Bread-And-Butter Racing Spread Thick

Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

One more amazing thing about super horses is when they lose, that loss becomes the story over the horse that beats them. Such is the case from Friday, Nov. 1, when Captaintreacherous lost by a slim margin at Hooser Park to Dedi’s Dragon  in the Monument Circle Final.

Captaintreacherous was out-gunned late by a wide-charging Dedi’s Dragon, the margin no more than that of the colt’s first loss this season to Sunfire Blue Chip. In our opinion, Dedi’s Dragon was actually an underlay, paying $88.80 for a win that should have paid in excess of $200.

That night at Hoosier, in the other three stakes, we mentioned all of the winners but each were choices or co-choices, while our choices all finished fourth in their respective contests (at 9-1, 20-1 and 38-1).

Also on Friday, at Vernon, we nabbed one winner from the five Simpson Stakes on the program. All of the Simpsons results are below in the H2W review.

We lost the Messenger Stakes, though we were correct in predicting an upset as the top two choices failed. Our choice, Lonewolf Currier finished sixth at 18-1. And our Lady Maud choice was fifth at 40-1 as the big favorite won that one.

H2W RESULTS
Due to popular demand, we are changing the format to the reviewing of our horses-to-watch (H2W) list. Because our across-the-board prices have not been documented before and players wager place and show as well as win, we are adding all of the prices offered by all of our on-the-board H2W finishers. Odds off to win appear only for place and show finishers.

Winners

Makena Cat, $36.80, $19.20, $6.80, Maywood
She’s Automatic, $22.60, $7.00, $5.40, Maywood
Heavenly Way, $13.20, $5.60, $3.60, Pocono
Winlightn’strikes, $8.50, $3.70, $3.20, Batavia
Steuben Jumpinjack, $7.20, $2.60, $2.40, Cal Expo
Jk Molly, $6.00, $2.30, $2.10, Vernon
Fifty Shades, $4.60, $2.40, $2.20, Freehold
Flying Topless,$4.60, $3.20, $2.80, Pocono
Mcliberty, $4.00, $2.60, $2.10, Meadows
Explosive Shark, $3.80, $2.60, $2.20, Freehold
My Last Tris, $3.60, $2.20, $2.10, Meadows
Gator Express, $3.20, $2.20, $2.20, Maywood

Seconds

Dipietrantonio (20-1), $20.20, $8.90, Vernon
Treasure Hunter (7-1), $7.80, $6.60, Pompano
Painite (11-1), $6.20, $3.70, Vernon
Nf Independence (3-1), $4.40, $2.60, Freehold
Smart As Fanny (2-1), $4.00, $3.00, Lebanon
Hollywood Rusty (5-2), $3.20, $2.40, Pocono
Atarsaboveallerage (4-5), $2.90, $2.10, Vernon
Listowel (7-5), $2.40, $2.40, Freehold
Beat The Drum (4-5), $2.10, $2.10, Vernon

Thirds

Lasting Endeavor (21-1), $8.40, Lebanon
Air Current (5-1), $5.30, Batavia
Stonebridge Damsel (5-2), $4.80, Freehold
Last Chance Hanover (9-2), $3.20, Meadows
Annies List (4-5), $3.00, Vernon
A Fool For Mark (2-1), $2.80, Pompano
Carlena Hanover (7-1), $2.20, Pocono
Dazzling Diana (6-1), No show betting

News And Notes
Stallions are in the news for a few reasons. First, more than one top performer is retiring to begin a career at stud in 2014, as well as some stallions will be changing homes to breed in more lucrative states. Also, the famed Harrisburg Sale beings Nov. 4 and the big-dollars will be flowing at the state farm building. Due to our close proximity to Harrisburg and our history with the sale (we were the first to cover the sale real time on the Internet), we hope to be gathering exclusive material from owners and horsemen about next season’s outlook.

Check Me Out, who we supported to win her Breeders Crown final but broke in a late charge, has been retired. She finished her sophomore campaign in 2012 as the richest trotting filly in history and she retires with lifetime earnings of just over $1.9 million. She is co-owned by trainer Ray Schnittker and will be bred to Credit Winner in 2014.
My MVP, winner of the 2012 Kentucky Futurity, has been retired and will stand stud in Delaware, Ohio at the completion of his four-year-old racing season. He is trained by Tony Alagna.

