third. 

    Each of the races above are linked to review stories by Ray Cotolo, a contributor to our causes for harness racing success. 

    Do not despair. The major stakes season still has some gas in its tank and we did not wager so foolishly as to be damaged by the less-than-generous public. We will return to the stakes and overnight wars in our Thursday blog and never consider rehab. 

    We thank everyone for following us live the night of the Breeders Crown and we thank the Hambletonian Society, handlers of the magnificent series, for all of its cooperation and support for the wagering side of the audience, as we addressed through TwinSpires.

    (Cartoon by Thom Pye)

  • Night Of The Champions: 2011 Breeders Crown At Woodbine

    POSTED Oct 26, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    All 12 divisions meet at Woodbine on Saturday, Oct. 29 for the Breeders Crown finals, the second-straight year that all the standardbred events take place on one race program.  

    Not only are the millionaire harness horses meeting to do ultimate battle with one another, TwinSpires players will be wagering on the early Pick 4 (races 4 through 7 with a $100,000 guarantee) and late Pick 4 (races 9 through 12) having a million TwinSpires Club Points on the line in the Hit-It-And-Split-It competition for each Pick 4s.  

    Click here for details on the million-points promo.  


    More analysis can be found in the last edition of this year’s exclusive blog, Breeders Crown Countdown. On the night of the finals we will be reporting live on TwinSpires with reports via Twitter, in exclusive cooperation with the event’s handlers, the Hambletonian Society. On the site at Woodbine we have sources (horsemen) giving us up-to-the-minute news about the entries, the track condition, et al. So follow the accounts @FrankCotolo and @RayCotolo for brief tweets.  

    TwinSpires helps you truly experience the Breeders Crown finals with its special harness connections, so lock and load those accounts and get ready to fire for points and profits on Oct. 29.  

    What follows are each of our suggested contenders to win; along with three other horses in each field we call “exotic material.” These are horses you may want to use in various exotic wagers in that race.  

    Open Mare Trot


    Race 1 presents the older femme trotters, a group that hardly has enough action during the year, as do other divisions. Still, these battleaxes can fly and with the retirement of Buckeye St Pat, hands down one of the division’s best and the defending champion, this race becomes more fascinating to wager upon. We will be backing Jersey As. She is consistent, competitive and always poised to challenge. Post 8 may be the best place for her to launch an upset attack. Exotic material: 6-Action Broadway, 9-Autumn Escapade and10- Frenchfrysnvinegar.  

    Two-Year-Old Filly Trot


    Don’t look for an upset, key the 5, Win Missy B. She had a week off (did not have to race in elims) and has gotten as hot as they can get coming up to this race. She may be a short second choice but she has what it takes to take down the big favorite. Exotic material: 2-Circles, 4-Check Me Out, 7-Miss Paris. 

    Two-Year-Old Filly Pace


    Mid-season, Pirouette Hanover was poised to dominate the division. However, after losing the Champlain in early September she took a well-deserved rest. Training into this event she looks great and because she stepped back from the scene we are promised a decent price on her with her regular pilot, Ron Pierce, ready to rumble from post 3. Exotic material: 5-Economy Terror, 6-Shelliscape, 7-Big McDeal.  

    Two-Year-Old Colt Pace

    In his elim, Hurrikane Kingcole was dynamic, especially from post 9. We picked him for that affair because he was primed to get to the “Crown” and he was ready to roll on his favorite oval. Trouble ensued; he suffered interference 11 lengths behind in the stretch and closed faster than a cheap outlet store to get third at 13-1. From post 5 this week we support a mighty upset. Exotic material: 4-A Rocknroll Dance, 5-Hillbilly Hanover, 10-I Fought Dalaw.  

    Two-Year-Old Colt Trot


    From Above was scratched from the final, earning the berth by the skin of his teeth in a poor mile that indicated something was wrong after two great wins. Trainer Greg Peck took him out of the final and now we have another kind of contest. Dan Daley’s Royal Shyster jumped uncharacteristically at the start of the race and still made the final. He draws post 8 but that won’t matter if Daley gets a sharp start that doesn’t take too much out of him. He is a rank outsider, for sure, but it could be Daley’s night with his best change for a Crown win yet. Exotic material: 3-Uncle Peter, 4-Possess The Will, 6-Appomattox.  

