TwinSpires.com Blog

Plenty of harness action ensues when a batch of eliminations are on the docket and top horses are battling for berths in the more lucrative finals the following week. This time around we have a giant program at Pocono, with elims for glamour-boy pacers and trotters, soph filly pacers and the four-and-up crew, featuring Captaintreacherous against older-than-four-year-olds.

A few of the soph stakes are handled on our sister blog, the Hambletonian Trail. Don’t miss important coverage, click the link after you read this blog and check out the action on that page.

Weekdays are harness plentiful, too, 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.

Follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter to get any and all late-breaking information on racing events and betting challenges that transpire between the publications of the two TwinSpires harness racing blogs.

Pacing Boys Review

Here come three elimination fields for the Max Hempt Memorial, each worth $25,000 and a berth in next week’s final. However, the crème de crème has skipped the trip to the Pocono Mountains after the crop went Canadian for last week’s million at Mohawk. Few North America Cup cast members take to the five-eighths oval for the “Hempt” elims, including the winner, JK Endofanera.

Consider this band of glamour-boy pacers the second tier at this point in the season. None of the “Cup” crew adorns the post positions in round one. However, a Cup elim member that did not make it to the final but demands respect is here. That’s Always B Miki, who made an uncharacteristic jump in a Cup elim and was eliminated from the final. He is quite a pacer and if that break was simply a glitch he will be a major player in this, if not the public choice. “Miki” is a good exotic key with other than At Press Time, the Ron Burke trainee that may be a sound second public choice. Limelight Beach could add value in the second spot, as may Allstar Partner, both on the brink of some major stakes attention.

In Hempt two, Western Vintage returns. Like Miki, this guy didn’t make the Cup final, finishing fourth in his elim after a wide trip and then losing the draw as a random choice for the Cup field to a far less talented one. Also missing from the Cup due to a poor start is the talented Doo Wop Hanover. It’s amazing to think that the Cup final’s favorite was Tellitlikeitis, who won the elim “Doo Wop” lost, considering Doo Wop seems far more talented. That loss should not eliminate Doo Wop from major contention here and when he makes the Hempt final. Doo Wop and “Vintage” still loom at JK Endofanera’s major foes in the division this season, so don’t count either of them out, especially if the wagering is skewed in this eight-horse field.

All Bets Off is here and although he won the “Rooney” he is yet to prove he is better than the aforementioned pair. It’s be great, however, if he winds up making them overlays by attracting too much money.

As well, Sometimes Said is back and although his Cup performance was dull, don’t toss him out in any of these contests just quite yet. When he strikes, at least the first time, he will pay a bundle. Can he do it here? Certainly, if he is fourth public choice or more. 

The third Hempt split is the truly third-tier bunch. Seven of them line up, six which will bow in the betting to Mcwicked, leaving us with some great prices. This is our view because Mcwicked was such a buzz horse before he won his elim and before the final field got rolling. He is Casie Coleman’s ball of speed that can burn up during any mile, as he did in the Cup final. The crowd will cover Mcwicked with bets while we look elsewhere.

What happened to Stevensville after he decimated Hes Watching at Yonkers? That speed was made for Pocono, if it is isn’t heavily challenged. More interesting is Joe Holloway’s Stratos Hanover, who we want to catch as he is ignored among a field like this so as to pick up a great price. The chance may be in this mile, with a slightly tactical ride against speed that falters as the third turn approaches.

’Lynch’ Mob

Sophomore filly pacers are also a part of the cavalcade of eliminations set to contest on Saturday, June 21 at Pocono, with three elims for the James Lynch Memorial.

Frosh Breeders Crown elim winner Gallie Bythe Beach appears to be the one to beat in the opening elim because she has tactical speed in a race with a lot of early speed. The other filly that possesses tactical speed here is Someislandsomwhere, who displayed her foot on “sloppy” going in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) at Harrah’s Philadelphia; a winning effort. She might provide greater value in this mile but Gallie Bythe Beach will be her main foe.

The second elimination is also one which consists of speedy fillies, one being Southwind Silence, starting from post 9. This could create a faster pace that would also benefit tactical gals, one being Allstar Rating. She has been sharp all year but has yet to defeat a caliber of fillies of equivalent talent as these. Another strategic filly, one who will likely be ignored in the betting, is Katie Said. She has shown issues with her gait but has a victory in Grand Circuit competition (the Ladyship). While she is an outsider, she could perhaps be a key in the exotics.

