Autumn Series Finals Pair Off At Woodbine; Northlands’ Best Soph Pacers Raring To Upset

Canada supplies our features this week from east to west. In Alberta, Northlands Park presents its two signature events, both for soph pacers bred in the province. The Northlands Filly Pace includes the best of the gals from their elims and the colts go straight to a mile battle in the Western Pacing Derby.

More sophomore finals are on the Woodbine program this weekend as the Autumn Series goes into finals for both sexes on both gaits.

But there is plenty of other racing south of the border, as well as around Canada. For top-notch contenders, there is our popular, exclusive H2W (horses to watch) list, which presents horses worth your attention in the win, place, show and exotic pools—most of which are not mentioned by public handicappers elsewhere, usually giving you a great edge in price.

Autumn Alumni

Woodbine’s Autumn series for late-season sophomore colts and fillies (pacers and trotters) gives the soon-to-be-four-year-olds a shot at adding to their three-year-old bank accounts. On Dec. 4, the pacing fillies battle in finals based on their divisions, while Saturday the pacing colts take the spotlight.

The filly trot is worth $36,800 and our suggested contender is Crown Classic. She made the final at 37-1, racing a strong mile against the favorite, Murmering Pan. Both second legs were won by the public choices but the most impressive of the fields was Crown Classic. She finished fourth after a trip more difficult than any of the final’s participants had getting into this field.

Crown Classic was on the go early, fifth by 8 ¼ lengths, at least in a mid-mile brush. She went first over to be third, making up more than 4 lengths getting there. She then flattened, not losing ground as much on her own as from the advancing top three. A good trip is necessary against “Pan” and Tymal Fireitup, who won the other second-leg mile, as well as they all have to deal with Aspen California. However, Crown Classic will be the best investment for our money.

The filly pace is worth $37,800. Amazing Control and Much Ado won the second legs, with the latter paying the best price at 7-2. Our focus is the filly that finished third to Much Ado and Aniston Seelster, the favorite in that race, Pinky Tuscadero. Aside from the fact that Pinky Tuscadero is the most original and amusing name for a standardbred that we have heard since we recently ran across one named Googles Paisano, “Pinky” is our choice against the favorites based on a very good mile in her elim.

Pinky was 6-1 in leg two and she finished third, gaining real estate from a three-wide brush when in sixth. She may go off higher than 6-1 here, considering the strength the favorites will have racing together in the final, so Pinky will promise to pay far more than the equivalent of her chances.

Saturday at Woodbine, the colt pacers and colt trotters hold there Autumn Series finals and we have found two boys that have earned their way into the $30,000-plus miles and should be dismissed by the majority of bettors raring to bet the obvious choices.

In the pace, the two top dogs should be the Cajun Lightning and Mach On The Beach, winners and public choices of the two divisions of the second leg. Our money will be on Jack Reacher, who was second to “Mach” in his mile. “Jack” went off a sturdy 6-1 and got the place from the second tier. He may be around the same price, considering “Cajon,” who was fabulous winning his mile, could be favored greatly over Mach, making Jack a thick third choice or less.

The colt trot gives us another trip horse that is sure to be ignored in a field that may not have a solid public choice. Win The Day, the favorite, won the first division of the second leg but the second division went to a 10-1 shot, My Hey Hey Hey, who beat the favorite Stormont Wizard, that one finishing second.

In the “Hey” longshot result, the 7-2 Freddie was stalled for a few steps when Wichita Jazz broke at the start from post 3 and caused a few ripples. Freddie lost 6 lengths right from the gate and made up 9 lengths by three-quarters where he was fifth but gained position to get the last qualifying spot to be in the final. He should go off higher than 7-2, which is still a good price here, and without the glitch could take them all quite easily.

Alberta Boys

The $90,000 Western Canada Derby, Saturday, Dec. 5 at Northlands, features eight pacing colts, three from the House of Clark, if you will. Keith is scheduled to drive the early choice for the stakes (which had no elims to qualify colts for the final), First Class Horse.