Armbro Operative, who enjoyed great success on and off the racetrack and was our choice when he won an elim heat and the final of the Little Brown Jug, was put down recently after breaking a leg. Standing this season again Down Under, Armbro Operative earned over a million dollars during his racing career. Asied from the “Jug” he won Breeders Crown Final at three, becoming the only horse to win the Jug and two Breeders Crown Finals. In 1997 he went to stud and sired over 1,100 winners and 100 $100,000 winners, all in the Southern Hemisphere, he was twice Australia’s leading stallion and twice Australia’s leading juvenile stallion.

Panther Hanover, Glidemaster, Betterthancheddar and Rockincam are the newest studs to a growing list of stallions in New York. Panther Hanover became one of the fastest soph colts ever when he registered a 1:47.2 victory. The 2006 trotting Triple Crown champion Glidemaster has sired winners of $6.25 million. Betterthancheddar owns world records on a half and five-eighths mile track. He won the Cane Pace, the elimination and final of the Breeders Crown and more Open pacer Rockincam will launch his stud career with of a lifetime mark of 1:48.1.

Extraordinary Extras

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog.

Cartoons by Thom Pye

Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

We began the first post-Breeders Crown-season weekend on Friday, Oct. 25, at Vernon Downs with freshman stakes, the Kindergartens, for colt-and-filly trotters.

From the Breeders Crown frosh-filly trot as our pick there and in the Vernon stakes, Goddess won. She, we suggested, would beat the obvious favorite, Yoga, and she did, with Yoga finishing second for a $26.60 exacta. Goddess paid $8.50 to win. In the single colt trot, our choice, Odds On Amethyst (18-1) broke and was eliminated.

Saturday, Oct. 26 kept us in New York, as Yonkers held eliminations for next week’s Messenger Stakes. No one was fooled and the most obvious results ensued. We didn’t go against either of the probable favorites in the elims and they won, presenting minor awards. Sunfire Blue Chip paid $3 and Lucan Hanover $2.70. These two glamour-boy colts were also coming off of Breeders Crown performances, both losing to Captaintreacherous in the final.

The soph-filly Lady Maude also offered elim divisions. We went one for two here, with Scandalous Hanover ($3.20) and a third for Parlee Beach. Those two also were coming off of Breeders Crown performances. The trend is obvious and reflects what we wrote about in the parting essay of our Breeders Crown Countdown blog. If you have not read that yet, click here. 

Hoosier Park was busy on Saturday night with legs for two of its popular series, the Madison County for froshes and the Circle City for sophs. We had only two winners here but were in the hunt and provided a strong place finisher.

Frosh-colt trotter EL Titan won for us, paying $3. Soph-colt trotter Punxsutawney won for us, paying $5.80.

In the second colt split, our choice, Show Ticket was second, paying $15.80 to place and $9.60 to show. As the other half of the exacta in that race with the favorite, the pay off was $61.80. Also contributing to an exacta was Monkey Man ($4.20, $3.20), second in an exacta for the frosh-colt trotters. Along with the favorite, that exacta paid $11.60. Another choice was second, as Longwell was just beaten by the favorite in the second soph-colt trot to produce a $7.60 exacta. Two others that we chose finished second but neither My Lady Day nor Jk Endofanera assisted in favorite-related exactas. Both of our filly trotter choices broke and were eliminated and That Friske Feelin finished third. The other two were off the board.

News And Notes

For the first time, the $400,000 (estimated) Progress Pace will not be held on the first part of Dover Downs month-long “Novemberfest of Stakes,” which opens the track’s 45th season. The track’s signature event becomes the final showcase on the month-long stakes schedule.

Dover’s six-month campaign begins on Sunday, Nov. 3. On the second Sunday, Nov. 10, all eight divisions of the Matron Series will feature eliminations with the top eight finishers returning on Nov. 17 for lucrative finals.

The Progress Pace, the last outpost for glamour-boy pacers, is scheduled for $35,000 elims on Sunday, Nov. 24, with the top-eight finishers racing for an estimated $350,000 final on Sunday, Dec. 1.

In addition to the Progress Pace and Matrons, the freshman division of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) is also on the Novemberfest program, starting on Nov. 11. The DSBF colt-and-filly pacers and trotters race in two preliminary legs and eight $100,000 finals.