Capping the filly events will be a match up between two sharp gals, current division-leader Uffizi Hanover and Lismore-winner Tyra. Coming off a sweep of the Fan Hanover, “Uffizi” will be the shorter price but if, after all, the better horse. She is too sharp to go against, especially when she has no definite racing style.

Underneath her, there could lay value. One contender that could provide a good exotic is Also Encouraging, who comes off of a second-place effort in the PASS. She has speed and tends to travel uncovered in pursuit of command but the ultimate goal this evening will be to make the final, something that this filly should accomplish. For a bomb, Palm Beach is also worth including. Exempting her bad draw in the Lismore final, she is a strong closer. Add on her inside draw and she could possibly provide a nice payoff underneath the one to beat.

’Captain’ Courageous

The elders of the pacing ranks will be featured in two elims for the Ben Franklin on the same night at Pocono Downs.

The opening split renews a rivalry that premiered at the end of 2014 in the Free For All Championship in November at the Meadowlands: Captaintreacherous versus Foiled Again. This race seems more like Captaintreacherous versus everyone else, since the other five horses are coming into this race sharp against older than four-year-olds (“Captain” is yet to be other than four-year-olds at three or four). Yet, Captain has braced every storm that struck him and, off of a tremendous score in the Meadowlands Maturity from post 10, nothing says he can’t navigate his way through another.

The other elim highlights the return of Sweet Lou, a champion as a freshman who has recently hit his best stride in the older division. Coming into the mile on a three-race win streak, expect him to be the overwhelming choice. Yet, that does not necessarily mean you shouldn’t bet against him. His main foe appears to be Allstar Legend, a five-year-old who has not yet faced Sweet Lou. He has speed that would fit the Pocono surface, especially if he can be given a patient drive. His speed is what killed him in his last outing at Poconon, battling to three-quarters in a :25.4 clip. Patience will be the key for Ron Burke’s other entrant.

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

Buffalo
6/20/14, +Clearly Possessed R3
6/21/14, Sand Savage R3; Zampano R7; Milliondollardad R9; The Maniac R9

Hoosier
6/20/14, +Always Wearable R8; Sand Tilly Lace R11

Maywood
6/20/14, Colefederate R2; Pretty Place R6; Big Turn On R7; Dune Dude R7;

Meadowlands
6/21/14, Rock Out R12; The X Horse R13

Meadows
6/20/14, Little Mans Magic R7; Hardwood Hanover R11; Hedges Lane R12

Ocean
6/20/14, Diamond Gambler R1; CJ Crystal R3; Whitesville Ted R9; Yacht Party ae R10

Plainridge
6/21/14, Vanyar Hanover R2; H-andharleythejet R7; Miss Defiance R7

Pocono
6/22/14, +Petty Hanover R7; Joltin Colt R8; Fresh Dream R12; Chrome Cruiser R12

Saratoga
6/21/14, Forty Carrots R4; Milliondollartouch R9; Lex Lugar R12
 
Scarborough
6/20/14, Winbak Wildfire R3; Dr Prescription R4; Sassy Sarah R9
6/21/14, +Signthepaige R1; JJs Jet R1; Vintage Art R6; Im A Lucky Man R7; LCBS Season R8

Scioto
6/21/14, That Friske Feeling R1; Nutmegs Gigalo R2

Tioga
6/22/14, Geronimo Fame R1; Professorsdapapers R2; McKelvie R5; Muscles To Spare R5; +It’s Bush Time R12; What About Brian R12; Heidi Falls ae R12

Vernon
6/14/14, Team Edward R4; Lindys Real Deal R4; Stormin Rustler R7; +Printing A Place R8; Caidens Colt R9

Yonkers
6/19/14, Big City Jewel R3
6/20/14, Rossini R6
6/21/14, +In A Craze R1; The Real One R2

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.      

TwinSpires Horse Racing Podcast w/Derek Simon 06/18 by TwinSpires Radio | Sports Podcasts

A solid weekend, though a few got away from us, while some low-priced overlays dominated and a million-dollar race went to our number-two, who was out number-one overlay.

We start at the Meadowlands on Friday, June 13, where Captaintreacherous returned to the track in his debut as a four-year-old and won against similar in the $100,000 Meadowlands Maturity. Everything we wrote about the debut in our June 12 blog was dead-on and Captaintreacherous ($3.80, $2.80, $2.10) delivered a mile looking much like he has his best sophomore form, along with a very good price; rarely does odds-on look as plentiful as this pacer makes it.

Saturday, our Hambletonian Trail blog presented one of three winners in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes divisions for soph-colt pacers. That winner was, of course, Father Patrick ($2.10, $2.10, $2.10). In another division, though, our choice Don Dorado was second ($2.60, $2.20) to the obvious favorite Nuncio. The exacta came back $5.40. “Don” was a remarkable 11-1, the pool prices eaten by the huge support for Nuncio. But Don, who we predict as one of the division’s blooming stars this season, looked terrific and deserves attention, even against Jimmy Takter’s trotting terror team, with colts and fillies dominating divisions so far this season. Our other choice in a split, DD’s Hitman (3-1), broke and was eliminated midway through the mile.

Another Takter trotting terror, Trixton, was part of the triactor the Hambletonian Trail blog forecast for Mohawk on North America Cup (NAC) night. In the Goodtimes Final, Trixton won ($2.20, $2.10 n/s), with Il Signo Dream ($8.10, n/s, Exacta $10.20) and Harper Blue Chip was third to complete the very generous $39.50 triactor.

Sunday at Tioga, the Hambletonian Trail covered New York Sires Stakes for soph-filly trotters, losing one and getting a good second with Beauty Of Grey ($8.50, $4.20).

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

Mohawk served the remainder of the weekend stakes on NAC night. We supported Uffizi Hanover for the third time since we had her when she paid the top price (4-1) in her two-year-old Breeders Crown division final last season. We chose her to win her Fan Hanover elim last week, which she did at 6-1. This week she took the final, paying $5.30, $3, $2.70.

Fifth place seemed to be the most comfortable finishing spot for our other top picks but in the main event, the NAC, our second choice turned into the strongest overlay and he won as we thought he could in our June 13 blog analysis. The crowd, their enthusiasm going to buzz horses, local Canadian heroes and last week’s deceivingly fast elim winners, overlooked JK Endofanera. “JK” was sent off at 12-1. Our first choice was Lyonssomewhere, whose 3-1 odds surprised us. He was all out to start, something we did not predict when we assessed the speed brigade in the field, and he was forced to take the lead in a blistering 25-and-change move. The rest of the race went as predicted, with other speedsters battling to a 1:20-and-change three-quarters. This, as we wrote, opened it for JK, who paced rapidly past the tired ones to win. He paid $26.30, $9.20, $5.90. Our disappointment in Lyonssomewhere (fifth) does not disqualify him from a good season, as the lightly raced colt—another Takter trainee, though a pacer—gets rolling in upcoming stakes. Takter is still very high on this sharp son of Somebeachsomewhere.

Last week’s 54-1 win with D’orsay for us turned into a 10-1 loss in the Ambro Flight Final, as he finished fifth behind a wall of horses to the public’s second choice.

In the Roses Are Red Final, we were fifth with Summertime Lea, who we challenged with our second choice, the obvious favorite Anndrovette ($4.60, $2.80, $2.40).

The Gold Cup also found us fifth in the end with Sunshine Beach (3-1) and this time, while we tried to beat the favorite Foiled Again, that one wound up second ($5.20, $3.20) to an 80-1 shot, rumbling the tote board.

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.

Our H2W this past week offered a scant number of the horses on the list because few of the total horses we are watching were entered (none entered at Plainridge, Scioto, Northfield). Plus, Rosecroft Raceway closed and handed Maryland harness to the summer breezes of Ocean Downs in Ocean City’s resort playground. We will add Ocean Downs to the mix in the June 19 blog. Still, in the season’s 23 weeks so far, the H2W list has provided many winners and healthy prices in place and show, with exacta hits (using public choices in tandem with our picks) as overnight action continues to be the focus of the list for TwinSpires harness players.

