• Northfield, Saratoga In Stakes’ Focus; Grand Circuit To Canada, N.Y

    POSTED Aug 14, 2014 By Frank Cotolo
    Big Friday and Saturday features spread across the east and the borders on Aug. 15 and Aug 16. Six-figure events are rare at Northfield Park and Saratoga Harness but this weekend they take the spotlights with the Carl Milstein and Joe Gerrity memorials.

    It’s also Gold Cup & Saucer weekend, with a consolation on Friday and the final on Saturday at Charlottetown Driving Park (pictured left). Also in Canada, Mohawk hosts Nassagaweya stakes as the Grand Circuit (GC) dives into the season’s second half with a big Saturday card. On Sunday Tioga Downs hosts some traditional GC events, the Tompkins-Geers and you can find our choices for those along with other suggested contenders on our horses-to-watch list (H2W). These are valuable additions to your win, place and show bets and exotics through North America. See our weekly list of “lookouts” below. 

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

    Carl Cash At Northfield

    The $400,000 Carl Milstein Memorial at Northfield Park on Aug. 15 is a huge cash event for glamour-boy pacers and the purse is so large this year it has prompted the connections of Mcwicked to supplement their speedy colt. The first sign that was worth the investment was when Mcwicked drew the rail, which at the home of the Flying Turns is still a plus.

    Casie Coleman’s Mcwicked has lost to a few of the foes here in the bigger races and has not dominated the division’s top events, so the representatives of the other top trainers of the season deliver a race with deep competitive promise.

    Ron Burke’s All Bets Off has come around well and is six for nine coming to Ohio. Jimmy Takter’s pacer, Tellitlikeitis was the favorite in the first million-dollar race for the division and has been in the thick of all but one of his six races. Stevensville was the winner over Hes Watching when that one faltered in his soph debut; remember we gave you Stevensville at Yonkers that night for a big win? Ohio-champ-conditioner Virgil Morgan, Jr. conditions Boomboom Ballykeel (our choice and the upset winner of last year’s Metro). Though the colt has not been on fire at three, he is three for seven in the win column and Morgan knows this course. Chris Oakes aims Luck Be Withyou, an honest threat to Mcwicked this season, at the purse. Joe Seekman’s Let’s Drink On It has five wins in 11 starts, though they are against less-talented steeds. Only Dan Altmeyer’s Seventh Secret appears to be buried in the talent, leaving against this crew from post 8 with only hopes for a small piece of the pie should a lot go wrong to his left.

    Mcwicked will launch hard out of the 1 hole and attempt to cut all the fractions, making this a typical Northfield-wire-to-wire attempt based solely on speed. That most likely scenario could be the downfall for Mcwicked, since it would seem impossible that he would get away with cutting the fractions for all four quarters in a race with this kind of pot; there will be challenges. Which horse finds itself in the best position could be the one left with the best kick.

    All Bets Off will be right behind Mcwicked when that one guns out and charts to get the best trip to save ground. He did his best at Yonkers and could wind up with a record mile if he comes out late with a successful bid or he shoots up the passing lane. His price is negotiable but given the circumstances he may be worth it as a second or third choice, since Mcwicked ($34,000 to get into this event) will be showered with wins bets.

    Carl Consolation

    The $100,000 consolation of the Carl Milstein Memorial offers this year’s second-tier soph-pacing colts a means of redemption, with one specific pacer from the field in desperate need of one.

    Sharp as a freshman, luck had abandoned Western Vintage upon his tangos with the top guys, with every mile an encounter with misfortune. Upon his elimination in the Max Hempt Memorial, trainer Nancy Johnasson gave her star colt a break. Returning on racing’s biggest stage, the Hambletonian under card, he was a game fourth in 1:50, albeit to a 90-1 Sweet Rock. Competing against other colts that are in need of a redeeming mile, Western Vintage, who’s only $2,000 off of qualifying for the final, should be raring to pace.

    With him is a promising colt in the exotics, Three Of Clubs. The Mach Three speedster is winless in seven tries this year while competing mainly on the Ontario Sires Stakes circuit. Regardless, his lone chance of receiving a check will be utilizing his speed to sit near the top and hope to pass rivals in the lane. With the weak speed honor going to Limelight Beach, it is more than possible that he can pass enough horses to pay a handsome exacta.

    Joe Dough At Saratoga

    Saratoga Raceway features top aged pacers in the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Memorial on Aug. 16. With the Foiled Again fan club ready to tune in, there’s a possibility we can get a price on the best horse in the field

    Coming in off of a first-over journey in the Dan Patch Invitational (against Sweet Lou), Heston Blue Chip will start from the rail. The Linda Toscano trainee was parked through insane fractions of :52.4 and 1:20.1, causing him to falter to sixth. This group suits him perfectly, and from the rail, he will be tough to beat.