Sunday races begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday post time is 4:30 p.m. There is no racing on Fridays and Saturdays. The meet begins on Sunday, Nov. 3 and continues until April 10, 2014.

Jimmy Takter is now the leading trainer of Breeders Crown champs. After the 2013 series ended, Takter wound up with 18 wins, the most in the series’ history. From team Takter comes the announcement that two of this year’s champions, Father Patrick (one of the Four Horses of the Apocalypse) and Uffizi Hanover, are through for this year. Father Patrick will arguably become the winter-book favorite to win the 2014 Hambletonian after a sterling year of division domination. “Uffizi” was one of the two winners of a Breeders Crown final this year that paid double digits. He was our choice, you may, remember.

Coming back to the track in Canada are 2011 Canadian Trotting Classic champion Daylon Magician and 2007 Breeders Crown colt-pace winner Santanna Blue Chip. They both won qualifiers at Mohawk Racetrack last week as they readied their next campaigns. Daylon Magician hadn’t raced since October of last year and was standing his first season as a stud in Canada. But now he returns to the mile battles. Santanna Blue Chip, who retired after the 2008 Matron and the 2007 Governor's Cup, is also giving up stud duty.

Multiple world champion and 2012 Meadowlands Pace winner A Rocknroll Dance has retired from racing and will begin a stud career in 2014 in Pennsylvania. A Rocknroll Dance won $2,429,441 and was the first horse in history to take three consecutive sub-1:48 wins. Those scores came this year in an invitational at Pocono (1:47.4f) and then the elim and final of the $651,000 Canadian Pacing Derby (1:47.3-1:47.2).

You may remember we backed him at his prime, winning the “Pace” and more at three. He was never the same dynamo at four until late in the season when he splurged from the doldrums and established world records at four on five-eighths and half-mile tracks. His 1:49.1 world mark on a half was taken winning the Battle Of Lake Erie at Northfield over Foiled Again and his 1:47.4 world mark on a five-eighths came in the Invite at Pocono. In addition, he set the pace for world record miles for Bolt The Duer as a three-year-old (1:47.4f in the Adios Final) and Pet Rock as a four-year-old (1:47.2f at Scioto). He would later defeat all three of those horses in the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk in track and Canadian record time.

Extraordinary Extras

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog.

 

 

Cartoons by Thom Pye

Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

Cartoons by Thom Pye

Our Old Kentucky Home

Friday’s Bluegrass

Three divisions each of the Bluegrass Stakes for frosh-colt trotters and filly pacers adorn the Sept. 27 program. The top stars of the divisions are on hand to compete for total purses over a half-million dollar. 

The colt trotters’ trio of stakes each has a seven-colt field for a purse of $90,100. 

In the first split, Father Patrick, one of the season’s top division-dominating steeds, comes off of two spectacular races, both wins (William Wellwood Memorial elim and final at Mohawk). He has lost only one of eight starts in his career and that was a photo-for-win second in an overnight at The Meadowlands. He is simply the best of the young trottin’ boys and impossible to bet on or against. Look for exotics. 

In round two for the colts, six foes try to beat the obvious public choice, Exodus Hanover. He is worth aiming at with an upset, preferably Odds On Amethyst. He has speed and does not have to face “Patrick” here and may go wire to wire at a decent price.

In the colts’ finale, we have to look for Outburst to overcome Southwind Spirit. The latter may offer no odds to whet a bet while Outburst is improving and could take the winner’s photo for trainer Noel Daley.

The pacing fillies will race for just shy of $260,000 in their triptych. Precocious Beauty is the star of the first split and she will leave from post 8 to continue a recent ruling of this division. Her 1:50.2 speed badge is almost creepy for this division. However, due to post 9, Somethinincredible may be the overlooked contender and therefore the best bet in a strong field that will test Precocious Beauty to her limit. 

In the second filly pacing round, Caviat Shelly is a budding daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, whose frosh product in both sex categories are doing far better than most are being wagered to do. Take her here, her post only increases the value.

Finally, split three leads us again to an outside post as we give Bahama Blue another chance to join the Somebeachsomewhere-winning-frosh club and, again, with a near-guaranteed double-digit price for the support.

