Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

It was an usually busy week for us, covering extra races due to the Little Brown Jug meet at Delaware, Ohio—but the volume of races suggested for wagering proved to supply TwinSpires harness-blog followers with a score of pay offs, including, but not limited to, both elim heats of the “Jug” and the final.

We scored in the filly version of the Jug, with Color’s A Virgin ($8.60, $4.60, $2.80) on Sept. 17. Before she went on to win the final ($4.60, $3.40, $3.20), one of our horses to watch from last week won the second of three elims (see H2W list of winners below for Gallie Bythe Beach).

On Sept. 18, Jug day, everything we predicted in the main event came true. The first of two Jug elim heats was won by our choice, Let’s Drink On It ($8.80, $4.80, $3.40). The second was taken by Limelight Beach ($12, $4.80, $2.60) and he did get all the marbles, winning the second heat and, therefore the event ($4, $3, $2.60), with Let’s Drink On It second ($3.80, $3) for an exacta worth $13.60.

Through the Jug meet, Sept. 14, 16^th and 17^th, we had a number of other wins, places and shows, all of which are listed on the H2W results grid below. Also on the grid you will find the wins, places, shows and exotics for Vernon’s Excelsior finals, which were positioned as part of the H2W list.

The rockin’ and rollin’ winners were not over by weekend. At Hoosier’s big stakes Saturday, Sept. 20, we were the only documented opinion calling for a Sebastian K upset. We called on two possibilities and they both defeated him in the featured trot stakes.

Master Of Law ($44, $29.20, $37.60 ok) won the event and our other potential giant slayer, Natural Herbie ($18.40) was third.

Also that night, we scored with Jk Endofanera ($6.80, $2.80, $2.20) as he defeated the huge favorite, Always B Miki, which resulted in an exacta paying $13.60.

The Breeders Crown Countdown blog, located at Blogspot, handled the Milton Final, which did not meet our speculations and not those of many others, too, as the longest shot in the field won in a 33-1 shocker.

The “Countdown” blog will continue coverage of races connected to “Crown” eligibles leading to the championship events in November (where we will cover the finals live from the Meadowlands). Don’t miss one episode on Blogspot, linked from here, and look for archived race reviews at the Hambletonian Society site.

TwinSpires and Hoosier continue a three-pronged power-packed program for harness players. Tuesdays, wager all you want and earn 10 TSC Elite Points per dollar bet. Click here for details. Every Thursday night, there is a 20-percent bonus on hitting the Pick 4 starting at Race 3. Click here for details. And the ongoing 10-percent Pick-4 bonus every racing night on Pick-4 hits continues through the meet. Click here for details.

In between published harness blogs, follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter to get tips on Hoosier contenders you can use in your tickets. Other possibilities appear in exclusive H2W list.

H2W RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing first or second completes the result with a race favorite or another H2W horse listed in the same race (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete the exacta). This week, there were 39 active horses on the H2W list. Please note that Iwannashowusomethin under Seconds below is a correct price for place and show.

Winners

Gallie Bythe Beach, $30.60, $8.20, $3.60 (Exacta $99.20), Delaware Ohio
Commissioner Daley, $24, $6.30, $2.90, Vernon
Count Full Mac, $23.20, $8.60, $4.60, Delaware, Ohio
Tabulator, $12.40, $17.60 ok, $7.80, Delaware Ohio
Goose Creek, $11.60, $5.20, $5.20 ok, Yonkers
True Beauty, $9.50, $5.40, $3.50, Vernon
Shine N Shimmer, $3.80, $2.80, $2.20, Philadelphia

Seconds

Troublebeginsnow, $27.80, $6.20, Meadows
Tickle My Fancy, $14.20, $4 (Exacta $107.60), Scioto
Go Herbie Go, $7.80, $8.60 ok, Delaware Ohio
Jammin Joshua, $5, $2.80, Hoosier
Southern Allie, $4.60, $3.40, Scioto
Bet On Roulette, $4.40, $4.20 (Exacta $31.80), Saratoga
Cooken Your Goose, $3.80, $2.60, Rosecroft
Upfront Dean, $3.80, $2.20, Meadows
Like A Boss, $3.20, $2.40, Rosecroft
Just Fine, $3.10, $2.70 (Exacta $19.80), Vernon
Ilikeitreahot, $3, $2.60, Delaware Ohio
I Turtle, $3, $2.80, Rosecroft
Morecredit Bluechip, $2.80, $2.50, Vernon
Crazshana, $2.60, $2.40, Vernon

Thirds

When In Rome, $14.60, Plainridge
Yoga, $7.20, Delaware Ohio
Golden Fizz, $5.40, Freehold
Brandymeister, $3, Delaware Ohio

News & Notes

The return of the International Trot to Yonkers after 20 years will probably include Sebastian K, who is a U.S. star this season after being Horse of the Year in Sweden. Hambletonian-winner Market Share and 2013 U.S. Horse of the Year Bee A Magician are also among the expected cast of characters. The International Trot, with a $250,000 purse, will be held on Oct. 25. It was last held at Yonkers in 1995 and won by Sweden’s His Majesty over U.S.’s S.J. Photo. The race will be on the same program as the glamour-boy pacer’s main event, The Messenger Stakes.

Yonkers plans to host all-trotting cards on Sundays, beginning Nov. 9 and continuing through Dec. 14. These programs will be simulcast to Europe with an 11 a.m. (EDT) post.

In the raw-win standings for harness drivers in North America, Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. leads with 572. Aaron Merriman is two short of that in second and in third place is George Napolitano, Jr. with 487. An odd addition to the current standings is ninth-place Trevor Henry with 378. Henry is the leading driver in Canada (by more than 100 wins over his nearest rival), a task accomplished by racing day in and day out and making no one track his home. He is the leading driver at Grand River, Clinton, Western Fair and Georgian Downs and is second and third in the standings of a few other smaller Canadian ovals.

With Scioto Downs ending its season, it’s time for the debut of harness racing at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Racetrack. Action begins Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 and continues on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Saturdays into December. Post time is 6:30 p.m. Our H2W list will follow all crossover Ohio trotters and pacers from recent meets when racing ensues.

 
Extraordinary Extras

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

Cartoons by Thom Pye ~ For more Thom Pye cartoon, informative harness history and products, click here ~