    Nassagaweya Whiz Kids

    Two-year-old colts get top-notch prizes for their best efforts in three Nassagaweya splits, each worth more than $89,000, on Aug. 16 at Mohawk. The crop has been dominated up north thus far by progeny from Sportswriter but we don’t know to what extent that will affect the wagering.

    Round one could be a great score for a son of Somebeachsomewhere, as the Linda Toscano-trained Asap Hanover gets a good spot to shine. The solo Sportswriter kid comes out of post 8 here so Toscano’s colt gets a post edge, as well as Tim Tetrick in the bike.

    Nine go in the second round and look who has a frosh pacer in the mix—Ake Svanstedt. He hands the reins of Badix Hanover over to Jody Jamieson. Ake’s stock continues to show power and profit and this Western Ideal colt is one of the youngest in his barn with improvement written all over his racelines. Go Daddy Go, the sole son of Ponder (fourth on the sires average earning list for frosh pacers) in this field, could force the issue, as Bob MacIntosh is gunning this recent winner of the Battle of Waterloo and teams up with John Campbell to try for another score, though he may not offer the lovely 7-1 he paid last out.

    In the nightcap, Artspeak gets the outside but will have support for his first-season successes, which stick out. The Sportswriter son here is Sporting The Look for the Jamiesons and he may have an edge if only by a few steps gained from a better trip. This is a chance to support the Sportswriter crop with national competition, as the sire’s success has been strongly local. If they are that good there may be some prices attached to them which won’t be available for long.

    Eternally Yours

    The fairer frosh pacing set goes for scads of cash in three $76,000-plus Eternal Camnation splits, also on Aug. 16.

    Round one gives us a chance at the sole Somebeachsomewhere in the field, Queensland Beach. She’s a local but her sire is shining on the national scene with frosh progeny and that average alone is worth backing.

    In the second split, a rare trainer/driver solo from Jack Moiseyev brings out the Ponder gal Cowgirl Tough. We also find two from Rock N Roll Heaven’s first crop, all of which are yet to show significance in stakes. Oddly enough, there is a Rocknroll Hanover filly here too, so sire and sire’s sire have blood flowing here, but we’ll stick with the Ponder gal on top.

    Finally, more first-crop fillies hit the scene in the nightcap. Those of you who have read this department through the years know of our successes with If I Can Dream. His filly, Yes You Can is another Jamieson-barn property and if he will shine as a sire early he will have an upset win here. The Sportswriter gal is on the outside and the Somebeachsomewhere gal looms boldly but Yes You Can may complement the early data of her sire at a price.

    Flying Saucer

    The $20,000 consolation for the Gold Cup & Saucer (renamed the James Roach MacGregor Memorial) is set to end the evening card at Charlottetown of Friday, Aug. 15. Due to the field size in the trials, only four failed to qualify for the “Saucer” final in this six-horse grouping. Based off their performances, it’s a wide-open affair.

    Residing at the rail is Mach Wheel, who tracked cover and couldn’t chase Mickey Hanover in his 1:50.4 journey around the P.E.I. oval. Exempting that effort, he was a talented pacer at the Ontario B-tracks in their Preferred levels. The inside draw will likely put him in a position towards the front, which will make taking control late in the mile an easier task.

    Duke Did It can also make this wagering affair interesting. Sitting the pocket to Mickey Hanover in his trial, he severely faltered to finish sixth by 26 lengths. He fits well into this group and will likely be forwardly placed.

    While the $60,000 Gold Cup & Saucer will not see 12 horses go for the gold, an octet of speedy aged pacers will blaze around the half-mile track. Given the circumstances of the post draw (Aracache Hanover drawing post 2 and Mickey Hanover post 8), it might be safe to say this will be a take-no-prisoners event. The ultimate speed of this field is Mickey Hanover, who will have to gun in order to get his comfortable spot on the front. That is, if he can get on the front.

    In his second start off a sick scratch, Scott Rocks made his debut at Charlottetown. Getting away last in his trial, he managed to pick up cover and, upon three-quarters, was left alone two wide while Mickey Hanover was preparing to lift flight. Scott Rocks managed to finish third in his trial. Drawing post 4 in the final, in the event of a fast pace, he’ll likely be poised for an upset.