Saturday In The Bluegrass 

Somewhere Fancy won’t take as much money as he should but this frosh-colt pacer is ready for prime-time action. His recent Mohawk mile is monstrous, though he lost, but it shows that trainer Linda Toscano has high hopes for this good colt.

Next on the frosh-colt pacing agenda, we have to go with Let’s Drink On It. Coming off two brutal trips, he may race back to his Metro elim win, which is a race that beats them all here. He might not fool many bettors for all his class, so you may wish to key him on top in exotics if you don’t like the win price, especially since chaos rules in all that follow him home if he is first.

Again for $77,000-plus, the third frosh-colt pace offers a possible outsider with the Tony Alagna-trained Gold Rocks. He is in great form but may not be given the respect he deserves for winning the Lou Babic elim and final, no less his big race at Freehold before coming here, where he was third as the dead-on choice after a horrid trip around four turns. He has the breeding, for sure, and should offer the price we like.

Speaking of prices, next for this division comes Carracci Hanover. Bound to be a longshot, he has not proven unworthy of his second place finish two back at 36-1. His Champlain Stakes fifth was not a bad race and the bettors knew it, reducing him to 13-1. Watch out for him here, he could surprise and leave maiden status.

Soph-filly pacers are also in flight with with a single $122,000 event. There are no easy pickings in round one for these gals. A case can be made for many of the 11 involved. That being written, judge the value of Aunt Caroline for yourself. She is in fine fettle for this and shows signs of being a good earner.

Soph-colt pacers, those glamour boys, also go at it again, this time in two $95,500 Bluegrass Stakes this Saturday. What we have here, of course, in the first split for them is another arena for the fabulous Captaintreacherous. It’s a far better field to conquer than last week’s timid group at Hoosier but this year’s soph colt pacer has added glitter to the glamour division and should be able to handle them with little effort. Can you scrape up a worth exacta or triple from his highness? That’s your business; we are going to watch and revel in the magnificence of this guy.

Split two is another shot for one of our “Jug” choices, Wake Up Peter. Still looking for his first win this season he has been batting with the big boys as trainer Tony Alagna’s other colt, pacing in the shadow of Captaintreacherous. Toss out his Jug from post 8 and give this guy another chance to pace his Cane Pace mile, which here would win it over these and pay off well.

H2W Legend

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

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

H2W

Batavia
9/27/13, Armbro Barnes R1; +Mythical Hall R4; +Haste R4
9/28/13, Blackwalls R5

Freehold
9/28/13, +Useful Hanover R5; +Saywhatuneedtosay ae R8; +Newsam R9

Lebanon
9/27/13, Moira’s Bliss R13
9/28/13, +Livelikeurdying R9; +Surf La R12

Maywood
9/26/13, Greg And Flex R3; Skyway Titan R7
9/27/13, Zeller’s Island R8

Meadows
9/27/13, +Bohemian Spell R12

Northfield
9/27/13, Flying Lucia R1; +Bench’s Beauty R2; Iemma Machine Baby R3; Twinky R4; +Masked Lover R8; +Blissfull Jessie R9; Felicia Hall R10; Twin B Shasta R13

Red Mile
9/29/13, Shared Past R5; Mister Herbie R7; Clear Vision R9; Mistery Woman R10; Deadliest Catch R11; Lindy's Tru Grit R12; Lauderdale R13

Rosecroft
9/28/13, +Hit The Hill R4; Techno Paysan R4; Crown Time Yooray R7; +Littlebitofthunder R12
 
Vernon

9/28/13, +St Lads Speedy ae R3

Ray Cotolo contributed to this edition. 

Top photo by Thom Pye

Freshmen In Focus

Go to Breeders Crown Countdown.

Canadian Pacing Derby

Two eliminations for the Canadian Pacing Derby attract 15-hopefuls as they prepare to dash this weekend for spots in the final field.

Bolt The Duer seems to hold favoritism in division one, off of a world-record mile at Saratoga. Also in that field is Sweet Lou, coming off a third to A Rocknroll Dance in a world-record mile at Pocono. Sweet Lou is the kind of horse that can win eliminations against this caliber and going against this field he may not be a tremendous price but offer enough value for us to feel confident supporting him. 

