Art Rooney Exacta Partner (53-1) Delivers $21 With 1-9 Choice; Running Aces, Rosecroft Winners Top Prices At $19 Each

The H2W (horses-to-watch list) presented the top winning prices this week (see below) but we were in deep contention, even though the public was sharp in volume.

The Molson Pace at Western Fair on May 26 was a total wash, with the mega favorite winning even though some handicappers (not us) called it a “deep field.” Our contender, Sunfire Blue Chip ($6.20) was third, paying better than the top two finishers.

That night at the Meadowlands, sires stakes pacing colts were also dominated by public choices while our colt, Indian River Ace (47-1) was sixth and our filly, Livingthedream ($3.40) took third.

As we suspected in the Art Rooney at Yonkers on May 27, Summer Side (50-1) raced very well and managed to pick up the place to the overwhelming favorite Downbythe seaside. There were no place or show pools offered but with Summer Side finishing second, the exacta came back a bulging $21.80 with the 1-9 shot on top.

In the filly pacing Lismore, two top choices (4-1 and top choice) finished first and second while we got third with Caviart Ally ($4.60).

Sunday at Philadelphia the favorites destroyed fields in the three big holiday-weekend features. We took second with JL Cruze ($3.00, $2.40) for an exacta worth $9.00 in the Maxie Lee Memorial. Lady Shadow won the Betsy Ross as the prohibitive choice while we were sixth with Medusa (39-1) and the Ben Stafford invite completed the chalk triad with our contender, Great Vintage (87-1) fifth.

HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL

This week’s Hambletonian Trail uncovered a single winner in the Currier & Ives battles for fillies at the Meadows on May 26. We gave out the mild upset performed by Caviart Wonder ($9.20, n/p, n/s) in division one. In division two, won by the public’s second choice, we were fourth with Massive Risk (18-1) and in division three both of our choices broke. Trixie Dust (8-1) and Lexi Marie (33-1) galloped to the finish.

That night at the Meadowlands, sires-stakes contenders Evelyn (4-1) finished sixth among the fillies and colt Beacon Tony (20-1) broke but managed to get on the purse grid, finishing fifth.

On various Wednesday nights we tweet for TwinSpires Twitter members from @FrankCotolo –retweeted by @twinspires—and the raceway involved. Losers from each week will appear on the next week’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list unless they race before that blog is published, so watch for them returning to the races on days in between blogs. Watch for special tweets from raceways on various Wednesdays.

H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas listed are included when a H2W horse finishes second with a race favorite or the first two finishers making up the exacta are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices published are correct even when a show price exceeds a place price or any or all of the prices are the same. This week, there were 49 active horses (a 16-percent win hit rate and a 35-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate).

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place, show and exotic results occurring by press time but some horses race after the blog is posted (we list them the following week) It is up to you to follow horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

Windsun T Bird, $19.40, $9.60, $7.20, Running Aces
Diva Diamonds, $19.20, $7.00, $3.80, Rosecroft
Da Chief, $14.00, $5.60, $2.40, Harrington
Major Nemesis, $13.20, $6.60, $7.00 ok, Scioto
Frost Damage Blues, $8.60, $4.20, $2.60, Philadelphia
Sure You Are, $7.20, $2.20, $2.80 ok, Scarborough
Kiss Me In French, $4.60, $3.00, $2.40, Northville
Concerto, $3.40, $2.40, $2.10, Philadelphia
 
Seconds

I Saw Red, $3.30, $2.50, Vernon
Pembroke Newt, $3.20, $2.40 (Exacta $5.40), Plainridge
Sinners Prayer, $2.20, n/s, Bangor
 
Thirds

Ghosts And Legends, $23.60, Meadows
Legacy N Diamonds, $4.90, Saratoga
JJ Flynn, $4.00, Meadowlands
Always Sunday, $3.80, Northfield
Dusty Lane Jacob, $2.80, Charlottetown
Only Way I Know, $2.40, Scarborough


News & Notes

Speaking of Triple Crowns, Trotting Triple Crown champion Marion Marauder made his return to the racetrack May 26 with a qualifying win at Mohawk. Now four, the son of Muscle Hill shed the mile with a 1:56.1 win. In the stretch, Marion Marauder trotted home ahead of the field by 16 lengths. Trained by the team of Paula Wellwood and Mike Keeling, Marion Marauder moves up to join the older ranks this season after winning 10 of 15 starts as a sophomore. With a mark of 1:51.3 and more than $1.7 million, Marion Marauder’s first race of the season may begin next week in a Graduate Series leg at Mohawk.

Woodbine Entertainment Group announced that 44 three-year-old pacers are still eligible to enter this year’s North America Cup. The final sustaining payment for Canada ’s richest harness race was due May 15 and the connections of 44 three-year-old pacing colts selected to make the final payment. The $1 million North America Cup will take place on Saturday, June 17 at Mohawk. The eliminations will take place a week prior on June 10.

Although the top two soph colts getting all the attention in the “Cup” are Downbytheseaside and Huntsville, our “future-book” choice, Fear The Dragon, has been cause for alarm. We reported in this blog and in the three-year-old soph-pacing preview of Hoof Beats, that “[Fear The Dragon] should get faster and stronger at three, and already having a taste for winning, he may cash some very big checks.” Already, “Dragon” has beaten Huntsville and is yet to lose a race at three as of this writing. He must be taken seriously in the Cup, though we would rather the other two get all the action so we could sensationalize upon the sensational. 

Extraordinary Extras

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

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