Aiming At The Adios; PA Parades State-Breds; Saratoga’s Super Stake Sends Stars To Battle

It’s that time of the season when it seems there is no relief for division stakes and the stars, co-stars and string-alongs keep pushing their ways through high-powered fields and high-purse events. Elims for the Adios Pace at the Meadows highlight the glamour boys’ agendas this weekend and those not involved are also kept busy with lucrative sires-stakes miles. Older pacers are back in action again, taking each other on at Saratoga surface in the Joe Garrity, Jr. Memorial.

Our exclusive, successful Freshmen Frolic section continues as two-year-old events adorn race programs just about everywhere. As added features we are including Pennsylvania Sires Stakes for frosh trotters at Philly. Our work to sensationalize on the early two-year-old non-stakes races around the continent is at your service.

This week’s Hambletonian Trail, our TwinSpires-exclusive blog, takes on Grand Circuit events. Every week is closer to our annual visit to the New Jersey oval for Hambletonian day, where again we will be live from the press room and in the crowd for live coverage of the August classics and the co-starring stakes.

The weekly H2W (the horses-to-watch) list is posted as usual, to, so do your own handicapping and then consider our H2W selections when playing your bets. Of course, remember to be fully armed with a plentiful TwinSpires betting account.

KEYSTONE KIDS

A quartet of PASS miles for frosh-colt trotters in the $40,000 range for each split is the focus at Philly on July 21. These are future glamour-boy trotters that are bred well enough and in the care of stables respected enough to already be considered for 2018 Hambletonian participation.

In division one, six hit the track. The sole winner in one to three races for all is the only Muscle Hill colt in the field, Maxus. With Jimmy Takter in control, the crowd will most likely invest deeply. However, two Cantab Hall kids deserve attention. From the inside, these are Max’s Beach and from post 3, Final Dream. The latter is from the Ake Svanstedt barn and should be the one with the better chance to escape the eyes of the crowd.

The next PASS offers seven and again there are two Cantab Halls involved. The Muscle Hill boys, especially Garnett (Ron Burke) and Bautista (Takter) will suck in the money, while we can get fine odds from American Steele leaving cleanly from post 4. The other “Cantab” kid is Crystal Fashion, post 7, but we doubt if the crowd will dismiss him.

Later in the card, six more colts go in a PASS split. The lone son of Andover Hall, Storming Mist, is a Takter student and gets post 1. He has been out twice and lost both times but the third race may be the trick. Andover Hall has continually been a productive sire and is the oldest of the sires’ sons in this group and Storming Mist is the only one of his sons here. It’s a good chance to get a good price on a Takter student.

Seven perform in the last PASS of the program. What’s The Word is already three for four in the win column and should get the best of the win pool money. Julie Miller’s Met’s Hall from post 7 will most likely be ignored compared to the aforementioned, Burke’s colt and Takter’s colt. He is in good hands with Miller.

ADIOS ORCHARDS

The Pace for the Orchards, the Adios, seeks its final’s field with two elims on the afternoon of July 22 at the Meadows. Each split is worth $25,000. Seven glamour-boy pacing colts go in each. This classic event offers another meeting between the top two in the division if each can make it into the top five of separate elim miles.

The first brings back the swift Meadowlands Pace (MP) champ, Huntsville, leaving from post 7. He will be the dead-on favorite, no doubt and the extra turn could benefit him even if he chomps at the bit and fires wide early. The extra mile can also cause him trouble late, especially if he is challenged, which appears to be a good scenario from Blood Line, Highalator and perhaps Boogie Shuffle. Amid them is Miso Fast, who we went with in the MP while hoping for a fiery duel (that never surfaced). For value’s sake, and because he still can be considered a contender, take the upset chances for Miso Fast here. Some wind could have been taken from Huntsville’s MP win, where he was all out to win while being challenged late by Downbytheseaside.

Fear The Dragon is back in round two and little here can touch him, even on his worst day. There is little to gain per dollar, especially in exotics, where Burke has three of the other six going for him. Watch it or check for any exactas with “Fear” the key that may look too high.

COLT CUTS

PASS frosh colts race for $50,000-plus purses in a trio of miles at the Meadows July 22.

The first group has eight at the gate with five from the fertile sire Somebeachsomewhere. The Well Said boy, Venier Hanover, already won five (one from our Freshman Frolic group on July 6) and the two by A Rocknroll Dance are still maidens. One of them, Whatstroublinurocky, is from the Brian Brown stable and comes out for his second start. That is promising and could be profitable.

The second field sends eight more and the obvious choice, Kwik Talkin (four wins for four starts) gets post 8, leaving a slight edge to Well-Said colt Lucky Leonard. Schnittker’s colt has won one of two and may be a lot better than that, certainly good enough to nose or head Kwik Talkin.

The last PASS of the Meadows’ card also features eight pacers, none more experienced than a pair of events in their careers. The best here is to go against the five Somebeachsomewheres and the two Well Saids with a Bettor’s Delight product, Better Watch Out. This sire’s progeny mostly do better with age but with only one start this guy deserves attention against the two other top sires’ sons.

JOE’S PLACE

Saratoga Harness’ annual feature, the Joe Gerrity, Jr. Memorial, goes for $260,000 this Saturday, July 22 and once again presents some of the top older pacers currently racing. There are eight at the gate, including last week’s “Haughton” upset victor Mach It So. In that event we went for All Bets Off, who was a well-meant 3-1 but finished fifth. Here he is right behind Boston Red Rocks, who has cashed a lot of checks but has not won in 10 starts at four. He was closing in on “Mach” last week but did his usual hanging dance. From

All Bets Off is in a great spot for a bright trip, especially with a lot of speed here that will be looking for a fast start on the half-mile track. Mach included, there could be some fiery fractions by the half and see heavy closing traffic, too. But saving ground will help All Bets Off and he should be better than 3-1 here.

FRESHMAN FROLICS

Two-year-old races at the beginning of each season are the most difficult events for handicappers to forecast winners, no less value. Every season’s start for us means extra work on sire productivity, so we can make wise wagers in freshman races. If you handicap the races below, be sure to respect those listed as contenders.

July 20
Hoosier, Skyway Royalty R11
Philly, Naturalle Muscle R5
Hawthorne, Don’t Forget R2; Among The Elite R3
 
July 21
Meadowlands, Sweet On You R4; Royal Tension R8; Odds On Cheddar R11
Bangor, Shielas Share R6

July 22
Northfield, Rock On Creek R4; Rockathon R6


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 LIST

Bangor
7/21/17, Sweetchildofmine R3; Roderick R5

Century
7/22/17, Outlawtriggerhappy R4; Day Longcard R6; Nakkertok R7

Charlottetown
7/20/17, +Blazing By R2
7/22/17, Silverhill Buddy R6; Oh To Be Me R10; +Jeb R12

Hawthorne
7/21/17, +Lonesome Attack R2; +Allbeastnobeauty R8
7/22/17, Master Of Excuses R2

Hoosier
7/21/17, +Manhattan Beach R8

Monticello
7/20/17, +Hillbillycashflow R8

Ocean
7/23/17, +Miss Valerie R3; Massive Solution R10

Plainridge
7/21/17, Ianthe Hanover R4

Pocono
7/22/17, The Wayfaring Man R12

Running Aces
7/22/17, CW Raisenette R2; Gold Star Bugsy R3; Exsqueeze Me R6

Saratoga
7/22/17, Western Fame R7; Respectable Dream R12

Scarborough
7/22/17, +Astreos Delight R4

Scioto
7/21/17, Smokinmombo R11; Mugshot Man R13

Tioga
7/22/17, Brooklyn Bond R6

Yonkers
7/22/17, +Artmagic R6