Warrawee Needy and A Rocknroll Dance highlight the second elimination. Although those two draw the best over the rest of the field, Pet Rock is not one to throw out. He always finds his way into the race, whether he uses an early brush to the lead or a sweep past everyone late. He’ll likely be forwardly placed and save something for the stretch.

H2W Legend

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

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

H2W

Batavia
8/23/13, Marvelthisbliss R1
8/24/13. +Native Roots R3

Ocean
8/23/13, +Powerful Passage R5; Fandemoniom R10

Plainridge
8/24/13, +Go Go Cocomo R1 

Pocono
8/24/13, Raging Grin R2; Harbor Point R3; DM Bodatious R4; Cashendash Hanover R8; Drive All Night R11

Running Aces
8/24/13, +My Cover Girl R1; +Steph’s Place R3; +Poetic Movement R3; +Shark Standing R6; +Gift Of Honor R7

The Red Mile
8/24/13, Banco Solo R2; Ma Chere Hall R12

Tioga
8/23/13, Maggie O R1; Celebrity Spitfire R3; Cruise Queen R8
8/24/13, Strong Hope R6; Wisenheimer R9

Yonkers
8/23/13, EL Rock R3; Fox Valley Sage R4; Virgin Mary R9; JK Fine Art R11
 

Sizzling Stakes Ensue

Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

Our stay in the Meadowlands press box was poignant as well as productive, since the main structure of the facility will meet its doom in early 2014. The press corps peered at the new grandstand building from the large glass windows of the press box, knowing it was our final visit to the original building. The new grandstand, being constructed on the backstretch, is nearly completed.

Turning the composition of the Meadowlands facility around also eliminated the stable area, so when the track opens in November with its new face, competing horses will be ship-ins.

On Friday morning, Aug. 2, the last of the qualifiers for the 2013 season and the final to be held in front of the old grandstand, featured a mile by the sport’s current well-deserved superstar Captaintreacherous. The monstrous pacing machine put on a display by presenting an easy but dazzling 1:50.1 mile, closed by a 25.4 final quarter. 

The pride of Captaintreacherous Racing, trained by Tony Alagna and managed by Myron Bell, is reportedly going back to Pocono for his next stakes appearance. It should be as a part of the track’s Super Stakes Saturday on Aug. 17, in the Battle of Brandywine. 

In Ontario, friends and workers at Flamboro Downs are more concerned than ever, as the facility remains empty and the slots continue to operate. An insider said, “The only people who have been hurt is the horse people.” This is the first summer in many years that Flamboro has not held harness racing and Brian Tropea, president of the Ontario Harness Horse Association says that has greatly affected horse people.

An Ontario news report indicates that former Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin, who established a horse racing transition panel many months ago, is still attempting to finalize a plan to help keep the horse racing industry in the province from being completely decimated. To read the full story, please click here.  

Extraordinary Extras

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

Eliminations Galore With North America Cup Headlining

Glamour-boy pacers are in the limelight this weekend as the North America Cup eliminations are featured at Mohawk Raceway and this year’s first $1-million affair takes shape (the final is next week). The filly set takes aim at the Fan Hanover final field with a single elim—a field of 10—on the same program, June 8.

On June 7 at Mohawk older femme trotters take to the track for Armbro Flight elims. That final will also adorn the classy card complementing the million-dollar “Cup” event.

The soph trotters go on June 8 at Mohawk also with the eliminations for next week’s Goodtimes final. As this is along the road to August, you can read our analysis of those races and as well as June 7’s Elegant Image elims and the Currier & Ives splits at the Meadows in this week’s Hambletonian Trail blog, brought to you exclusively by TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society.

More winners are projected in our exclusive harness horses to watch (H2W) list from tracks around North America.

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

‘Cup’ Contests

A trio of North America Cup elims were necessary as the division stacks up its talent to chase Captaintreacherous. Arguably the best pacer to come along since his sire, Somebeachsomewhere, Captaintreacherous appears to be on course to fulfill expectations far better than last year’s hopes that rode with pacer Sweet Lou. The industry is quick to annoint soph champs by their frosh history but over and over again we see others emerge in a new season with far more talent than they projected as freshmen.

