Big ‘Wave’ Splashes $40 Win; Stakes Upset At $18; Quartet Of Double-Digit Scores

Our features this week took place all week, since the Delaware Ohio Fair Little Brown Jug meet began Sunday, Sept. 29 and went through Thursday, Sept. 24 and then the weekend of stakes began, with action at a few tracks. Before we go through our results in the features, note that all but one of the big winners for us came from the horses-to-watch (H2W) list in a mighty rush of double-digit winners (see below for headline winners). 

In the features, on Monday, Sept. 21 at Harrington, we knocked out a big upset in the Bobby Quillen Memorial with Mach It So ($18.60, $3.80, $3.00),

In Ohio, we offered what we thought was the sole scenario for beating Wiggle It Jiggleit in a “Jug,” elim, warning the chances were slim and still giving “Wiggle” the ultimate win if two heats were to follow. But he won two straight.

Oddly enough, the winner of the first Jug elim was Lost For Words, a colt we had backed a few weeks in a row prior to Jug day. “Lost” came up second every time we backed him but he held on as the ultra-favorite in his elim. Then, out of a movie script, Wiggle dueled with Lost in the second heat and Lost lost, coming in second, of course. The best we did in the Jug was to have a second in one elim with co-choice Artspeak ($2.20, $2.10) and a third in another with Rockin In Heaven ($3.80).

 TwinSpires.com in league with the Hambletonian Society featured the Jugette. We took one Jugette elim with Classical Annie ($9.40, $3.60, $2.80) and were third in the other elim with Bedroomconfessions ($4.20).

The overnight wins, places and shows we scored on Jug week are combined below in the H2W results under “Ohio.”

As predicted, Wakizashi Hanover ($3.80, $2.10, $2.10 ok) and Freaky Feet Pete ($2.10, $2.10 ok) made it first and second, respectively (exacta $3.60) in the Jennas Beach Boy on the Saturday stakes program at Hoosier. Our only possible upset chance, with Roland N Rock, failed but he did finish fourth.
 
In the trio of frosh stakes at Hoosier that night we had two thirds with Wildflower ($3.20) and JK Fannie ($4.40). We were second in the Elevation with Mindtrip ($9.40, $4.80) and lost badly with Lindys Tru Grit in the Centaur Trotting Classic to the brilliant-but-poor-returning Bee A Magician.

Frosh stakes at Yonkers on Saturday brought us one winner in four events when an obvious choice won—Travel Playlist ($3.30, $3.80 ok). That afternoon in the Lou Babic at Freehold were were second to the big favorite with Boston Red Rocks ($2.20, $2.40 ok, exacta $8.80).

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 63 active horses (a 16-percent win hit rate and a 37-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

Fox Valley Wave, $40.00, $10.80, $3.40, Maywood
Autumn Estelle, $25.00, $11.20, $4.60, Saratoga
Kings Treasure, $21.60, $4.60, $4.80 ok, Plainridge
Western Dame, $15.60, $6.80, $4.80, Maywood
Lisa Jane, $9.00, $5.20, $3.00, Ohio
Rose Run Oscar, $5.40, $3.40, $2.40, Ohio
Cooter Dunn, $5.20, $4.00, $2.60, Ohio
Lizard King, $4.50, $5.00 ok, $2.80), Century
Big Chocolate, $4.00, $3.30, $2.40, Vernon
Darkesthighway, $2.40, $2.10 ok, $2.20, Freehold

Seconds

O Narutac Supremo, $23.00, $4.40 (Exacta, $90.00), Rosecroft
Alwaysafirstime, $8.40, $5.60, Freehold
Olivia V, $6.80, $4.00 (Exacta $22.80), Northfield
Sumatra, $5.40, $3.00, Philadelphia
Shasham, $4.30, $3.40, Saratoga
Forever The Gold, $3.40, $3.20 (Exacta $9.20), Ohio
Action-broadway, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Ohio

Thirds

Pink Sox, $6.60
Neal, $6.00, Charlottestown
Quantum Cashman, $5.40, Ohio
Almost Midnight, $3.30, Batavia
Shell Bell, $3.00, Ohio
Kayla Grace, $2.40, Northville

News & Notes

There were a handful of world-record miles at the Delaware Ohio Fair during Little Brown Jug week but the element of speed was never the concern to the bettors and was just about circumstantial to those horses involved. As a major example, French Laundry won the Old Oaken Bucket in world-record time but as a dead-on favorite. The colt—certainly not in the top rung of the Jimmy Takter trotting troupe—had everything on his side to assist the mark. He left from post 1 against one of the softest fields he faced on larger tracks this season. Andy Ray, Mesmerized and another Takter colt, Walter White, were second, third and fourth respectively. Billy Flynn, a disappointing sophomore that did not reach his potential at three, was fifth; Suit And Tie was hanged to three-quarters in 1:25.1; and Aldebaran Eagle, arguably as competitive as French Laundry this season, broke making a futile charge from behind.

The Jugette winner, Sassa Hanover, also set a mark. She took it in her second heat. Bettors steered clear of her in the first heat, which she won at 7-1. Winning the Jugette jewels by taking the second mile, she was the crowd’s overwhelming choice. She faced a lot less talent than she had before coming to the fair. The second best in the second heat was Southwind Roulette, who has not won a race at three. The others in the mix were not among the top tier of glamour-girl pacers this season.

The 2015 Grand Circuit at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky has changed its racing schedule. This season the featured races will be presented from Wednesday through Saturday during the usual two-week run. The new schedule begins Wednesday, Sept. 30. Watch out main blog and our Breeders Crown Countdown blog for evaluations and suggested contenders.

The 2014 Horse of the Year has retired. After a counter-productive season complicated by health and maturity issues as a three-year-old, JK Shesalady got her walking papers from her connections, according to trainer Nancy Johansson. The astounding two-year-old that earned all best-horses votes for the top honor, struggled from the start of her sophomore season, making only four starts before qualifying at Pocono on Sept. 17. Although she won the practice round, Johansson “wasn’t pleased with her performance.” “She doesn’t owe us anything,” Johansson said. “She’s been incredible for all of us”

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

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