    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 on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. 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
    8/15/14, Scorpius R4; Blown Away R6

    Grand River
    8/15/14, Cons Legacy R5

    Meadows
    8/15/14, Allstar Shark R4; Bluenose Gal R7

    Mohawk
    8/15/14, +Bee Full Of Steinum R4; I Luv The Nitelife R10

    Ocean
    8/14/14, Not Tonight R3
    8/15/14, Ge’s Alex R2; Whitesville Ted R3; Truly My Way R4; South Dakota R4; Rhapsody Rose R6; Ny Ice R7; Winmando R9; Arrested Dreams R10
    8/17/14, Osceda Gold R6

    Philadelphia
    8/15/14, +Real Leggy R4; +Jerseylicious R6

    Pocono
    8/15/14, Spirit Of Desire R7
    8/16/14, +Lyonssomewhere R3; Word Power R10; Mistery Woman R14

    Running Aces
    8/16/14, Co-op Hanover R6

    Saratoga
    8/14/14, Dontmakemelaugh R11
    8/15/14, +Lauderdale R8

    Scarborough
    8/15/14, +Jitterbug Hanover R3;  +Trotting Trice R7

    Scioto
    8/16/14, Mystical Brothers R2; +Head Of The Barn R3; Chip Of Art R11

    Tioga
    8/1514, Pan Luis Obispo R7
    8/17/14, Crazy Wow R3; Josies Joy R4; Uffizi Hanover R5; +Jk Endofanera R7; +Jolene Jolene R8; +Father Patick R9

    Yonkers
    8/15/14, +Nf Happenstance R8; Back To The West R9
    8/16/14, Duel In The Sun R5

    Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.      

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Aug 10, 2014 By Frank Cotolo
    A timid weekend in the price department resulted due to massive public choices winning. We had some of them since some of them, we felt, deserved the attention. So, we begin with the headlining Dan Patch Invitational Aug. 8 at Hoosier Park.

    We made a call that we did not feel was bold when we added to the fact that Sweet Lou would win the Dan Patch he would also put together Hoosier’s quickest mile in its harness racing history. There was a lot of hype about Dancin Yankee, a foe in the Dan Patch and the only horse this year to defeat “Lou,” but we dismissed it.

    Sweet Lou ($2.40, $2.20, $2.10) became the fastest horse in the history of Hoosier Park when he won the $258,000 Dan Patch Invitational in 1:47.2. To our dismay, Heston Blue Chip (33-1) put in a giant mile first over but could not sustain the place position, quashing our hopes for a strong exacta price.

    “I really didn’t think we were going that much,” Pierce said after the record mile. “I saw the splits and I was amazed.” He voiced some concern for second-place Bettor’s Edge. “He just kept coming and coming and coming and coming. This is a very long stretch but my horse raced great again.”

    Bettor’s Edge has, however, been second to Lou a number of times this season and always appears to be coming and coming and coming but never gets there, so Pierce may have been overly concerned.

    That night in frosh Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) finals, we delivered one winner in four events, Airman Batten ($2.80, $2.20, $2.20 ok). In another INSS final we were second with Feetonthedashboard ($4, $3).

    At the Meadows on Friday we scored with the first of two Currier & Ives splits for soph-colt trotters. The winner was Wheelsandthelegman ($4.60, $2.20, $2.20 ok). In the second split we had the two trifecta participants, Skates N Plates ($3.20 n/s) and Southwind Sprit (n/s). With the favorite, Il Sogno Dream, on top, the trifecta paid $10.60, the exacta paid $5.40.

    The first Gold Cup & Saucer trial found us second, as Bigtown Hero ($2.10, $2.10 ok) raced strongly against the favorite (Exacta $8.10). The second trial is Aug. 11, after press time, and we are looking for Mach Wheel to win it.

    Saturday night at Hoosier we had one winner in the INSS finals for sophomores. It was no surprise to anyone that Always B Miki ($2.20, $2.10, $2.10 ok) won the colt pace. Our other three INSS final selections were off the board.

    Sunday at Tioga, Hes Watching defeated our choice Jk Endofanera again in the Empire Breeders Championship. We were second ($2.90 n/s) and the exacta paid $4.90. We had a soft choice in the filly split (5-2), finishing fourth.

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

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

    H2W RESULTS

    The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing first or second completes the result with a race favorite or another H2W horse listed in the same race (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete the exacta). This week, there were 20 on the H2W list.

    Winners

    Ok Amelia, $12.80, $4.40, $4, Ocean

    Seconds

    Whipmeintoshape, $3.70, $5.30 ok, Batavia

    Thirds

    Tellitlikeitis, $2.10, Philadelphia

    News And Notes

    Rosecroft Raceway’s 27-date meet starts Saturday, Sept. 13 with live racing every Tuesday through Saturday through Dec.13. A purse increase of approximately 5 percent will be part of the fall purse structure, bringing the overnight purses to an average of approximately $65,000 per race date. Rosecroft will continue to provide additional incentives for Maryland racing participants including entry preferences and a 15-percent purse earnings bonus for “Maryland Preferred” horses and horsemen. “The racing program at Rosecroft continues to improve and Maryland horsemen and horses are the biggest beneficiary with over eighty percent of the starters and purse earnings going to Maryland owners, trainers or horses bred, sired or foaled in the state,” said Chris McErlean, VP of Racing for Penn National Gaming, parent company of Rosecroft.