H2W RESULTS

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

Winners

Youwillwishyouhad, $5, $3, $2.40, Vernon
Drop The Ball, $3.40, $2.40, $2.10, Pocono

Seconds

Top Gear. $9.20, $6.40, Pocono
Giant Sculpture, $4.60, $3.20 (Exacta $37.40), Pocono
Jam And Jelly, $4, $3.80, Tioga

Thirds

Whitemountainpower, $3, Vernon
Mcattee, $2.70, Saratoga

News And Notes

A few months ago a North America Cup hopeful was Arthur Blue Chip. You may have cashed on his largest paying win when we supported him at two in a Metro Pace elim. But his soph season is in trouble because now he is on the sidelines indefinitely. Trainer Dr. Ian Moore declines to elaborate on exactly what kind of leg injury is keeping “Art” from coming back to the track but he confirmed that the horse is still recuperating, saying he remains “optimistic about the prospects to get back racing … Nothing has changed with his situation and won't change for at least another six weeks. It will be August before any decisions will be made on his progress.”

Goalie Jeff, 1989 North America Cup-winner, has died. Trained by Tom Artandi, the colt was the top three-year-old pacing colt and a winner of $2 million. The son of Cam Fella died at Finish Line Farms in Illinois. He was 28. Goalie Jeff was an outstanding racehorse, also winning the Little Brown Jug and Breeders Crown during his hot soph season. He also sired some classy horses.

The Ontario Racing Commission has suspended Jody Jamieson, a top harness racing driver, for a period of 15 days, due to a positive for cocaine. Jamieson was slated to drive Hes Watching in the $ North America Cup but was replaced by trainer David Menary with Tim Tetrick. Jamieson last drove on June 7. The 38-year-old Jamieson admitted to the offense. In a statement he said, “I made an uncharacteristic, irrational and serious error in judgment on a Saturday night after the races, off the [Mohawk] premesis.” Jody said he is visiting a substance abuse professional and is “willing to take part in any and all random drug test on a go-forward basis that the [commission] seems necessary.” He promised to “earn back” the industry’s respect and trust.

The connections of top-ranked trotter Sebastian K will come back to the races on June 20 at the Meadowlands in another FFA trot. “He’s not going to mind,” said Bernie Noren, assistant trainer for Ake Svanstadt. “He’s feeling good, he’s training good and everything is just fine.” Sebastian K easily won the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial elim in a world-record-equaling 1:50.1 and captured the final in a stakes-record 1:50.2. Those two starts were the beginning of Sebastian K’s North American racing career. The eight-year-old trotter was Sweden’s Horse of the Year in 2012 and has won 28 of 65 lifetime starts and earned $2.39 million.

The horrendous performance of Precocious Beauty in a Fan Hanover elim last week, which cost her a berth in the final, according to trainer Gregg McNair, was because “she tied up bad. She’s a tie-up horse and we train her like one. She gets turned out every day. She got turned out that Saturday morning and it didn’t help.” McNair said the filly was all right according to a few times she was checked out before the elim. She is scheduled to be in a sires stakes at Vernon on June 28.

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

The $1-million Pepsi North America Cup features a glimpse of the glamour-boy division’s best pacers. It is the biggest purse for the group all season but it may or may not be the showcase of the top colt. After the elims last week we were left with this field, arguably the best of those three elims. Historically, the “Cup” is a chaotic event that can produce many one-hit wonders, as well as there are times the resolute champion colt doesn’t make it to the final (vis a vis Western Vintage in this edition). Our horse-by-horse analysis is a click and a scroll away.

Before the Cup, there is the inaugural $100,000 Meadowlands Maturity, open to all four-year-old pacers but featuring one solid star—Captaintreacherous. Two horses in this field are the only to defeat him in 2013. Most in the field of these have already raced. Add to that the swarm of “mutineers” that have provided so many overlays on one of the sport’s most brilliant stars at two and three and are bound to resurface for this, plus, the seasonal debut of Captaintreacherous launching from post 10 makes this a sullied event.

The Mohawk Saturday night program is strewn with high-profile events and exotic wagering and we have our fingers on the pulse of it all below. The multi-race exotic in focus is Race 7 through Race 10, the All Stakes Pick 4, with a $100,000 (Canadian) guarantee. Those stakes, in order, are the Roses Are Red, Mohawk Gold Cup, Fan Hanover and North America Cup, all covered below, along with suggested horses for the other two Pick 4 sets that evening.

More from the Mohawk evening and some other soph-colt stakes events are handled on our sister blog, the Hambletonian Trail.

Weekdays are harness plentiful, too, 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.

Follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter to get any and all late-breaking information on racing events and betting challenges that transpire between the publication of the two TwinSpires harness racing blogs.