Captaintreacherous (pictured right with trainer Tony Alagna) may very well be the exception; in fact, he could be even better than expected—he is that good. Thus far he has not been fully tested but like his sire he won’t be doing anything but trying to win against any foe. In the first Cup elim he won’t be facing any obvious threats. Last week, we enjoyed a 56-1 second with Varadero Hanover, who we feel is improving greatly, though perhaps not to the level of the “Captain.” Those two would make for a decent exacta if “Vara” is at all overlooked.

The Captain’s Breeders Crown nemesis, Rockin Amadeus, won the classic with a pocket trip, which was the only time he ever defeated him. In the second Cup elim, “Amadeus” must orchestrate a win against Martini Hanover, who came back very sharp with age. In this field, “Martini” may be the bet, with money stacking up on the sides of Twilight Bonfire and Fool Me Once before him. That is hard to forecast but Martini certainly gets the call from those of us looking to get any price on this affair.

Certainly Vegas Vacation rules this elim if we consider his recent surge to success for trainer Casie Coleman. Nothing would please her more, we are sure, to be conditioning the dragon slayer, so to speak, if “Vegas” shakes the Captain at his own game. However, Vegas has to get to the final through this elim before considering any challenges. This means taking Johny Rock seriously, for he has shown some soph muscle.

Also in the mix, though not debuting with great array, is Odds On Equuleus, as well as the mystery presented by Apprentice Hanover (has he strengthened his stride?). “Equuleus” was disappointing last week, finishing sixth. Trainer Robin Schadt said the colt needed that race, which was not their first choice for a debut (they pulled the colt from a proposed start at Vernon when illness hit the backstretch). If you are looking for an upset, look for Equuleus to race big in the elims, as it makes great sense he will be all out to get into the final and being all out may mean he wakes up—and at fine odds.

Fan Hanover Heroines

Ten glamourous soph-gal boy pacers look to find one of eight posts in the Fan Hanover final next week at Mohawk in the single June 8 elimination mile. Most of these femmes have name recognition, returning from successful frosh careers, but we do not have a firm division leading trio, no less a solo heroine.

Until last week, I Luv The Nitelife was the closest thing to a division leader as they come but she was beaten in last week’s sires stakes, though by a neck, after an easy trip. This raises hopes on other gals that may be improving with maturity.

Parlee Beach was an early find for us last season and she did well enough, though promising more. She is a good candidate to improve at three for trainer Ron Burke and she gets the Mohawk wood on her side with Yannick Gingras to guide here. Since “Nitelife” will still wind up a massive favorite in our opinion, Burke’s “Beach” may have the edge and offer the price we are looking to get. In exotics we would not discount Love Canal or outsider Handsoffmycupcake. If Nitelife winds up out of the money (still making the final, of course), this could be one hell of a trifecta.

Trotters In ‘Flight’

The Armbro Flight elims are each worth $35,000 for the older mares and due to the division, these are two exceptional betting races. The trotting-mare group is usually quite competitive, especially since members do not get the chances other divisions have at racing for big dollars (the conditions are for fillies and mares but rarely does a sophomore enter).

These two splits define the tight competition involved. In the first venture, the popular Cedar Dove makes a new season of it and her name recognition alone will attract money. Top trainers have entries here, including Jimmy Takter and Ron Burke. But our support will have to go to Dorsay. Trainer Jonas Czernyson is bringing his stock back this season with early fire and this one has the credentials to have improved over last season. As well, she will certainly offer a good price for a victory.

Then, we look for an upset of Maven and Beatgoeson Hanover with a tough gal that showed a lot of spark late last year with the odds against her—Bax Of Life. She will be an outside contender and rightfully so with the aforementioned stars of last season waving their credentials about. However, we want the price and with the right trip Bax Of Life offers just that.  

H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track to decide how you will use the information. The list has shortened as the stakes season ensues but still offers the best possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races.

The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the trck after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means that horse is appearing on the list for the second (and last time) because it failed to win the first time it appeared.

An “ae” signals the horse is entered but on the also-eligible list (so it might not get into the race). Multi-horses may be listed in the same race.  Horses from previous lists that are not racing this week will no longer appear until they are confirmed in a race.

Wagering on any of the H2W listed horses is based on your own judgment. Your handicapping skills should include decisions to wager to win, place, show or in exotics. If you have any questions about the H2W list, send them to us through the TwinSpires blog channel.

H2W