    As a precursor to the return of Yonkers Raceway’s International Trot next season, the Raceway is planning to host an Invitational Trot this fall, according to track publicist Frank Drucker. The date is Saturday, Oct. 25, the evening featuring the finals of the Yonkers Trot and Messenger Stakes (along with their companion filly events). “The purse would be commensurate with the quality of the field,” Drucker said. “We are gauging the interest of bringing the best trotters on the continent here,” COO Bob Galterio said. “We feel the date is perfect, a few weeks after Lexington and a few weeks before the Breeders Crown.” Yonkers will be getting in touch with the connections of elite trotters in the United States and Canada. As for the International, first held at Roosevelt in 1959 and last contested at Yonkers in 1995, there is no date set for its presentation in 2015.

    Trainer Bob McIntosh’s Go Daddy Go won Grand River Raceway’s premier event, the $217,140 Battle of Waterloo, on Aug. 4. John Campbell, fresh off finishing second in the Hambletonian with Nuncio, drove the pacer. McIntosh hired Campbell to return to southern Ontario, where both the horsemen got their starts in the business, and Campbell averred, winning the final at a juicy 7-1.

    Sectionline Yankee, twice a winner in overnights for our H2W list this season, became much faster on Aug. 8. The five-year-old mare equaled the track record of 1:50.4 for older pacing mares in a $15,000 conditioned event at Scioto Downs. You may have noticed that some higher class horses are being added to the H2W list. These are pacers and trotters that have stepped down into conditioned and Open events for lack of more stakes races available to them. Keep an eye out for some names that have been popular in the stakes coverage of divisions this season as they hit the H2W list. Horses we have chosen to win bigger events but lost have gone on to win less classy affairs, including Monkey On My Wheel, Let’s Drink On It, The Lunch Pail, Stevensville and Rossini, to name a few.

    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 ~ For more Thom Pye cartoons and products, click here

  • Winning at the Races

    POSTED Aug 8, 2014 By Derek Simon
    When I first started writing about horse racing and, in particular, betting, I had one goal in mind: to inform players as to the real percentages of the game. I didn’t do this to dissuade folks from wagering — I believed then and still believe today that playing the races is among the most thrilling and rewarding forms of gambling there is. I simply wanted bettors to understand what they were up against from a parimutuel standpoint. 

    The sport of kings is replete with flimflam men and con artists looking to peddle their new millennium snake oil to an unsuspecting public — the selection method that never loses, the betting system that the 40-year-old living in his parents’ basement insists will make one rich, the dude wearing a trench coat motioning to me in the racetrack parking lot… actually, I’m not sure what that guy was selling, but you get my point.

    The common thread connecting all of these crazy claims is that little to no work is required on the part of the target audience. Simply shell out some dough — a small pittance given what you’ll win — and, soon, you’ll be having yacht parties with Donald Trump and referring to yourself in the third person.

    The legendary George “Pittsburg Phil” Smith said it best: “Playing the races appears to be the one business in which men believe they can succeed without special study, special talent, or special exertion.”

    That said, consistently winning at the races is possible — if one is willing to be realistic about what that entails… and what it doesn’t:

    * You do not have to be an expert in body language to profit at the track. I can’t tell a lead change from a diaper change — and I don’t try to. Just as a restaurant featuring Indian cuisine can be successful, so too can one specializing in Italian fare. But how wise would it be for either restaurant to suddenly start offering wonton soup and fortune cookies? Stick with what you know gives you an edge.

    * Don’t believe those who claim that X doesn’t work or Y is the only solution to the parimutuel puzzle. Very few bettors keep the kind of records that would enable them to make legitimate assessments on anything outside of the weather. Always remember the words of Pittsburg Phil: “A man who plays the races successfully must have opinions of his own and the strength to stick to them no matter what he hears.” 

    * Keep in mind that being a contrarian, in and of itself, will not make you a winner at the track. In fact, the contrarian approach to picking winners is picking losers, which, in a parimutuel system, has limited utility (unless the losers you select are fancied by the betting public). This applies to information as well. While it may be contrarian to bet horses lacking speed, it is probably a mistake, given the predictive value of speed figures. Perhaps a more reasonable approach would be to look for instances in which popular metrics (such as speed figures) fail — or even succeed — at a greater-than-normal rate.