Maturity Mayhem

Over and over again last season, the contingent of anti-Captaintreacherous bettors refused to give him his due in the win pools, so he went off at remarkable odds—for a colt so combatant in victory. What you may find in the Meadowlands Maturity on Friday, June 13, is that group counting on every element that may be able to thwart every other colt. But if Captaintreacherous is anywhere near the performer he was in 2013, those mutineers will be looking for excuses again while “treacherous” wins as a strong overlay.

There is a knock or two on any one of the other nine in this field in general; add to that the treacherous qualifier—or should we call it a “quali-fire”?—and the race goes to the swift, talented and charismatic—which all describe Captaintreacherous. Watch for the overlay, a mere even-money send-off is worth it. Or just watch and enjoy.

The Cup  .

Here is the field for the Cup, in post position order, with individual comments and a summary at their end.

Beat The Drum
Only a skewed trip by the top colts in this field gives Beat The Drum a shot at winning. He has a decent late kick but only got into the final having saved some ground and finding some room passing tired ones.

McWicked
The fiery mile produced in his elim will impress the speed-handicapping brigade but it may be his worse enemy in the long run. In fact, in his elim win, Sometimes Said had the more difficult mile, finishing second the hard way, without clearing the top. This guy reminds me of a few colts trainer Cassie Coleman has managed, all of them spotty with their speedy miles.

Tellitlikeitis
If a quick three-quarters is going to ruin a few of these, count Tellitlikeitis among the ruined. First off, without a good spot to let those in front of him work hard, it is difficult to see him engaging in any challenges. He may wind up a second-tier member of the division and we certainly don’t see him shining in this group.

Lyonssomewhere
Jimmy Takter pacers are every bit as dangerous as Jimmy Takter trotters and Lyonssomewhere could prove it. His soph career so far shows the kind of speed that could set this race up for a closer but look out because Lyonssomewhere can also close. That’s because he is a product of Somebeachsomewhere, who won this race, as did one of his sons, Captaintreacherous. It is hard to believe that “Lyons” is the only son of “Somebeach” in this field. Add Takter to tactics and bloodline and you have a potent blend of danger.

Lets Drink On It
To show the basic impotence of speed as a major factor in a top class, look at how Lets Drink On It let McWicked take over last week. “Drink” didn’t only sink, he let Sometimes Said, who worked harder, fly by him. At the risk of writing one more wisecrack, we don’t imagine any glasses being raised for the success of Drink in the Cup.

Ideal Cowboy
This gelding got into the race as the random draw. He is not of this ilk and will be very long odds that still represent an underlay. There just isn’t any case for him to be here, no less win.

Hes Watching
We all should know the story of this New York-bred colt by now and still have reservations about his talent. In the Cup he meets the best group of colts he may ever face and that alone is reason to imagine he finishes off the board. In order for him to change my mind and even consider him in the class of some of these, he will have to win this through adversity and domination, a rare combination that stamps a true hero.

Luck Be Withyou
When this one peaks it will be done with the maturity he still seeks this early in the season. Maybe in the Little Brown Jug or when he gets as good as he became when he beat Sometimes Said in the Breeders Crown at two in 2013. But he isn’t as good as he will get this season and so he gets only a few chances in the percentage pool for this race.

JK Endofanera
He must be painfully respected in this race because he has exploded at three and his loss in the elim last week as a dead-on favorite should be embraced considering he gave way to Lyons, who we applauded a few paragraphs ago. He is sharp and still improving upon how he has returned to the races at three with major talent and willingness. If the bettors let him go this time he becomes a major overlay, with post 9 actually benefiting his tactical speed.

Sometimes Said
From the time he almost defeated Luck Be Withyou at the Breeders Crown (he got our public support during live coverage of the race at Pocono Downs) we have respected Something Said and certainly more than the betting public when he faces the top tier in his own division. He is better than most of these guys on a few levels and has his work cut out for him if he is going to race as he should to be at the wire with one or two others.

SUMMARY—The top three contenders for us are Lyonssomewhere, JK Endofanera and Sometimes Said, though which provides the strongest overlay remains to be seen in the wagering. We hope you find respect for these individually or in some order of your own preference to use them in your win, place, show and exotic wagers.

Fan Hanover Hussies

The Fan Hanover Final, worth $457,500, lines the starting car with 10 filly pacers, which are unevenly matched in pure muscle. We gave you Uffizi Hanover last week and she surprisingly went off at 6-1, mostly due to the loyalty of the locals, making Nat A Virgin and Beach Gal the top two choices. “Uffizi” may rightfully be the public choice in the final, as the Breeders Crown winner (we supported her when she won there at two last November) seems to tower over this group.