    Open Mare Pace


    We loved the elim mile traveled by Maureen Rocks and we adore her leaving from post 1 in the final. She held second after pulling to be first over at the half, chasing the favorite with aplomb. Expect a giant mile and a more severe challenge to the obvious favorite, the winner of last week’s sole elim for this division. Exotic material: 3-Chancey Lady, 6-On The Glass, 8-Rock N Soul.  

    Open Trot

    San Pail, the dominating older trotter in North America has to contend with two imports that have traveled far to contest this division. But we are going to go with an upset here, banking on Lucky Jim having his way from post 7, staying flat and taking advantage of what might be some nifty duels ignited by the “visitors.” As well, this may be the best price you will get in years on this stalwart trotter. Exotic material: 2-San Pail, 5-Rapide Lebel, 6-Hot Shot Blue Chip.  

    Three-Year-Old Filly Pace


    Last week in the second elim for this division we won with Rocklamation, beating the once-super filly See You At Peelers. That one finished so badly she is not here. None of this matters because 2-Drop The Ball, cannot be denied greatness. A dead-on choice, perhaps odds-on, it is her race to lose and we don’t think she will lose it. Exotic material: 3-Rocklamation, 4-Krispy Apple, 6-Monkey On My Wheel.  

    Three-Year-Old Colt Trot


    This is as simple as it was in one of last week’s elims: 5-Manofmanymissions wins if he doesn’t break stride. The only colt to beat him straight up is also here and he could do it again but only taking advantage of some other mistake that may happen. Either way, Manofmanymissions should win the divisional championship even though he blew the Hambletonian by running. Exotic material: 1-Spectator K, 2-Luckycharm Hanover, 8-Daylon Magician.  

    Three-Year-Old Filly Trot


    We will stand alone with our prime contender in this race but we have done so before to the tune of great profits so here we go again. We are staying with our elim pick, 10-Pantholops, empowered by the fact that she earned a berth considering the trouble she ensued in the elim. Granted, she has her work cut out for her in this mile but going against the grain in this situation could pay off for such courage. Exotic material: 1-Lady Andover, 4-Cedar Dove, 7-Jezzy.  

    Three-Year-Old Colt Pace


    Again, we are sticking with one of our elim choices, 8-Fashion Delight. Trainer Jim Campbell calls upon brother John to take the reins. Tim Tetrick got the colt into the final with a great late move, one more impressive due to being impeded when second over to a jumper. Though he has not lived up to potential this season after a rock-and-roll frosh campaign, he looks like he may be heading for a great older season and why not start that charge now? Exotic material: 5-Alsace Hanover, 6-Roll With Joe, 9-Big Bad John.  

    Open Pace


    All year these monstrous males have plowed and pounded their pacing abilities against one another of some of the best purses in the business. We had our share of scores in this division but suffered from some bias toward We Will See. Awkward at three, he really blossomed at four, able to take on older horses with the kind of speed that terrorizes any horse near him. We surrender, even though he lost his prep, and support him from post 1 to close the 2011 series. Look for a track and possibly four-year-old speed badge here; driver Pierce will let this guy loose. Exotic material: 2-Foiled Again, 4-Mach Dreamer, 5-Bettor Sweet.

    Click here for details on the million-points promo. 

  • Cotolo’s Harness-Weekend Review, 10-24-11

    POSTED Oct 23, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    All right, some of you may wish to line up for rehab. However, those of us addicted to wagering on promising horses that the public rejects are not about to surrender. We are merely retreating to a certain corner of the world where we can catch our breaths and take on the next wave of races where value, luck and smarts conspire for the good of our bankroll.  

    The Breeders Crown elims on Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22, are what drives us into a space where we need to refresh our ammunition, since those two nights were deadly waves of chalk that left us winded. Below is a list of our choices, with notes about their efforts and how we see the loss.  

    Friday:

    Classic Conway—At 41-1 he races with no particular goal; a bad choice. The winner pays $8.

    Appomattox—Closes strongly late at 49-1, just closes too late. The winner paid $9.60.

    Personal Style—At 43-1, breaks at three-quarters before being able to mount a charge; no luck. The winner pays $2.50.

    Hurrikane Kingcole—Caught in a tangle as horses break, makes a three-wide move and finished third at 13-1; no luck. The winner pays $3.40.

