Frosh Tops Again At $34; Public Pounces Adios Pace; Longshots Shake ‘Oaks’ Elims; $43 Triple Tagged In Five-Horse Feature

On Twitter last Wednesday, July 27, we offered three spot plays at Running Aces, striking with Edith Keeler ($13.80, $5.00, $3.40) who we included in a probable triple but who also appeared on the horses-to-watch (H2W) list—see results below. The other choices were off the board, with Sparkin Your Fire (4-1) finishing sixth and Steph’s Place (9-1) getting home fifth.

On various Wednesday nights we tweet for TwinSpires Twitter members from @FrankCotolo –retweeted by @twinspires—and the raceway involved. Losers from each week will appear on the next week’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list unless they race before that blog is published, so watch for them returning to the races on days in between blogs. Watch for special tweets from raceways on various Wednesdays.
 
On the features menu, Friday’s two Peter Haughton elims at the Meadowlands were both handled by the public’s first and/or second choice. We has one third in elim two with the 9-1 Another Chapter ($2.80). Our other choice, He’s Gone (55-1), broke twice trying to get into the flow but was eliminated.

In the pair of Jim Doherty elims on the same program, which were also won by public choices, we were third with the 7-1 Waffle Cone ($2.80) and fourth in the other elim with Donato Fashion (30-1).

Saturday’s Adios Pace at the Meadows was another chalky event, with huge-favorite Racing Hill winning easily, with the public’s second choice in the place spot. Our choice, Another Daily Copy (78-1), who was very much alive in last week’s elim, was sharp to the half but wide and finished ninth.

The Adioo Volo also went to the favorite and second choice next, with our 16-1 Heels On The Beach third ($4.60), completing the $53.20 triple with the two top choices.

The Meadowlands’ early feature, the Anthony Abbatiello Classic, was a gift for our followers. Our three contenders included the winner, Dontcallmefrancis ($12.60, $2.20, n/s), who topped the $24.60 exacta with Boston Red Rocks ($2.10),  and the $43.40 triple with Ideal Rocky (n/s). Not bad for a field of only five.

HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL

The Hambletonian Oaks created its field for next week’s final at the Meadowlands with two elims on July 30 (the Hambletonian features elimination heats on the same day). We delivered two longshots that made the final, with one of them finishing third—Dream Child ($10.20) and the other, Black Broadway (64-1), longest shot in the elim, getting fourth, while our other choice, Flowers N Songs (8-1), finished sixth. The favorite was second and the race was won by a 38-1 shot.

The second elim was won by a 5-1 shot atop the two favorites. Our choices, Wildflower (52-1) was fifth, making the final, while our other pick, Spicedboroubongirl (51-1) was sixth.

This week’s Hambletonian Trail blog will cover the filly and the colt classics’ fields and, of course, we will be at the Meadowlands live, tweeting and posting about all of the races on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.

H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas listed are included when a H2W horse finishes second 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 a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices published are correct even when a show price exceeds a place price or any or all of the prices are the same. This week, there were 57 active horses (a 16-percent win hit rate and a 40-percent in-the-money hit rate).

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place, show and exotic results occurring by press time but some horses race after the blog is posted (we list them the following week) It is up to you to follow horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

Magic Vacation, $34.40, $10.60, $5.00, Scioto
A List, $21.40, $11.00, $3.60, Plainridge
Edith Keeler, $13.80, $5.00, $3.40, Running Aces
PH Supercam, $13.20, $5.30, $3.50, Yonkers
J A T O, $6.00, $3.00, $2.70, Batavia
Keep On Burning, $4.80, $2.10, $2.30 ok, Century
Stonebridge Quest, $4.40, $2.80, $2.50, Mohawk
Barley Up, $3.80, $2.40, $2.80, Scioto
Boys Round Here, $3.00, $2.60, $2.60 ok, Hoosier
 
Seconds

Delle Donne, $20.80, n/s (Exacta $70.80), Harrington
Powered By Scoot, $2.80, $2.10, Red Mile

Thirds

Reggie Raider, $7.60, Northfield
Moonbeam Hall, $7.30, Mohawk
Linkjack Hanover, $6.20, Running Aces
Muscles Bound, $5.30, Mohawk
Canadian Overall, $4.40, Batavia
Tree Wood, $4.40, Monticello
Psyched, $3.90, Vernon
Explosiveaction, $3.20, Scarborough
Jonigold, $3.10, Saratoga
Margarita M, $2.80, Meadowlands
Camdee, $2.60, Saratoga
KO Justice, $2.20, Plainridge

News & Notes

Pompano Park begins its 2016-2017 harness season on Oct. 2. The 126-night session will, feature 15 lucrative late-closing events, including three with purses estimated to exceed $100,000, those being for Open pacers, Open trotters and Open pacing fillies and mares. Total purses for the late closing events are estimated at $680,000 with all events having two legs and a final. In addition to the late-closing events, Pompano will also offer “Pop-Up” events featuring a “quick” leg and a race-off featuring an enhanced purse. These Pop-Up events are carded when there is an abundance of horses in certain overnight classes with the likelihood that multiple divisions will result.

Officials at Batavia Downs said the track was forced to cancel racing for Sunday, July 31, due to a shortage of horses. “We regret to have to cancel Sunday’s program,” Todd Haight, the track’s director of racing, said. He continued to explain that there is currently a horse shortage in western New York and while efforts were made to fill the program anyway, it could not be done. None of the officials at Batavia offered details for the shortage.

A couple of veteran horsemen passed away this past week. Geroge Berkner was best known for campaigning BGs Bunny, a stakes-winning pacer and a prolific sire. George was 74. Joe Marsh, Jr., 82, also passed away. He was one of the top drivers on the East Coast circuit during the ‘60s and ‘70s, retiring with winnings of over $36 million from more than 5,800 wins. He guided such great horses as Tarport Hap, Sir Dalrae and the great Rambling Willie.

Extraordinary Extras

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

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