One positive is the failure of favorites in elim two. Won by Table Talk (37-1), the top choice of the division and early choice to win this event, Precocious Beauty, quit badly in the stretch (finishing seventh, which was last) and only the third choice, Major Dancer, was present at the wire, second to the winning longshot, while second-choice Lady Shadow was also very bad at 5-2, finishing sixth. If the locals return to their beloved fillies, Uffizi may be a soft favorite, still well worth it in this crew. Bahama Blue and Beach Gal could round out a decently priced triactor.

Armbro Flight

The versatile mares will contest in the $266,000 Armbro Flight Final on the Cup program, highlighted by such famed gals as Bee A Magician and Perfect Alliance. Yet, even with these two dominant forces in the field, it does not take away from the profit potential in this event. One mare that fits this criterion is D’orsay, an elimination winner caught in the shadow of Perfect Alliance, who set a Canadian record of 1:51.4 in the other elimination.

Since Perfect Alliance has received a resounding amount of press, D’orsay could be a price but not anything close to the 54-1 odds she carried when we cashed on her last week. She looks to sit a stalking trip in a race where the pace will be hot; the mile looks to set up for a mare like D’orsay. Also beware of Bee A Magician, who may inflate in price after her back-to-back second-place efforts to both mares mentioned above.

Red As Roses

The $330,000 Roses Are Red Final included another winner for us in the elims, as Yagonnakissmeornot (7-1) beat the top choices in round two. Anndrovette, in the first elim, overcame some trouble in a dynamic win over her mare-pacing rivals. “Ann” will probably get the public’s nod and “Yagonna” should get some play. Somwherovrarainbow always gets action and will do so here.

But in the final Summertime Lea has got to be considered a contender. She had the toughest trip in the Ann elim, which was the better field of the two, and got no respect from bettors at 27-1. That could have been a strong warning to the others from the Ron Burke-trained mare. She may be offering near her odds last week, since the money has to spread thin by the time they get to her after the first three mentioned and Shesbesingin, Camille and Shelliscape.

Another ‘Cup’

Older male pacers shoot for pieces of $100,000 in the Mohawk Gold Cup. It’s a mixture of local campaigners and the usual suspects from the States. A look at the morning line (ML) may indicate this is going to be a good betting race. How, for instance, can State Treasurer be the ML choice? That would be wonderful. Winning the Molson Pace at Western Fair is not Mohawk and you won’t, for one, see the same Foiled Again that was beaten there.

This crowd will continue to like Thinkin Out Loud and the spottily speedy Warrawee Needy, so some win money is going to be spread around. Keep an eye on the odds for Sunshine Beach, who has an excellent spot to make a go at stealing the mile. And on the outside, Bettors Edge and Mach It So may work out some good trips to be in the thick of it. But will Foiled Again go off 7-2 or more? That will be hard to pass up.  

The Pick 4s

There are three major Pick-4 wagering sets on Cup night. We offer horses (by post) that we feel you should consider having on your ticket(s).
Early Pick 4 (Races 4—7): Use 5,8,10/ 3,4/ 5,7/ 1,4,6
Middle Pick 4 (Races 7—10): Use 1,4,6/ 5,6,8/ 2/ 4,9,10
Late Pick 4 (Races 11—14): Use 6, 10/ 3,7/ 3/ 9

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

Buffalo
6/14/14, +Adelias Prince R2

Hoosier
6/14/14, +Jackson Wyatt R5

Maywood
6/12/14, +Baksidebar Nlounge R1
6/13/14, +Dunside Art R1

Meadowlands
6/13/14, +Ma Chere Hall R6

Meadows
6/13/14, +SJs Hottie Won R5; +Martini Twist R6

Pocono
6/14/14, +Hes A Lock R1; +Giant Sculpture R14
6/15/14, +Drop The Ball R10

Saratoga
6/13/14, +Mcattee R10
 
Scarborough
6/13/14, +Ladyofcastlebrook R1

Tioga
6/14/14, +Jam And Jelly R8

Vernon
6/14/14, Youwillwishyouhad R5; Printing A Place R7; +Oozies Bad Boy R9; +Whitemountain Power R9

Yonkers
6/13/14, +Geton The Way R1; +Sign Of The Moment R1

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition.      

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