    Machapelo—He is never in the thick of action; bad choice at 10-1. The winner paid $4.90.  

    Saturday:

    Jezzy—She does her best but can only be second at 9-1. The winner pays $4.20 and the exacta with that favorite and Jezzy is a remarkable $46.

    Chapter Seven—This guy wins as the favorite? He pays $3.70. We estimated this group all wrong, thinking he would be the outsider to the two horses that finished second and third.

    Manofmanymissions—We told you if he didn’t break he would win; he didn’t break and he won, paying $3. Unfortunately our second choice, Whiskey Tax, at 16-1, finished a poor sixth.

    Pantholops—This gal is so ready to win for us at 23-1 that she becomes too excited and breaks right off the gate. She gets back on stride quickly and closes enough to make the final, finishing fifth. The winner pays $6.40.

    Maureen Rocks—At 5-1 she races a hole in the wind, unfortunately she does so on the outside most of the way and she cannot catch the favorite, who wins and pays $4.50, and completes the exacta.

    Swinging Beauty—She makes up a ton of lengths and finishes third at 13-1. The winner pays $3.60.

    Rocklamation—This gal does exactly what we think she could and wins, paying $13.80, still much less than we thought she would pay. We are not surprised that See You At Peelers tanks badly and doesn’t make the final.

    Custard The Dragon—At 10-1 we have no idea why he is unable to maintain the early lead and even when he gets cover cannot suck along and finish second. He winds up last. We expect to hear a bad health report. Meanwhile, the favorite we thought would lose, loses and the winner pays $13.90.

    Fashion Delight—He goes off a whopping 18-1 and winds up raring to charge second over but has to re-route when the colt covering him breaks stride. He fires back and manages to make the final, finishing fifth. The huge favorite is a colt we knew would be backed more than he deserved; he finished third. The winner, thanks to a safe pocket trip, pays $14.60.  

    Those last two elims were for soph-colt pacers and they testify to what we have been saying all season regardless of the criticism we have received from some industry insiders. This division is fickle and it has produced multiple winners of big events, making each event wide open for betting. We took advantage of many of those events and have won. Be assured that no Horse of the Year will surface from this group. We were right; end of discussion.  

    As for next week, it’s the Breeders Crown finals, all 12 of them, at Woodbine on Oct. 29.  

    For the last time this season, our exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog offers analysis, news and handicapping (results, archives at Hambletonian Society) up to the moment. We will again be reporting live on the TwinSpires blog at U.S. headquarters in league with the Hambo Society and our special staff at Woodbine in Canada. As well, follow our updates on Twitter. After the draw for the elims is complete on Tuesday, Oct. 25, check the exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog for the fields and comments.  

    Our Thurday blog at TwinSpires will include all of our suggested contenders for the finals. By that time we feel we will have gotten our breaths back and will be raring to defy the public for profit. As well, we’ll tell you more about the special Pick-4 Hit It And Split It feature offering a million points on Oct. 29 at Woodbine.

    Harness News

    Maryland has more harness racing again now that Rosecroft Raceway has opened. TwinSpires carries Rosecroft’s latest incarnation. The first race post time is 6:45 p.m., EST every Friday and Saturday through Dec. 17. Thursdays will be added for Dec. 8 and 15. All Superfectas will have an ultra-low, 10-cent minimum. In addition, a 50-cent minimum will be in effect for all Trifectas (all races), Daily Doubles (first two and last two races) and Pick-3 (last three races) wagers.

    From Above, fifth in his elimination for the Breeders Crown frosh-colt trot has been scratched sick from the final. This is trainer Greg Peck’s colt which we won with in two successive races before the “Crown” elim. In that elim we did not choose him, since he was bound to be an underlay. However, his performance was hideous.

    “He just wasn’t himself in the elim,” said Peck. “I said so after the race and I won’t race him if he’s not in top shelf condition. I’ve only raced him a few times this year and there’s no point in racing him if he’s not right. In fairness to the process I wanted to scratch him while there is still time for the also eligible to draw in.”

