Frosh-Trot Score At $18; Jk Endofanera Comes Through; $15 Win Tops H2W

As the weekend began, two elims for stakes next week featuring frosh trotters took center stage at The Meadowlands Friday, July 31.

In the colts’ elims we nabbed the top price of all the elims with Milligan’s School ($18.80, $6.40, $5.00) in the second of two Peter Haughton Memorial splits. In the first “Haughton” we were sixth with Explosive Yankee (89-1).

Three James Doherty Memorial elims left us with two thirds (all elims were won by the public favorites—I’m Outstanding ($4.00) and Silent Blessings ($2.80), while the third elim found us fifth with Thankful Reward (9-1).

The Hambletonian Trail blog featured two elims of the Hambletonian Oaks. In elim one we made one impression by making the final with Smokinmombo (3-1), finishing fifth. In elim two, Rules Of The Road was fourth, Magic Marker broke and was eliminated and the best bet at 11-1, Sarcy ($4.40) finished third.

Adios day at the Meadows presented a public-choice atmosphere that never sits well with bettors like us. We did wind up with our own share of contenders in the public’s top three, though outsiders beat none.

In the Adioo Volo splits, we were second to the second choice with the public choice, Bettor Be Steppin ($2.60, $2.80 ok). In the second Adioo Volo charge, the top choice won while we were fourth with Divine Caroline (7-2). Our exotic element, The Show Returns (2-1), followed in fifth.

The Adios Consolation went to one of three 2-1 shots, Rock N Roll World, while our pick, Rise Up Now ($3,00, $2.60) was second. Our exotic possibility, Jo Pa’s Well Said, broke at the start and was eliminated. 

The Adios Final defied our examination of it when the colt we predicted would attract the crowd, Dude’s The Man, beat our choice, Lost For Words ($3.20) down the stretch, as did a late-closing 13-1 shot.

Tweet choices (follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter) were hammered by favorites and missteps as we mustered only three thirds with Shoot The Thrill ($2.80), A List Hanover ($3.80) and Lets Drink On It ($3.00).

At The Meadowlands on Aug. 1, in the “preps” for older horses expected to go in the Hambo-day stakes, our prediction for a winning Jk Endofanera ($8.60, $4.00, $2.80) was spot on as the pacer put in a sterling wire-to-wire performance against older horses in the Open Pace and will look to take next week’s U.S. Pacing Championship.

DW’s NY Yank (7-2) looked terrible for us, fading to last in the stretch after an easy trip, prepping for the John Cashman Memorial. 

In the mares Open Pace, a line of pacers were rallying late and our choice, Radar Contact, who turned out to be the favorite, was third ($3.00).

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 the 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 37 active horses (an 11-percent win hit rate and a 32 percent in-the-money hit rate). One note: the list included three horses at Batavia that at the time we thought would be betting races; they turned out to be non-betting races.

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place and/or show results occurring after press time and that it is up to you to follow those horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

Hildrop Shady, $15.40, $5.60, $4.20, Century
Terlingua, $5.40, $3.70, $2.90, Batavia
Yankee Manny, $4.10, $3.70, $2.40, Vernon
Fashion Fluzzy, $3.60, $2.20, $2.10, Northfield

Seconds

Artmagic, $4.20, $4.40 ok, Yonkers

Thirds

Tainted Money, $7.40, Northfield
K-lees Shakenbake, $5.00, Hoosier
Body Talk, $4.00, Hoosier
Bold Fresh, $2.60, Plainridge
Imprudent Speed, $2.60, Scarborough
The Ladies Man, $2.60, Hoosier
Brussels Hanover, $2.10, Ocean

News & Notes

Hoosier Park announced the creation of four overnight series to compliment the Dan Patch Stakes program on Friday, Aug. 14. A 14-race card that includes Indiana Sires Stakes and overnight series action will support the featured stakes, worth $300,000 this season. Each of the overnight series will be comprised of a preliminary leg slated for Friday, Aug. 7 with the finals being contested on Friday, Aug. 14.

The Joe Patchen Pacing Series is open to horses that have started for a base claiming price of $15,000 or less in their last five starts (up to and including 8Aug. 15); $15,000 claimers are eligible also. The Zelica Pacing Series is open to horses that have started for a base claiming price of $22,500 or less in their last start (up to and including 8Aug. 15); $22,500 claimers are eligible also.

The Oxford, Indiana Pacing Series is open to horses that have started for a base claiming prize of $35,000 or less in their last start (Aug. 15); with $35,000 claimers being eligible also.

The Dan Messner Pacing Series is open to horses that are non-winners of $5,250 (Indiana-sired $6,500 and non-winners last three starts allow $750) in their last five starts (up to and including Aug. 15); horses that are non-winners of $1,500 per start in 2015 with a minimum of 12 starts are eligible also.

Purses will be on the rise for the final month of the 2015 season at Running Aces. Money in several key overnight classes were increased earlier in the summer and many classes are expected to see another boost in the very near future. The highest increases, effective from Aug. 8 through Sept. 6, will be seen in Minnesota-sired races for two- and three-year-olds. Base purses for the final 14 scheduled preliminary legs for state-bred juvenile pacers and trotters will jump to $16,000 from the current $11,000 level. Closing day on Sept. 12 will feature eight $20,000 State Championship races for two- and three-year-olds, divided by sex and gait, in addition to three $10,000 championships for older Minnisota-breds.

Tracking the driver streaks, Jason Bartlett drew headlines for winning seven at Yonkers on July 27. He raced in 12 and made the run profitable due to two horses, a $34.60 winner and a $14.00 winner. Most of his winners were in the top two public choices and Jason lost a few that were well bet. Still, he gets points as a flat-bet profit that night.

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 ~