Artspeak Has Our Winning Scenario In Breeders Crown Elim; Plainridge Winner Tops At $14

Woodbine ruled the weekend features as the Breeders Crown elims were sprinkled through the Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 programs.

We were specifically correct about the scenario that took place in the second soph-colt pacer elim as the crowd once again gifted us with a great price on Artspeak ($8.00, $3.30, $2.90).

Not much else went as planned, as we tried to beat obvious public choices in the two- and three-year-old elims and the pair of older pacer events.

On Friday, the frosh groups resulted in obvious results and only one worked for our purposes. In second was our choice, Marion Marauder ($4.10, n/s) along with super-colt favorite Southwind Frank ($2.40, $2.10, n/s) for an exactor worth $9.80. Other than that we only hit third with Black Broadway ($2.60). Even with two public choices breaking (Broadway Donna and Celebrity Eventsy) and missing berths in the final, we were off the board with Emoticon Hanover (15-1), Skinny Dipper (27-1), Tipton Teeez (33-1), Talk Show (26-1 but making the final; see News below) and Travel Playlist (2-1).

On Saturday, we picked up second with Jk Endofanera ($3.30, $2.90). We lost with Yankee Bounty (20-1), sixth; Wicked Little Minx (8-1), sixth; Ideal Nuggets (65-1), seventh; and Mach It So (8-1).

We were best with wins in our horses-to-watch list (H2W), scored below.

Our next blog will cover the Breeders Crown finals for Oct. 24 at Woodbine. We will split the analysis process with our main blog and the last Breeders Crown Countdown blog of the season, curtosy of TwinSpires.com in league with the Hambletonian Society.

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 the 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 43 active horses (a 26-percent win hit rate and a 44-percent in-the-money hit rate). One note: the list included three horses at Batavia that at the time we thought would be betting races; they turned out to be non-betting races.

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place and/or show results occurring after press time and that it is up to you to follow those horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

Pan Grand, $14.60, $3.40, $2.60, Plainridge
Newton Choclatier, $8.80, $3.60, $3.00, Hoosier
Astor Shark, $7.00, $6.20, $2.90, Charlottestown
Cruzin Maverick, $6.60, $3.20, $3.00, Scarborough
Wildshot Hanover, $6.50, $4.70, $3.50, Saratoga
Fox Valley Shannon, $4.40, $3.00, $4.20 ok, Scarborough
Radiant Bean, $4.40, n/p, n/s, Vernon
Viva Venturi, $4.20, $2.80, $2.20, Northfield
Skates N Plates, $4.20, $3.00, $2.60, Yonkers
Waldy Jimmy, $3.80, $2.20, $2.20 ok, Plainridge
Molon Lave, $2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Saratoga

Seconds

Bags Of Money, $8.00, $3.80, Batavia
DWs Ny Yank, $2.80, $2.20, Philadelphia
Twincreeks Jack, $2.60, $2.80 (Exacta $5.20), Freehold
Marquesas, $2.40, $2.20, Hoosier

Thirds

Moon In My Shine, $3.40, Hoosier
Bad Fox, $2.70, Batavia
Whata Winner, $2.60, Scarborough
Wine Snob, n/s, Vernon

News & Notes

Cal Expo gets into gear with its autumn harness season on Breeders Crown finals night, Saturday, Oct. 24. The “Crown” program begins at 4:30 Pacific Time and first post for the opening Cal Expo card is set for 6:10 p.m. The Cal Expo racing schedule has the action on Saturday night for the first three weeks, with Saturday and Sunday programs set for Nov. 14 through Dec. 27. The schedule will expand to three nights a week in January, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening programs

Yonkers Raceway officials announced a schedule change. Sunday matinee racing, called “French-centic” Sunday matinee racing, returns Nov. 8 and continues through the final program of the season, Dec. 13. First post each Sunday is listed at 11:15 a.m., with the exception of a dark Dec. 6). The return of Sundays means the end of Thursdays, the final one being Oct. 29. Monday, Friday and Saturday evenings (first post at 7:10 p.m.) and Tuesday afternoons (first post at 1 p.m.) remain unchanged.

Travel Playlist, the year’s fastest frosh-pacing colt (1:49.2) has been scratched from the $600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Breeders Crown Pace on Saturday, Oct. 24. Though the colt earned his way into the final with a fifth-place finish in his Crown, it was not an effort that pleased trainer Erv Miller. “He wasn’t himself,” Miller said, “and I don’t think he will back to himself in a week.” Travel Playlist had drawn post 8 for the final. When post positions have already been drawn before a horse scratches, the Crown conditions allow for the first “also eligible” to have the post position on the outside of the remaining starters in the front tier of the starting gate. Also-eligible Talk Show, who was sixth but had more seasonal earnings than the other sixth-place finisher, Carlos Danger, will start from post 10. Betting Line and Pretty Boy Hill both move in a slot.

CORRECTION – In our Oct. 12 blog we identified the second horse to defeat Wiggle this season as Delta Winner. The horse, in fact, is Dealt A Winner. It was a big difference in information, as Dealt A Winner has raced since defeating “Wiggle” in The Cane Pace and, in fact, made the division’s Breeders Crown final. Our assessment of the horse, however, remains the same.

Extraordinary Extras

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Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

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