    The first also-eligible is Delano, driven and trained by Ray Schnittker. The Breeders Crown conditions read that if post positions for a race have already been drawn, the also- eligible will assume the position on the outside of the remaining starters in the front tier of the starting gate. Since From Above had drawn post 9, American Gangster, who drew post 10, will move in one position to the 9 and Delano will take post 10.
    (Cartoon by Thom Pye)

  • Breeders Crown presents: The Eliminators

    POSTED Oct 19, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    The Grand Circuit season is not over but it is all down hill after the next two weeks as the best of 12 divisions meet at Woodbine for Breeders Crown eliminations (Oct. 21 and 22nd) and finals (Oct. 29). From Indiana Downs on Saturday, Oct. 22, come four sires stakes (INSS) finals at $200,000 each. TwinSpires offers 10X points on that card, so click here for those details. We offer our suggestions for the INSS miles below. 

    Continue in the next two weeks to check out our exclusive blog, Breeders Crown Countdown because we will be collecting all the inside information and then on the two nights of elims and one for finals we will be reporting on TwinSpires live with reports via the blog and Twitter in exclusive cooperation with the event’s handlers, the Hambletonian Society. On the site at Woodbine we have sources (horsemen) giving us up-to-the-minute news about the entries, the track condition, et al.  

    There is nowhere else but TwinSpires to truly experience the Breeders Crown, so lock and load those accounts and let’s get into the thick of the races for Friday and Saturday. 

    First, here are the races that will not be part of the elim-weekend agenda. Three events go straight to finals: The two-year-old filly pace, the Open Trot and Open Pace. As of press time, the Mare Trot “is under dispute and in limbo,” according to officials.     

    The Freshmen


    Friday’s eliminations are all for two-year-olds. No freshmen are allowed to supplement, so these five races feature colts and fillies that have been eligible all season.   

    Frosh-colt trotters start it off in splits worth $25,000 (U.S.). Eight go to post and one of them is a horse we hit on two times in a row ($18 and $13) streaking at The Red Mile. It’s From Above, trainer Greg Peck’s 2012 Hambletonian hopeful. This time around he may not offer such value, though a lot of money will go to Possess The Will after his record performance in Kentucky.  

    The outside contender with a similar style as both of those but who will not be bet to the hilt is Classic Conway. The New York-bred has a good gait and may be peaking right now.  

    The other colt-trot chapter presents some shaky stuff. These are very green boys and it is difficult to predict which will hop, skip or jump, no less trot to victory. The fascinating outsider here could be Appomattox. The Frank Antonacci-trained colt is one of two maidens in this field. Yet, he has excuses for his losses and was bet the best of his career when he trotted home second to From Above two races back. He could win by default or just because he is coming up to this race ready to do better than ever. 

    The single frosh-filly trot elim is as contentious as a face for youngsters as has ever been put on a racetrack. Circles and Win Missy B are byes for the final, leaving 10 to contest eight spots in the elim. Still, what a mess of talent taking step on the track.  

    We have raised support for many of these gals over the course of the season but it is now time to find the one that can spread some black ink into our accounts. That gal, it seems, is Personal Style. Her win at 49-1 in Kentucky was a massive overlook on the part of the public. She should have been given a shot off of a vet scratch and a break during a good performance but the crowd showed no mercy. Tonight, considering the popularity of Miss Paris and Check Me Out, “Style” may again go off a long price. Richard Norman’s filly will race better than an outsider and maybe go better than the recent win.  

    Two frosh-colt pace elims line up to reach for the final in Race 4 and Race 6 to complete the Friday Crown lineup. Continued support for A Rocknroll Dance is bound to dominate the win pool as this colt tries to put his pace in his sire’s  hoof beats. But this may be the perfect time to wager against him as he comes off a sub-1:50 mile. 


    Hurrikane Kingcole has had two blistering qualifiers, one in 1:53.2 on a good Pocono-five-eighths track, as tune ups for this week and next. He will be winging and he will be worth it on the toteboard.  

    The second split, Machapelo sits in a perfect spot to use the force he showed winning a Champlain Stakes. The son of speedy Mach Three may be the best of this group if his blueblood begins to flow as he heads for a promising sophomore campaign.  

    The Sophomores

     
    Two elims for each of the sophomore gaits and sexes are on the agenda Saturday, Oct. 22. Filly trotters start the evening in Race 1 and it is a matter of who stays flat that makes this first mile so difficult. Which will the public trust this time?  

    We think it is time for Jezzy to show what she can do. She is certainly the most trustworthy on gait and she is bound to be overlooked enough to make her a good investment.  