Certainly Clark drives his best but the pair have to contain the likes of two others in here that are contentious. Cool Cowboy has been terrific, rugged, for sure, in Alberta Sires Stakes, though he lost to “Horse” last out. There is no indication he won’t be gunning in this one, as will the probable higher priced contender, Johnny Gun. He has excuses in his recent two and will be rife to toss the upset and pay off well.

Those three, with the best money available from the latter two, could produce a hell of a triactor, especially if either of the two defeat Horse.

Northlands Filly Pace

Three-year-old pacing fillies bred in Alberta face the biggest test of their 2015 season after earning victories in one of two $10,000 eliminations on Nov. 28 at Northlands Park.
Cam Finish and Thats Extra were the winners of those elimination miles, making them the morning line choices in the Dec. 5 Northlands Filly Pace The top four finishers in each elimination are advancing to the final

Oddly enough, Cam Finish was a 7-1 winner from the Keith Clark barn. Clark has been the dominant horsemen in Alberta for decades and his horses have captured many Alberta-bred stakes during his tenure. Cam Finish, this year’s upset to go to the “Filly” final, had a simple trip but was among four that defeated the favorite, Watch My Luck, whose fifth-place-finishing effort was dull, at best, not even making the final.

The most aggressive of the four was Take On The Boys (15-1). While the field rolled along with no second-tier movement, “Boys” came out and gave chase strongly after Cam Finish, who took the lead into three-quarters over the doomed front-pacing action of Miss Hoozzitz (who faded to finish seventh). Boys finished fourth, yet actually gained on the expanding charge of Cam Finish.

Thats Extra easily took the second elim and is bound to be the top choice in the final. It is not chore to understand that her mile was superb, certainly best of the other three making the final. She is a passive selection that may race as well as her winning elim but that may not be enough to take the final while offering no value. Clark’s Cam Finish won’t be as generous in the final and may race far worse. So, Boys will sent away with the best odds of our contenders to become our bet.

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

Batavia
12/4/15, +Aroma R3; +Before I Die R11

Cal Expo
12/5/15, +Outlawpocketrocket R10
12/6/15, +Placer R4; Smiling Major R8; +Heartland Slushie R10; +Bettormeboy R11

Charlottetown
12/5/15, +Wynnfrith R1; +Julep hanover R3
12/6/15, Fan Regal R2; _Stayoutofmyaffair R11

Dayton
12/5/15, +Saulsbrook Astrobo R8

Flamboro
12/3/15, +All Chocolate R1

Fraser
12/4/15, Kootenay Mystic R1; +Drawing Dead R6; +Classic Ambition R9; +My Candidate R9; Red Star Brea R10
12/6/15, Pureform Electra R3; +Nitrous Force R7; Thieving Magpie R9

Freehold
12/3/15, Move It Move It R5
12/4/15, +SS Derby Girl R1; Wine Market R2; BCs Belle Street R11

Meadows
12/4/15, J Matt R8

Northfield
12/4/15, +Puff Mommy R11
12/6/15, Say It Again Sam, R2; +Im Shameless R7; +Saratogas Best R7

Northlands
12/4/15, Skade R9
12/5/15, Great Desire R10

Meadowlands
12/4/15, +Kiwi Pres R4; Pancakes R10
12/5/15, Shaving Mug R1; You Rockin My World R4; Bakin On The Beach R6; Orilla Joe R11

Philadelphia
12/4/15, +Mach To The Max R2; +Highlandmusclehall R11
12/5/15, +Cruisin Northwest R4

Pompano
12/6/15, +Race Me Rocky R11

Saratoga
12/3/15, Ozymandras R7
12/4/15, +Breewood Brier R5
12/6/15, Just Hang Out R11

Scarborough
12/5/15, +Luigi R7

Woodbine
12/3/15, Girl Drama R6
12/4/15, +Brescia Seelster R1; Camps Bay R7
12/5/15, +Single White Sock R1; Track Master D R6; +Machal Jordan R10

Yonkers
12/4/15, Goddess’s Rosa ae R5; Tyler R8

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition