Blog’s Double-Digit Harness Winners Trounce Choices On Big Weekend

Productive weekends like the one that just passed continue to trump losses and further our profits. From our preview blog (available Thursday mornings) last week came what industry folk headlined as “surprises.” Not for us. We took some races by storm and nailed great prices. Though we noticed one surprise based on a pick that won for us last week and returned to win in a shocker.

First, let’s review Friday, Feb. 6’s early Pick 3 at the Meadows. The horses we commented upon were suggested additions to your Pick-3 ticket.

Opening the wager was our single choice, the winner, Bad Glamour Girl ($16.40, $5.80, $3.80). The second leg of the Pick 3 we offered two additions, one which was the winner, Cool Vicious ($5.20, $3.20, $3.00) and Style N Soul (fifth). Our third-leg choiced finished fourth and fifth in a race won by the public choice, which if you used along with our suggestions, paid you a $125.00 Pick 3.

Next we go to the Meadowlands, where our horses-to-watch list (H2W) suggested a replay of a pacer from last week. This week, the horse was in the first leg of a series called Burning Point. Our horse was Empress Deo (see prices below). The 14-1 shot defeated dual-entry favorites from the Ron Burke barn.

Also that night, we nailed a cold $55.00 exacta with Helios to Evil Urges (see prices below) in the Dash For The C Note series consolation.

After last week’s win for Picture Perfect at the Meadowlands in a leg of the Dash For The C Notes series, Picture Perfect left the H2W list, that being his second and final appearance (he would have left the list had he won when he first appeared). We have always left it up to players to consider repeat winners from the list. It’s a personal betting decision.

On Feb. 6, we did not cover the moderate final and we do not take credit for the winner, it is just important to note that the same Picture Perfect we gave you that won a leg of the series at 5-1, won the final at 70-1. That is not a misprint; Picture Perfect paid $142.80 to win ($33.20, $15.60). It is something for our readers to consider. Make your own “repeat winners” list and follow the H2W winners on your own. There is a high percentage of return winners in the sport and though it is rare they come back to win and pay three digits, it is one more edge you may have over a betting public that dismisses legitimate contenders.

In other features, Orange Big (20-1) at Yonkers Friday night finished fourth and Capozzo (14-1) at the Meadowlands on Feb. 7 finished sixth.

All of the highlighted and featured race choices suggested that did not win will appear in next week’s H2W list.

TwinSpires has free harness past performances, a Winter Special, when you wager $500 or more each month. For full details, click here.

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H2W RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing second completes the result 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). This week, there were 35 active horses.

Winners

Empress Deo, $30.00, $9.20, $24.60 ok, Meadowlands
Atomic Art, $14.40, $7.20, $5.00, Maywood
Blush Hanover, $10.60, $4.00, $2.80, Meadowlands
Blissful Bells, $12.60, $9.00, $4.20, Meadows
Helios, $11.00, $3.60, $3.00 (*Exacta $55.00), Meadowlands
Walks Of Life, $9.60, $4.50, $3.70, Buffalo
Dontmeswiththebest, $8.30, $4.70, $2.60, Buffalo
Flexie, $5.70, $4.00, $2.50, Flamboro

Seconds

EZ Go Lavec, $4.90, $3.10 (Exacta $19.20), Monticello
Evil Urges, $3.60, $3.00 (*Exacta $55.00), Meadowlands
Nothingbutmach, $3.20, $2.80 (Exacta $12.40), Buffalo
Sea Danser, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Northfield

Thirds

Cee Cee Delight, $6.00, Maywood
Drunk On You, $4.80, Dover
Sisters Keeper, $4.00, Maywood
Sandys Candy, $2.20, Northfield

News & Notes

The most recent filly to win a Hambletonian, Continentalvictory, is dead. The 1996 Hambo winner was 22. A daughter of Valley Victory, Continentalvictory earned $1.6 million in her career, $432,000 as a rookie and $1.1 million during her sophomore season. She was trained by Ron Gurfein and driven by Mike Lachance. At three, she also won the World Trotting Derby, American National and Yonkers Trot racing against the boys. At two she won her Breeders Crown division decisively. As a broodmare she delivered 10 foals, none of which—as of this writing—has matched her ability on the racetrack.

After a busy breeding schedule, former Swedish Horse of the Year Sebastian K has returned to training. The nine-year-old trotter was in Florida for the collection of frozen semen being prepared for shipments to Europe for the 2015 breeding season. Now,the  Ake Svenstedt stable, based near Vero Beach, Florida, has the stallion prepping for more racing action. Assistant trainer Bernie Noren said, “He was tired at the end of last season but it was a big year for him. The horse is healthy and Ake figures to have him racing again in mid-June ” Few forget the trotter’s dominance early last year among older trotters. In his first North American campaign, the winner of $2.9 million in America won in a 1:49 lifetime best. Joining Sebastian K this year is Mr Picolit, another performer of note from Europe. A former member of Svenstedt's Swedish operation, Mr Picolit is an eight-year-old son of Scarlet Knight (Hambletonian winner).

Extraordinary Extras

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

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