    Race 2 presents the first split for the glamour-boy trotters. Two supplements, Daylon Magician and Dejarmbro, take on some familiar and unfamiliar members of the division’s regular crew. This is class warfare, with the “fresh meat” coming from cheaper affairs. Chapter Seven returned to decent form and has the style to win here over the supplements, who should share favoritism.  

    In round two for the boys, Race 3, Manofmanymissions attempts to repeat his Crown championship at three and only has to stay flat to win it. Big Rigs will try to steal it, setting up what could be an awful duel with Broad Bahn and the other class figure, Whiskey Tax, could pull a giant upset or complete the exacta with “Man.” 

    For the second filly trot we have to give a shot to Pantholops. If she stays flat she could take off as she did when we had her at the Meadows at 16-1. She is the sharp outsider and classiest of the bunch. 

    Race 7 is the first mile for filly pacers. We have to love Swinging Beauty for the probable overlay she will be. Her style is perfect for Woodbine and she could pace down Drop The Ball as Strike An Attitude did in the last battle of these babes.  

    Race 9 marks the return of See You At Peelers, the sentimental favorite and one-time queen of this division. If her heart is better she will race well but only well enough to make the final, we think. We’re sticking with Rocklamation, who was tough in the Jugette and has the reserved style to do well in Woodbine’s sinking stretch, which leaves a lot of speed short. 

    The glamour-boy pacers cap the night with Race 10 and Race 11. The Teague team has been hot and Custard The Dragon breathed fire in a qualifier at Pocono to ready for this fray. He always wins when the odds are against him and this could be a big mile for him at juicy odds. 

    Finally, Fashion Delight has been primed and preened for this event and may give everything he has to at least win this elim and do so at strong odds against the crowd-pleasing favorites who have lacked being the threats that their odds have portrayed. 

    Indiana Sires Stakes


    Action in the Midwest, where TwinSpires offers 10X points on the Indiana Downs card this Saturday night, begins with a frosh-filly trotter INSS final. Under the radar here, My Sweet Sheila could upset the obvious favorites for driver/trainer Robert Taylor.  

    The two-year-old colt trot champ may very well turn out to be the weirdly named Velten San Siro. He has collected many big checks in only nine outs.  

    Free Girl is in a good spot to charge home first in the frosh-filly pace final. Her sire, LCB (named after the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board) was solid in the East when racing and turning into a productive sire in the Midwest. 

    Fritz Bow has won half of his first campaign’s races and was close most the others. For only eight starts he may just be starting to wake up enough to win the frosh-colt pace final.

  • Cotolo’s Harness-Weekend Review, 10-3-11

    POSTED Oct 2, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    We began big with two winners this past weekend and they were enough to make a profit, certainly if we didn’t play all of our contenders, which rarely we do. It’s fun, however, to see that a workup of our win plays turns into a profit per $2-based bets (see below).  

    Friday, as September concluded, we were hot with the Bluegrass events at The Red Mile. Two powerfully priced winners blackened the ink further in our bankrolls. We began with a pass, figuring Delano would romp but he was very short and lost; we didn’t. Then Muscolo finished seventh. 

    Next, in the third round of Bluegrasses for frosh-colt trotters, we hit with From Above. Unexpectedly, the colt paid $18.60. 

    Later, Melt In Your Mouth, in the Bluegrass nightcap for the colts, finished fourth. 

    Frosh-filly pacing Bluegrasses were the other features and the second split was a pass (American Jewel, our choice, won). That didn’t matter since Destiny’s Chance, a rogue filly ineligible to the upcoming Breeders Crown (unless supplemented) beat a bunch of “Crown” hopefuls, racing as well as we expected, though the public did not.  

    Destiny’s Chance paid $63 to win.  

    Our two-dollar-based workup for Friday showed an investment of $8 with a return of $81. It’s an outrageous return-on-investment, of course, but if we add the $14 lost on the Saturday card, (none of our seven suggested contenders won), our profit is $59.   

    Now let’s add any win tickets we played from our Cal-Expo Pick-4 experience. Our $1 ticket cost us $4 (there was one scratch from our suggested $8 ticket). We lost but we played horses on the ticket to win if they were 4-1 or up. This means we played You Go Shirl (21-1) and Mow Em Down (53-1), adding $2 to our investment. 

    Our two-dollar-based workup for the two days showed an investment of $26 with a return of $81. That’s $55 profit. This is how we do workups no matter how many or how few horses we play. As I said, this example includes every contender we suggested, not that we would play them all—based on closing odds—and if we show a two-dollar-based profit this way we can be sure we made a profit using a betting scheme based on our judgment for overlays.  

    Keeping records is extremely important, as we continually emphasize, so that you understand if you are winning or losing in the long run. Workups can show great profits over the course of a weekend or a week but what matters is the extent of the playing season. Exotics should also be accounted separately.  

    Our exclusive Breeders Crown Countdown blog is clocking the “Crown”-eligible contenders (results, archives at Hambletonian Society) right to the the elimination rounds program at Woodbine in late October. Those two weeks of elims and finals will be covered live on TwinSpires while we work as the U.S. headquarters for all the live action. Special deals will be available at TwinSpires, so keep in tune with those pages as well as these TwinSpires blogs.  

    Following us on Twitter offers you late picks on races not included in this blog and updates on choices we speak about here. As well as tweeting some profit-making plays, we leave some links and guide you to news and information.

    Harness News

    We warned you to watch out for horses trained and/or driven by Gerald Longo at the current Colonial Downs meet because his horses win under the radar of many players. On Wednesday, Sept. 28, Longo won with Ice Express, paying $26. It was one of only five horses he raced last week, tossing a two-dollar-based profit on Longo-trained horses. Watch for these Longo entries: ZZZT, Andi Rose and Free Parkin Behind in next week’s programs. 

    Heart problems are surfacing as problems for some top pacers. It was discovered that See You At Peelers, the season’s top soph-pacing filly, is being treated for “inflammation of the heart, caused by a virus, which can reportedly be treated by medication.”  

    She might be able return for the Breeders Crown in late October. She has not raced since Sept. 4, when she was placed second at Tioga Downs after having won. Trainer Jimmy Takter has kept her in training while being treated for the malady. 

    Broad Bahn, this year’s Hambletonian winner, who has not won since that race and recently scared his connections with a strange tanking in the Canadian Trotting Classic, has been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. Noel Daley, his trainer, said that the condition can come and go, and he didn’t know if it would cause a problem in the Oct. 2 Kentucky Futurity. “Bahn” lost that race but the condition has not been blamed. Time will tell if Bahn shows up for the Breeders Crown in a few weeks. 

    We loved On The Glass in the Milton Stakes elim and she made a forward move but finished second and lost a berth in the final. On Oct. 2 she won an Allerage Stakes for older pacing mares at 29-1 ($60 to win). You have to keep an eye on horses we suggest for more than one race; be forgiving, for often they give back with a vengeance.

    (Cartoon by Thom Pye)

  • Frosh-Soph Stakes Action Abounds

    POSTED Sep 14, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    Mid-September is the overture for the Delaware, Ohio fair’s Grand Circuit stop, concluding with the historic Little Brown Jug. More details on our coverage of that week will be available in our weekly update edition, Monday, Sept. 19, the day after the fair launches.  

    The Breeders Crown-eligibles, meanwhile, continue to appear in stakes that are covered here and in our exclusive blog, Breeders Crown Countdown. Be sure to check the Countdown blog after you peruse this one for further important race information. The results, as well, about eligible contenders, will be available regularly at the Hambletonian Society website’s area for the “Crown.”  

    This Saturday, Sept. 17, TwinSpires offers bonus points on the Mohawk program. This promotion is open to all TwinSpires players only. There are 10X points awarded for wagers made on these three races: William Wellwood, Peaceful Way and Canadian Trotting Classic. See our analysis’s below.  

    ‘Moni’ Money


    At the Meadows on Friday, Sept. 16, a soph-filly trot named after one of the great femme trotters of the sport, Moni Maker, offers $233,400. Nine classy ladies will contest the five-eighths mile for the lioness’s share of that pot.  

    At press time Dave Palone is the listed driver on the duo that will attract the bulk of the bets, with the one he chooses probably getting favoritism. The “Palone” factor at the Pittsburgh track could leave some room for value with Beatgoeson Hanover. The only win-less gal here is Lady Rainbow, who has earned the most money regardless of not getting to the winner’s circle. Watch for those two to take the Palone ponies down.

    Consolations


    Two $50,000 consolations for finals at Mohawk go Friday, both for frosh trotters. The boys and girls are seven deep each for the “Wellwood” and Peaceful Way consolations.  

