Fraser, Meadows Scores Top Cast Of Weekend Winners

The Meadows Pick 3 began two races too late for us to sensationalize on our score as the program opened on March 6. In that first race, as you will see perusing the horses-to-watch list (H2W) below, we scored our highest win price of the week, Prada Spur ($22.60, $10.80, $6.80). The list provided one other double-digit winner and four other stongly-supported public choices.

As for low-priced winners coming from this blog, here is what has always been our position. We will never do is apologize for suggesting winners with low win prices. Just as well, we will praise higher prices if their place and/or show prices produce an across-the-board profit, no less if our place-finishing horse completes an exacta with a favorite that is or is not our suggested contender or not. We emphasize profit playing pari-mutuels above any other goal and no matter how profits are achieved—and there are multiple ways to profit, certainly by percentage—and we will continue to champion all plays that produce a healthy bankroll.

Along those lines, during this time of the season we choose our “feature races” carefully, hoping to beat the favorites. We scope many track programs to present what we feel are our best few choices to profit (though many past performances for the weekend are not available at press time). Over the past weekend we looked to the northwest and found a promising race at one of our favorite tracks, Fraser Downs (formerly Cloverdale Raceway) in Vancouver, Canada.

We made a successful pitch for the winner, Docs Ronhenry ($10.30, $5.90, $4.30). Our other feature, from Yonkers, Kiwi Ideal N, also 4-1, was looking good in the stretch but couldn’t get through or around three others and finished off the board.

As we indicated in our opening remarks, the Pick 3 at the Meadows was not helpful. Our suggested additions were all good prices (10-1, 54-1, 6-1 and 46-1) but none of them made the board. The one-thousand-plus pay off included no favorites (a 4-1 and two 5-1 winners).

Check out the H2W list below. Always pay attention to the across-the-board results as they relate to our profit motive.

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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). If a horse appears twice in any category it is because it won after press time from the previous week’s list. This week, there were 50 active horses.

Winners

Prada Spur, $22.60, $10.80, $6.80, Meadows
Big Bad George, $15.00, $4.80, $4.00, Pompano
Misspanderosajones, $6.20, $4.40, $3.80, Maywood
Koekemoer, $3.80, $3.20, $2.40, Buffalo
Emmys Junior Grin, $3.00, $2.20, $2.10, Buffalo
Caramel Chinno, $2.80, $2.20, $2.10, Northfield 

Seconds

Musical Prince, $12.60, $5.40, Miami
Caseys Lil Harry, $4.80, $3.20, Northville
Walk The Walk, $4.60, $3.80, Meadowlands
Don’t Hurry Love, $4.20, $4.40 ok, Cal Expo
Jvs Dream, $4.00, $3.20, Northfield
Prince Tasman, $3.00, $2.10, Monticello

Thirds

Don’t Hurry Love, $8.80
Rd Done That, $3.90, Saratoga
Drunk On You, $3.80, Dover
Cantholdmebackmac, $3.40, Maywood
Lansdowne Road, $3.00, Northville
Coletech, $2.70, Buffalo
Some Heart Throb, $2.60, Maywood

News & Notes

As spring looms boldly, it’s time to ponder the stakes season and especially the glamour-boys and –girls cast. There are 72 three-year-old pacing colts nominated to the 32nd edition of the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk, contested on June 20. Headlining off of a sparkling frosh season is Artspeak. The Tony Alagna trainee won over $805,000 in stakes cash. Co-starring are Go Daddy Go, In The Arsenal, Lions Again, Lynos Levi Lewis and Cartoon Daddy. Eliminations are set for June 13.

The Alberta Standardbred Horse Association(ASHA) announced a five-year contract signed with the United Horsemen of Alberta (UHA) for horse racing at Century Downs in Rocky View County, Alberta. ASHA President Norm Kennedy said Century Downs would provide fans with a new opportunity to enjoy live racing in a new facility, which is nearing completion. UHA has pursued the return of racing to the Calgary market since the demise of Stampede Park. Racing will begin this spring at Century Downs with a full schedule of harness featuring horses from Western Canada, sharing the circuit with Northlands.

On March 6, legendary trainer Bill Robinson returned to Woodbine after a dozen years in suspension limbo. Robinson, who was highly praised by respected Ontario owner/breeder Petre Heffering due to the pair’s association with Horse of the Year Precious Bunny, was handed a stiff hiatus for certain improprieties concerning the shape of horses he conditioned. Back in the bikes were a trio of pacers from the Robinson stable. Machinbyrd Princess won, paying $33.50, while Rock N Roll Xample finished second and A Fearless Affair was off the board. Bill’s son, Shawn, handled many of his dad’s horses over the years.


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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