Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

The first division of the Tattersalls Pace on Oct. 4 highlighted the two days covered at The Red Mile. The huge favorite, and our first choice, Always B Miki won ($2.40, $2.10, $2.10 ok) but what made the race exciting to our blog followers was our second choice, Capital Account ($10.20, $8.60) satisfied our suggested exacta play. The combo paid $39.80.

The best single win price of the two days took place in the last International Stallion Stake (ISS) Saturday, where our second choice won. Hall Of Terror ($32.60, $12.60, $5.20) upset this field of two-year-old colts. The exacta with the race favorite paid $118.80. Winning the second Glen Garnsey split that day in Lexington was our first choice, Act Now ($4, $3, $2.20).

On Oct. 3 we went with the obvious Jk She’salady ($2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok). Were there a bit more luck for us, another ISS choice of ours would have won but Boots N Chains ($15.20, $6.40) was second at 30-1. Also in the mix over the two days were one second, French Laundry ($$2.60, $2.20) and two thirds, Fashion Creditor ($5) and Freedomformysoul ($3.40).

The Breeders Crown Countdown blog, located at Blogspot, handled the Kentucky Futurity events for the glamour-boy-and-girl trotters at The Red Mile.

In the main event, Jimmy Takter’s Nuncio defeated Jimmy Takter’s Father Patrick in a stunning but not very profitable upset. Nuncio ($5.80, $2.10, $2.10), who has chased his stable mate race after race for two seasons (we discovered him at two in the Breeders Crown at Pocono last year, before he was conditioned by Jimmy Takter) and was second to Jimmy Takter’s Trixton in the Hambletonian, finally nipped “Patrick” and won the single-dash Kentucky Futurity.

As we suggested, Shake It Cerry, trained by non other than Jimmy Takter, won the Filly Futurity ($2.40, $2.10, $2.10 ok).

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 of the Breeders Crown Countdown on Blogspot and look for archived race reviews at the Hambletonian Society site.

HARNESS OCTOBER – During the month of October, TwinSpires is offering harness bettors some great deals when you wager on standardbreds at any racetrack we carry.
Check out the details by clicking here.

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 15 active horses on the H2W list.

Winners

Sportsmuffler, $5, $3.20, $3.20 ok, Maywood
Sun Chimes, $3.80, $2.40, $2.40 ok, Rosecroft
Brookstone, $3.10, $2.30, $2.40 ok, Yonkers

Seconds

Sylish Image, $9.40, $3.80, Colonial
Diamonkeeper, $3.60, $3.60 ok, Meadows

Thirds

Cocoacabana, $6, Red Mile
Ny Ice, $5, Freehold
Brianna Official, $3, Maywood
Doc’s Bonanza, $2.20, Colonial

News & Notes

Sweet Lou will be coming to Pennsylvania again. But, when he gets to Diamond Creek Farm at the end of this year, he will leave his racing career behind. The five-year-old, a winner of over $3 million, will stand in the same state as his sire, Yankee Cruiser, and as “Lou” turns six he will host mares to carry on the bloodline. Ron Burke’s tough pacer was an industry star at two, winning 10 of a dozen starts, including a 1:49 Breeders Crown score. He made over $1 million at three but did not live up to the frosh hype. As well, he was dull at four, winning only four of 23 starts. But at five, Lou woke up and devoured 10 fields in a row and scores six-straight sub-1:48 miles.

Also off to the breeding shed goes Hambletonian-champion Royalty For Life. He starts his stud career in 2015 at Tara Hills Stud in Ontario. He was as sharp as he ever raced on Hambletonian day, taking his elim and the next heat wire to wire. From that point his soph campaign was mediocre, at best. Though he put in a few big miles in the second half of the season, he was not impressive and never made it to the Breeders Crown final. He returned at four and showed little.

Another former Hambletonian-elim winner and the 2013 Kentucky Futurity champ Creatine, is heading for Europe to take on the heavy trotting competition there. “We’re going to race him [in Europe] through the end of next year,” said his owner.

Sweden’s champion trotter Commander Crowe is gearing up in Italy as he readies for the journey overseas to the United States, where he will race at Yonkers and in the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands. Commander Crowe, trained in France by Fabrice Souloy, is handled in Italy by Swedish driver Ôrjan Kihlström and the driver will be in the bike behind the chestnut trotter when he races in the U.S. Commander Crowe was third in the 2011 Breeders Crown Final and won the Elittlop in 2012.

On Oct. 4, Pompano Park Harness opened for a new season of racing. Through June 27, Pompano offers racing programs on weekdays and weekends. Click here for the 2014-2015 calendar. Back in the sulkies are top drivers Bruce Ranger (first complete season since coming back from an injury), high-percentage winner Joe Sanzeri, Mickey McNichol and Walter Ross, Jr. Trainers returning include Marc Aubin, Kim Sears and Jim McDonald. Pompano will also return to our exclusive H2W list.

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 Thom Pye cartoons, informative harness history and more, click here ~