    The colt situation seems easy enough, though how these horses will be bet is unknown. Melt In Your Mouth almost made the final. His elimination was a superior mile compared to his foes in this event. “Melt” broke at the start, which was common behavior for the bulk of this field. However, Melt regained full stride and went on to finish fourth by 3 lengths. He was 29-1. The favorite for one elim, Guccio, is here but having busted twice in the same race while carrying all those bets makes him unworthy of a chance tonight.  

    The filly mile will somehow come up with a favorite. But we like the trips in last week’s elims from Bavade and Talbotcreek Jewelry. The former was clean-gaited through the race and gained a bit in the stretch, finishing fourth by 8 lengths at 57-1. “Talbot” was 37-1 and made two distinctive moves, no small feat for a green trotting filly.  

    Mohawk Mobs


    A bundle, $447,000, awaits the frosh-filly trotters in the Peaceful Way Final.   

    After her first loss, Check Me Out winds up with post 10 in this lucrative mile. We don’t know how that loss spooked the gal but we have to look elsewhere for value, anyway, since even with post 10 we won’t be getting any bargains on her.  

    We have been partial to Miss Paris since she began with bravo at the Meadowlands. This blue-blooded gal is in a good spot here to win (a reasonable price?). If you have the gall to toss “Check” out and you like the price on “Paris,” consider exotics with Aunt Mel, Win Missy B and Xquisite Chocolate.  

    The William Wellwood is worth $469,000. Ten young frosh colts will battle, three of them tutored by Jimmy Takter. The best of the three elims last week was the trips by American Gangster and The Game Plan. They both came first over and were strong late. Still, The Game Plan could be the overlay of the group. His trainer, John Kopas, is a veteran and a local (as driver Jack Moiseyev is, these days, too) but the Takter tots may attract all the money. “Game” won at 5-2 and could be more here. In exotics, we could use Prestidigitator, the other Kadabra-sired boy, for a promising payoff.   

    Open mare pacers are battling again, this time at Mohawk in elims for the Milton Final. We have one we like in each elim, judge for yourself if they are worthy of win bets. In elim one, On The Glass should be coming around now and this is the perfect place for her to strike up one last streak before the season ends. In the second elim we like, again, Anndrovette. You might not get the kind of money she paid for us a few weeks back but you may be surprised what she offers against Dreamfair Eternal.  

    For the Canadian Trotting Classic rundown, check the Breeders Crown Countdown blog.

    On Saturday, Balmoral Park hosts Super Night, the annual gathering of the best Illinois-breds in high stakes action. Also on Sept. 17, there is classy frosh action at Indiana Downs with The Elevation (frosh-colt pace in two divisions) and Kentuckiana Stallion Management stakes (frosh-filly pace).  

    American Jewel will rule the wagering in the “Kentuckiana,” so looking for an upset could be moot. We keep trying to beat her with Podges Lady but it looks as if that would not be such a good price, anyway. The two colt stakes divisions are loaded. Sweet Lou is the dead-on favorite in the first and A Rocknroll Dance is the choice to take down field two.  

    Follow me on Twitter for updates down to the last minute and a whole lot of fun with world news, pop culture and more.  

     (Ray Cotolo assisted in this edition.)

  • Cotolo’s Harness-Weekend Review, 9-12-11

    POSTED Sep 11, 2011 By Frank Cotolo
    It’s always difficult to describe the weekends that almost exploded. Certainly after the dead-on weekend before, where we nailed double-digit winners that pumped up the bankroll, it is hard to hear the echoes of “What have you done for me lately.”  

    This weekend, we washed out, literally and figuratively, as the rains of Hurricane Lee invaded our personal workspace and closed some tracks in this East Coast tri-state area. Tioga Downs was forced to cancel its racing (“Lee” had been downgraded to a Tropical Depression but was still raging a stormy path up the inner coast). This caused the $342,875 Cane Pace to move to Pocono Downs, where oddly enough the floodwaters were bad but already receding.  

    The move put the traditional half-mile pacing-triple-crown event that was going to be raced on the near-mile to a five-eighths mile and if affected the event greatly. A few good colts in the event, including our choice, Powerful Mist, were forced to make sweeping brushes early in the race. Pocono’s tight turns made it easy for Betterthancheddar to win despite leading the pack into a sizzling first quarter. He surrendered the lead to Shadyshark Hanover and was given a perfect pocket to rest as “Shadyshark” negotiated three-quarters in a startling 1:20.4 (remember, this is a five-eighths track).  

    “Better” simply closed in the open-stretch lane and passed Shadyshark. “Mist,” our choice at almost 8-1, made up significant ground, going from sixth to third in the final strides. Better was 4-1. Favorite Roll With Joe suffered from making a three-wide move at three-quarters, which is a fatal move for so many good horses at this oval.  

    The Cane Pace is followed by the Little Brown Jug (Sept. 22) and the Messenger Stake (Nov. 12) in making up the Pacing Triple Crown. Ten horses have won the Pacing Triple Crown, with the most recent being No Pan Intended (2003).  

    The accompanying filly stake, the Shady Daisy, also moved to Pocono. However, the two divisions were presented as non-betting events. Therefore, we could not have lost the pair, which we suggested include wagers on Ms Malicious (seventh) and Whats New Pussycat (sixth).  

    Our only winners this weekend began with a miserable payer. On Friday at Freehold, in the “Smith” for filly trotters, Firstclassprincess won and paid $2.60. In the Smith for fellas, our choice at 25-1 finished fourth.  

    If you were following us on Twitter you could have nailed one of Friday’s Kentucky Sires Stakes finals at The Red Mile. We gave out Gym Tan Laundry, which won and paid $13.40. We had two close calls, Celebrity Lovin (10-1) was second and 19-1 Sandra Volo, who finished third.  

    At Mohawk, Saturday night, favorites mauled our choices. We almost won with Westwardho Hanover, who finished third. This guy should blow ‘em away next time after the extra-mile he put in to be third. He was left at the gate, spotting the field at least 10 lengths. In the stretch, he altered his course when he had no room to close and was firing full engines in the final strides.  

    Charlie De Vie broke in his Canadian Trotting Classic elim and Manofmanymissions didn’t, so we lost. “Charlie” may still be as good as “Man” in many ways but cannot stay on target to prove it often. In the other elim, the duel we hoped would allow Whatever It Takes to win never surfaced. It was a tight finish, though, with a blanket of horses, including our choice, across the wire. The favorite won by a nose.  

    We hope you collected tons of points wagering on Indiana Downs this past Saturday night and we’re sorry we could only produce two winners. Sheza Cool Cookie paid much less than we imagined, $5.40, and Go On BB was no bargain at $2.80. In the thick of it, we gave you three seconds, Trottin Tiger, Flight Elal and Fitz Bow.  

    Following us on Twitter allows you to keep checking our tweets for harness updates and picks too late to be included in the blogs. You can join Twitter or just peruse if you want to get the kind of info and opinion no other harness-Twitter account offers you. As well as tweeting some profits, we have some fun.

    Harness News

    See You At Peelers won’t take on the boys in The Little Brown Jug, according to trainer Jimmy Takter.  

    “Peelers,” who lost her second race at Tioga Downs in a New York Sires Stakes division last week on a disqualifcation, was taken in for a physical exam to be sure she was sound during this tough campaign.   

    A source from inside the sport that spoke to us under the condition of anonymity, said, “The last two drivers with Peelers have been horrendous as she has been gutted to the half in unbelievable fractions. What these good drivers fail to realize, since they have driven the best horses in the world, is that this is a three-year-old filly, albeit a extremely talented one, she is still just a filly.  

    “Not to many world champion mares, even with 60 starts under their belts, could have handled fractions like that. The little girl has had only 22 starts and hasn't been pressed until recently.  

    “When she came off the turn in her last race she had the exact same expression as Niatross had just before he went over the hub rail at Saratoga. His exhaustion was from being sick with a temperature of 102 but Peelers was from having an empty tank and being used too hard too early. I hope they take it easier with her and don't gut her in the next couple of starts.  I still shake my head when I think about Tarport Hap dropping dead at the Meadowlands after she had won her eighth straight. Not only does it take the heart right out of the horse, it takes the heart right out of you. So... a line from Moonstruck: ‘Somebody tell a joke!’”

    Keep up to date with the Breeders Crown by following our exclusive blogs, the Breeders Crown Countdown and the news we report at the website for the Hambletonian Society.
    (Cartoon by Thom Pye)