    * Don’t buy into the notion that the betting crowd, as a whole, is comprised of dunderheads and ignoramuses. Do buy into the notion that those telling you this are dunderheads and ignoramuses. There have been numerous studies, encompassing a variety of speculative endeavors, and the conclusion is nearly always the same: for the most part, gambling markets are efficient. Yes, you can beat the races, but you are only going to do so by exploiting those rare instances in which the market gets it wrong and/or by having information that the market doesn’t have ready access to. Simple angles and methods — first-time Lasix, best last-race speed rating, etc. — won’t cut it.

    * Related to the above, try to find unique data or ways to use widely disseminated data in unique ways. I’ve had some of my greatest success with angles/methods that utilize my pace figures, which makes perfect sense given that my pace figures are dissimilar to any of the commercially available figs.

    * Don’t let your ego run off with you. We can all learn something from other players (even if it’s only that what they do doesn’t work).

  • Mid-season Features Around The Ovals

    POSTED Aug 6, 2014 By Frank Cotolo
    It’s the sport’s mid-season as we roll through August and though the Meadowlands’ season is done for now (returns in November), wild harness battles ensue and the star equines take to the road at the Grand Circuit tracks, aiming for Breeders Crown (BC) glory this fall. Our Countdown Breeders Crown blog will fire up next week and feature analysis of races for the divisions’ top horses on both gaits; races that have significant wagering value. (Photo on right by Ray Cotolo)

    This week, aside from some high-profile names (most horses from the Hambletonian day stakes parade will be taking the week off), the action is local, per se. Hoosier Park is packed with Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) for two- and three-year-olds on Friday and Saturday. We will cover the $75,000 finals. As well, the Dan Patch Invitational brings some strong ole pacers to the gate on Aug. 8.

    Charlottetown Drivers Park launches trials for its premier event, the Gold Cup and Saucer. The final is on Aug. 16 (watch for analysis here next Friday).

    More traditional Currer & Ives go postward at the Meadows over the weekend, also, and some familiar faces are at hand.

    At Tioga on Aug. 10, glamour-boy pacing-colt rivals Hes Watching and Jk Endofanera battle in the Empire Breeders Championship and a filly version is also on hand.

    Our horses-to-watch list (H2W) presents suggested contenders—valuable additions to your win, place and show bets and exotics through North America. See our weekly list of “lookouts” below. 

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

    Patchwork Foes

    The $250,000 Dan Patch Invitational reunites a few US Pacing Championship characters including the brilliant and dominant Sweet Lou and the only horse to defeat him this season, Dancin Yankee. This is their first meeting since May, when Sweet Lou finished third in the Van Rose at Pocono Downs.

    Ron Burke, Sweet Lou’s trainer, told Ken Weingartner (USTA correspondent) that he is nervous because Dancin Yankee “is racing as well as any [horse] in the country … [he] is super sharp, career sharp, too.”
    Dancin Yankee is on a six-race winning streak, though he has not consistently faced the caliber of foes that has “Lou.”

    A field of nine is the cast of the event at Hoosier Park on Friday, Aug. 8. It’s the 21st installment of Hoosier’s signature event and it highlights the 14-race program complimented by INSS finals.

    Others in the field are the familiar Bettor’s Edge, Heston Blue Chip, Thinking Out Loud and State Treasurer. Filling out the field are Night Pro (INSS champ), Carol’s Comet and Our Lucky Chip.

    Though it makes sense to emphasize a threat to Lou, he has raced with immaculate precision that we witnessed in person at last week’s Hambletonian program. Watching him take command and rolling smoothly with driver Ron Pierce going along for the ride (no urging at all) was as amazing a performance as I have seen yet—and I have seen some of the greats.

    Trust we are being objective, for we were not fans of Lou when he was anointed at three, and we were proven correct, as he failed to live up to the hype of his frosh antics. At four he was good here and there and we had him a few times at fair prices. But at five he is phenomenal, with a wondrous rhythm and marvelous muscle. Pocono’s three turns have stumped a few great horses here and there and Dancin Yankee had his day against Lou in May. It won’t happen this time; Sweet Lou may break every speed record Hoosier will ever record.

    It’s exotic time in the betting department, then. Kick out the locals—they have no business in this against Lou and the rest—and be wary of Heston Blue Chip for second. He may offer some value for the exotics, even though he was magnificent last week on Hambo day. Linda Toscano’s New York-bred champ could nose Dancin Yankee for second and pump up an exacta price.

    A $25,000 guaranteed Dan Patch superfecta pool will be available as part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program. The wager will have a minimum bet of 10 cents and is available through the cooperative efforts of the USTA, Hoosier and the Indiana Standardbred Association. A $10,000 guaranteed Pick-3 is featured with races seven through nine

    Indiana-bred Battles Abound

    The INSS frosh-filly trot leads the $75,000-each finals on the Aug. 8 program. Though she has post 9, Golden Big Stick is a prime example why her sire, Big Stick Lindy, is on the best average earnings list. She is fast and she is a great earner, the best in this field.

