Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

Our best shots this past weekend came from the final program at Colonial Downs and with exactas where our choices were partners with favorites, all listed in the horses-to-watch list (H2W). This weekend, too many of our suggested contenders faltered mostly from galloping—the gait that is simply not allowed when it comes to trotters and pacers.

Win-wise selections came down to one, a top public choice, Act Now ($2.40, $2.10, $2.10) in the Lady Maud at Yonkers.

The Breeders Crown Countdown blog, located at Blogspot, covered the Dayton derbies from Oct. 24. Favorites were first and second in the pacing event and we were third with Apprentice Hanover ($5.40). Our second choice was third in the trotting derby—Creatine ($2.40), while our first choice was fifth.

Back at Yonkers on Oct. 25, Sebastian K, though he went off the favorite to our dismay, was quick to add further disappointment by breaking around the second turn and finishing eighth in the International Trot Preview. Also beginning a race with a misstep was National Debt (17-1) in the Messenger Stakes. His little dance before pacing to regulation cost him all chances of getting the trip we hoped he would get.

Gural Hanover, our choice in the Yonkers Trot, was scratched, leaving our third choice, Nuncio ($2.10, $2.10 n/s) a prohibitive favorite, winning with ease, while our second choice, King City (68-1), who became our first choice with the scratch, galloped from three-quarters all the way home, finishing sixth of seven. Long odds or crowd favorite, it does a bettor no good when its source doesn’t race on gait.

In the Hudson Filly Trot, Yoga (13-1) was a dull fourth.

In the Fall Four finals, more of our choices behaved like thoroughbreds. In the Governor’s Cup, Traceur Hanover was all out to leave, as we predicted, from post 10, but while engaging in a soft duel he jumped and though he was quick to get back in stride, he was not able to make noise at 23-1. In that race, the obvious choice we spoke about, Artspeak, the crowd’s choice, won and our second choice, Go Daddy Go ($7, $4.40) completed a $28.90 exacta with him.

In the Goldsmith Maid we chose to support Danielle Hall (9-1) but she became entangled with the huge favorite, Mission Brief, and 13-1 Gatka Hanover in a running race off of the gate. Later, the public’s second choice, Jolene Jolene, galloped, giving a 78-1 shot a smooth, perfect trip to win.

In the Valley Victory, we were surprised the Habitat was beaten but we did suggest another horse for exotic partnership; that horse won. It was Pinkman ($16.60, $6.50, $3.50). Our second choice was eighth at 65-1.

Finally, we never thought we could beat Jk Shes’alady and she won the Three Diamonds with no problem and at no particular profit margin, but our upset choice, Ideal Nuggets was third (there was no show wagering).

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 43 active horses on the H2W list.

Winners

Donttellporkies N, $27.80, $12.80, $7.40, Colonial
Sleek N Beautiful, $19, $7.80, $4.40, Colonial
Il Sogno Dream, $2.80, $3.40, $2.40 ok, Hoosier
Weeper, $2.60, $2.40, $2.10, Hoosier
Jk Endofanera, $2.40, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Hoosier

Seconds

Stirling Bijoux, $11.40, $2.60 (Exacta $10.80), Colonial
Village Benjamin, $10.60, $4.40 (Exacta $10.60), Cal Expo
Andwin Hanover, $9.60, $3.60 (Exacta $21.80), Freehold
Muzzysearlybloomer, $6.80, $2.40, Scarborough
Pan Grad, $4.40, $3.20 (Exacta $8.90), Saratoga
Handsoffmycanoli, $3, $3 ok (Exacta $9), Scarborough
Cheyenne Louie, $2.90, $2.40 (Exacta $7.10), Saratoga
Rompaway Galaxy, $2.40, $2.10 (Exacta $1.90), Hoosier
Jet Airway, $2.20, $2.10 (Exacta $1.70, Hoosier

Thirds

Cascata, $3.60, Pompano
Devilish Toy, $2.20, Colonial

News & Notes

Dover Downs will race Monday through Thursday with post time at 4:30 p.m. EST. Sunday racing begins at 5:30 p.m. There is no live racing Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday, Nov.2 is declaration day for all eight Matron Stakes for two-and-three-year-old trotting and pacing colts and fillies to be raced on Thursday, Nov. 6, this year being held before the Breeders Crown events.

The track’s signature event, the estimated $350,000 Progress Pace for three-year-old colts is set for $35,000 elims on Sunday, Nov. 26 with the final on Sunday, Dec. 7. On the weekly schedule, the top female paces are set for Mondays; top claimers on Tuesday; top trotters on Wednesday and with the Preferred, Delaware Special and Opens topping the Thursday programs.

The Dover season features 15 races daily. During the upcoming meet, there are a handful of non-live racing day exceptions: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27; a one-week Christmas break, Dec. 19-Dec. 27; New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31 and Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1.

Friday, Oct. 24 at Batavia Downs, Jim Morrill, Jr.’s six wins turned into a flat-bet profit over the 12-race program, mostly due to his win on a $17.60 horse. His other winners paid, in order, $4.90, $6.20, $2.60, $7.60 and $6.60. The total returned on $24 was $45.50, a profit of $21.50.

The Red Mile and the Keeneland Association have agreed to consolidate efforts around historical racing in Fayette County into the development of a single facility. The Red Mile said wagering on historical racing will be housed exclusively at the Red Mile. A total of 1,000 terminals are proposed to offer historical racing wagers beginning with a projected opening date of September 2015. The new venture will request a review of facility and historical racing offering by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The construction on the new $30-million project will begin soon and eventually 150 jobs are projected when the facility is completed and fully operational in 2015. 

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 ~