    Next, INSS frosh-colt trotters hit the track. Two sons of Swan For All, a promising sire thus far, lead the pack. One of them, Airman Batten, should not be denied this championship.
    Frosh-colt pacers are next on the INSS docket. Rockin Image colts make up half the field. His progeny has been prolific but Toni’s Affection, a son of Always A Virgin, appears to have a slight edge on the division.

    Finally, the filly pacers take the stage and two Rockin Image fillies could take the top two spots, with a Panpacificflight gal in the triple. For Rockin Image, we have Heyhey Mahanah and Image Of Felicia. The other is Feetonthedashboard, who has the best win record of the season in the division.

    Saturday, Aug. 9, the three-year-olds are in the INSS spotlight.

    Soph-filly trotters begin the INSS quartet of finals, each worth $75,000. Streaking Andi’s Alana looks for her seventh win in a row and is bound to own the bulk of win pool. A threat just aside her is Hudson Jesse. She has been consistent and always in the mix this year.

    Soph-filly pacers are next on the bill, with an evenly matched field of 10. Candy’s A Virgin may have a slight edge, with a strong bankroll from only seven races, almost half of them wins.

    The INSS soph-colt trotters seem to be dominated by Double A Cash Hall, with the best earnings, good connections and five of his six starts victories. An outside threat could come from Sonnyforall, who is four for seven in the win column and raring to take on better to prove he is class material. He should be a price in the attempt, too.

    Glamour-boy pacers from the program line up for the INSS and the card’s Satuday nightcap. The mighty Always B Miki is here and coming from his second to Hes Watching in the Meadowlands Pace he will be a prohibitive favorite and rightfully so. He is a good key here, among colts that are nowhere near his prowess.

    Trials By Jousting

    A dozen pacers have been entered for the 2014 edition of the Gold Cup and Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park. The field of 12 is the fastest field ever assembled. Of the horses entered into the two trials, eight have lifetime marks under 1:50.

    Trial 1 will be raced this Saturday night, Aug. 9. Trainer Ron Burke aims to defend his title with the fastest and richest horse in the field, Aracashe Hanover. The Carl Jamieson-trained millionaire Up The Credit (2011 of the North America Cup winner) is the only entrant from last year’s final. Trainer Rene Allard has two entries in the first trial. Bigtown Hero is new to his stable. Island Jett is Allard’s other entry in Trial 1. Allard obtained “Jett” two starts ago and shows two consecutive miles in 1:53.3 over half-mile tracks. Astor is the only Maritime horse, also in Trial 1. Jason Hughes trains. Trainer Chris Oakes is new to the event. In Trial 1 he sends out Shock It To Em on Saturday.

    Oakes’ other pacer goes in Trial 2 on Monday, Aug. 11. That one is Scott Rocks. Corey Johnson’s first entry in the event goes in the second trial. He is Wazzup Wazzup. Trainer Patrick Shepherd sends Duke Did It and Take It Back Terry is the second Burke starter. The third Allard entry is Mickey Hanover and the last entry is Mach Wheel for trainer Shane Arsenault.

    “Aracache” will take all the money in Trial 1. Up The Credit will get action, even having post. The real danger, of course, is Bigtown Hero, who will be all out for his first appearance under the tutelage of Allard. 

    Trial 2 may be a better wagering event, with no star names on board. Mach Wheel could be the pace commander here, taking it from start to finish with his inherited Mach Three speed.

    Empire Breeders Strike Back

    Soph pacers battle for a quarter-million dollars in purse monies at Tioga Downs on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 10. The finals of the Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) are the featured events on the sires stakes-filled card.

    The filly final appears to be a match race between elimination winners Major Dancer and Precocious Beauty. Major Dancer won her elim after scratching lame from a sires stakes at Yonkers to follow it up with a workout the next day. She is a talented filly and should definitely not be discounted from the race.

    Precocious Beauty has been in need of redemption. World champion at two, she pulled first over and managed to hold off Delightful Dragon to win her elim in 1:51.4. She is vulnerable, and will likely be involved in the early pace.

    While Delightful Dragon was ½ -length shy of picking her post, the Three Diamonds winner has steadily regained her form. Second to speedy mare Clear View Hanover at the Meadowlands two starts back, she tackled her age group from post 7 at Yonkers to win from first over in 1:54.1. She draws a post that will likely put her in the center of the action, allowing her to take cover when needed and sweep by horses at a price.

    In the colt final, the majority feels it will be an exhibition by He’s Watching. Winner of the Meadowlands Pace, he’s certainly speedy and can capitalize when given a trip. Over a sloppy track in his elim he was only ½ -length better than Jk Endofanera in 1:51.1 (note that he possibly interfered with Jk Endofanera but was cleared by the judges).

    Even though he has lost to He’s Watching twice, Jk Endofanera will likely be given a cover trip, seeing as he cannot grind first over as was proven in the first-half-speedy “Pace” final. There will certainly be speed in the race, with Winds Of Change possessing agility but it will be Jk Endofanera’s redemption and he’ll likely be a great price since many jumped off his bandwagon, hopping into the fan group of He’s Watching.


    Picture Perfect

    Fresh off of standardbred racing’s marquee event, the soph-trotting division returns to the stakes spotlight on Friday, Aug.8, at the Meadows, where two divisions of the $120,000 Currier & Ives are set to go.

    With only six males in both splits, it is not surprising to see that these are two-horse races, so to speak. The opening division will be a match between Amped Up Hanover and Wheelsandthelegman. Amped Up Hanover won a division of the Townsend Ackerman (TA) on Hambletonian day, doing so on the front in 1:54.2. Wheelsandthelegman also raced in a split of the TA but faltered after a powerful shot to the top from the outside. Our preference is Wheelsandthelegman in this match-up, as his good draw and raw speed should put him in front at the finish.

    The other division is between Il Sogno Dream and Skates N Plates, with Southwind Spirit playing the role of wild card. Il Sogno Dream was fourth in the Hambletonian, a classy effort but perhaps exaggerated. The Hambo was a fast mile, with third place being 11 lengths off the stretch-battling Trixton and Nuncio. Il Sogno Dream happened to be in the right place at the right time and closed into third but was soon passed by Harper Blue Chip, who also got a nice trip. With all this in mind, this division sets up to be a nice one to beat the chalk

    Skates N Plates will obviously be the second choice, due to the lack of form in the field. His break in his last start can be ignored, since he has no other record of such blemish. He also won a division of the Arden Downs at the Meadows going wire to wire. At the right price, he can certainly upset

    Southwind Spirit is the interesting entrant. Off since his third in the Valley Victory nine months ago at the Meadowlands, he has two qualifiers, with his first being on July of this year. He galloped through the stretch but went 1:57. Next out, he set easy fractions on the lead to finish in 1:55.3. Off a long layoff, he might need a start, but could make the exotics pay 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 on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. 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
    8/8/14, +Larrys Dream R5; +Whipmeintoshape R8; +Carson City Road R10; +Western Heart R10
    8/9/14, Blown Away R2

    Meadows
    8/8/14, +Sarcastic Man R10

    Philadelphia
    8/7/14, +Kingofthejungle R5; Tellitlikeitis R9; Lyonssomewhere R11

    Running Aces
    8/9/14, Flukie Flight R3

    Saratoga
    8/7/14, +Still Electric R3
    8/8/14, Lauderdale R7

    Scarborough
    8/8/14, Trotting Trice R2; Jitterbug Hanover R6

    Scioto
    8/9/14, +QB Killa R1

    Tioga
    8/8/14, +Cathy’s Princess R4

    Yonkers
    8/7, Natural Habitat R6
    8/8/14, +Outa My Head R3; +Charisma Hanover R12

    Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.      

  • Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

    POSTED Aug 3, 2014 By Frank Cotolo
    The new Meadowlands is a compact, convenient, clean and carefully measured facility for fans. The house that Jeff Gural built used the same racetrack as its out-dated predecessor, which is still standing. The old building sits like a giant, aging tombstone over what is now the backstretch.

    Those of us visiting the new plant for the first time were impressed with it and the many places to view the show, including the roof, which hosts more than the media and in-house racing staff—there is room for wagering, watching the races from the farthest point north without a helicopter and comfortable space for guests.

    This was the first Hambletonian day in the compact theater, which will also host this year’s Breeders Crown over two programs this fall. On Aug. 2, most of the greatest horses of the current season were flying, with the main features at the end of  The Hambletonian Trail. Our annual essay on the main event is currently available for your inspection. Archives of the races that paved the trail are available at the Hambletonian Society site.

    The Hambletonian was not a winning race for us, nor was it for the majority of the wagering public as super favorite Father Patrick broke at the gate and was unable to regroup his gait and get back into the fray.

    The Hambletonian Oaks was also a loss for us, since Shake It Cerry was passed in the stretch and finished fourth. The filly the crowd adored, Designed To Be, did not beat her; another Jimmy Takter filly, Lifetime Pursuit, beat her. “Cerry” (also trained by Takter) has beaten that one all season. Takter told us that Cerry’s driver, Ron Pierce, was extremely upset at how he handled the race and blamed himself for Cerry’s loss. Takter said that Pierce felt he “misjudged the [fractions]” and moved too quickly and too soon, causing Cerry to tire while giving Lifetime Pursuit cover.

    Pierce could do no wrong with our choice and everyone else’s choice, Sweet Lou ($2.80, $2.20, $2.10) in the US Pacing Championship. He was awesome and never asked while winning. Captaintreacherous, wide for the first turn and into the backstretch leaving from post 8, finished fifth in front of our other triple-element Bettor’s Edge.

    Next year’s Hambletonian favorite as of Aug. 2, was our choice Centurion Atm ($4.20, $2.80, $2.40). He gets the title for winning the Peter Haughton Memorial for frosh-colt trotters.

    Sebastian K ($2.60, $2.20, $2.10) beat our first choice for an upset, Uncle Peter, in the John Cashman Memorial. Another favorite we tried to beat was our second choice in the Miss New Jersey,  Gettingreadyto roll ($3.20, $2.20, $2.20 ok). We finished fourth with Cut A Deal (63-1).

    In the Merrie Annabelle we were second with Jolene Jolene ($8.80, $4.40) in league with our other choices, Mission Brief and Lock Down Lindy. That triple paid $76.40.

    Another triple we nabbed by using an outsider was the Ima Lula. Though favorite Classic Martine beat Bee A Magician, our outside contender Nf Happenstance was third ($5) at 81-1 for a $36.60 triple.

    We hope to be back at the New Jersey racing arena for the Breeders Crown finals. All of the top horses in each division will be covered starting next week in races that will decide their “Crown” status and which will be great betting affairs en route to the championships in the Breeders Crown Countdown blog, in cooperation with the Hambletonian Society, which organizes the events, and our headquarters at TwinSpires.

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

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

    H2W RESULTS

    The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing first or second completes the result with a race favorite or another H2W horse listed in the same race (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete the exacta). This week, there were 29 on the H2W list.

    Winners

    Deadhead Royalty, $9.60, $4.60, $4.30, Vernon
    Putnams Attack, $7.50, $3.50, $2.50, Yonkers
    Luck Be Withyou, $5.20, $3.40, $2.20, Pocono
    Josie’s Joy, $4.60, $4.20, $5 ok, Meadowlands

    Seconds

    Guilty Man, $8.50, $5.10
    King William, $5.20, $4.50, Batavia
    Sweet Thing, $3.40, $2.40 (Exacta $8.60), Meadowlands
    Baximum, $2.60, $2.40, Philadelphia
    Bullseye, $2.40, $2.20 (Exacta $6), Scarborough

    Thirds

    Oaklea Winfrey, $6, Georgian
    Amigo Ranger, $5.20, Saratoga

    News And Notes

    Bad weather in the East did not affect New Jersey’s afternoon of classy racing but in upstate New York the rain caused flooding and traffic problems. Batavia Downs could not finish its evening program on Aug. 2. Rain caused cancellation of the card after Race 2. The next day Batavia delivered a 15-race program on a very sloppy track. Also on Sunday, the two top glamour-boy colt pacers, Jk Endofanera and He’s Watching, battled at Tioga in the soup. He’s Watching won the Empire Breeders Championship elimination by a nose over Jk Endofanera. The triple, with an 18-1 shot coming in third, paid $3.45, which was 55-cents less than the exacta of $4.

    Another Meadowlands Pace character (along with the two glamour-boy colt pacers mentioned above), second-place Always B Miki, won at Hoosier on Aug. 2 in an Indiana Sires Stakes elimination. Always B Miki is a son of Always A Virgin, who is having a profitable stud career in the Midwest. “Miki” trounced the field in 1:49.

    Sweet Rock, the 92-1 New Jersey Classic winner, was Brett Miller’s first win on the first Hambletonian day program where he competed as a driver. The shockingly priced winner is not on the eligible list for this year’s Little Brown Jug. He defeated four others that are “Jug” hopefuls—Dancin Hill, Doo Wop Hanover, Beat The Drum and Western Village—all New Jersey-breds.

    The 140th season of live racing action kicked off on Sunday, Aug 3 at The Red Mile. Sunday nights feature a $5,000-guaranteed Pick-4 pool in Races 6–9, in partnership with the USTA Strategic Wagering Program. The $1.4-million Kentucky Sires Stakes Super Night comes up on Sunday, Aug. 31, and will feature a $15,000-guaranteed Pick 4-pool. The popular 10-cent superfectas have returned and will be available on every race with the exception of the start of the Pick-4 and the final race of the evening. A 20-cent Super Hi Five will be part of the wagering menu on the last race of each card, where 100-percent of the net pool will carry over if no one selects the top five finishers. Live racing continues on Sunday and Thursday evenings with a first post of 7 p.m. Grand Circuit racing begins on Thursday, Sept. 25, with live racing Thursday–Sunday for the two week meet.

    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 ~ For more Thom Pye cartoons and products, click here