Harness Weekly Update: Cold Exactas, DQs Rule

The TwinSpires Harness Blog Weekly Update covers our successes and failures from selected features and the H2W (horses-to-watch list).

Thursday, July 15

In the state-bred stakes for frosh-filly pacers at Philly we scored with Hit Me Up ($15.00, $5.60, $3.60) with Treacherous Kiss ($4.80) third.

In another of the trio we were second with St Nevis ($5.40, $3.00) to complete an exacta with the favorite worth $10.00 and a trifecta worth $15.70 as we finished third with Im No April Fool ($2.40).

Finally, we were sixth in the last split with No Foolin (13-1), who lost to the public choice.

At Yonkers we swept the state-bred stakes trio including two cold exactas. In the first division we won with Test Of Faith ($2.10, $2.10, n/s) and were second with Think Of Galaxies ($7.90). The cold exacta paid $13.00.

In the second episode we won with Heart Of Mine ($4.30, $3.30, $2.30) and were second with Summer Roe ($6.20, $3.90). The cold exacta paid $11.70.

We won the final split with Delightful Z Tam ($4.70, $2.60, $2.40) and fifth with Industrial Hemp (7-2).

Friday, July 16

In the featured Springfield at Yonkers, our choice, Te Amo Blue Chip (37-1) broke at the start and never recovered, finishing sixth to the favored winner.

Saturday, July 17

On Meadowlands Pace night we won a Del Miller division with You Ato Dream ($7.00, $3.40, $2.80) and lost the other with Contested Hanover (29-1) to a 3-1 second favorite.

In the Stanley Dancer duo we finished third with Take All Comers but the judges disqualified the finish positions and placed him sixth. The favorite won. In the second split, Rattle My Cage (35-1) finished fourth.

Some bad steps that won the Meadowlands Pace for Charlie May were also responsible for having him disqualified and placed off the board, giving the race to Lawless Shadow. Our acceptable odds on Charlie May were 6-1; he won at 14-1. Lawless Shadow was not a contender for us at 16-1. We took the official second and third placings with Perfect Sting and Southwind Gendry, who were promoted from third and fourth across the wire, respectively.

H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Exactas listed include a H2W horse finishing second to a race-favorite or if the first two finishers are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses are listed—a cold exacta). The note “OK” determines that prices are correct (even when a show price exceeds a place price or all prices are the same).

Please note that some results reflect horses racing after the blog posts (they appear the following week).

This week, there were 33 active horses (a 12% win hit rate and a 27% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Dojea Rock, $15.00, $16.60, $6.40 OK, Hoosier
Ivy B Poison, $5.80, $4.80, $4.00, Running Aces
CBF Bantam, $3.80, $2.60, $2.40, Plainridge
Goo Doo Doll, $2.20, $2.10, n/s, Ocean

Second

Sea Shadows, $6.40, $3.60 (Exacta $6.90), Northfield

Thirds

Gooville, $7.80, Philly
Grey, $4.80, Yonkers
Lucid Dreams, $2.40, Hoosier
Trade Secret, $2.30, WoMo

NEWS & NOTES

TwinSpires is making Thursdays bigger for bettors. On the day the TwinSpires harness blog preview drops and every Thursday through Aug. 5, the early Pick 4 at Hoosier Park is a $2,000 Hit It and Split It exclusive deal. Click for details.

For Ken Warkentin’s 2021 Hambletonian top 10 contenders, we compare top fives.

1. In Range / Venerate
2. Sonofamistery / Sonofamistery
3. Venerate / Johan Palema
4. Lindysmusclemania / On A Streak
5. Johan Palema / In Range

The North America Cup for glamour-boy pacers at Mohawk is posting its top 10 contenders (on the left) and we are comparing their top five with our top five.

1. American Courage / Lawless Shadow
2. Perfect Sting / Rockyroad Hanover
3. Bulldog Hanover / American Courage
4. Southwind Gendry / Perfect Sting
5. Lawless Shadow / Abuckabett Hanover

Total handle for the 14-race program on Meadowlands Pace night was $4,503,213, marking the second Meadowlands Pace night handle eclipsing the $4.5-million mark in the past 13 years. Bettors wagered $677,992 on the “Pace” itself, the highest handle for The Meadowlands' signature event in the past decade.

The Meadowlands continues its integrity standard. To be eligible for the 2021 Breeders Crown, (BC-Hambletonian Society), a horse must, by no later than Sept. 1, be in the stable of a trainer accepted to race at The Meadowlands. The purpose of this modification is to afford accepted owners the opportunity to place their 2021 BC-eligible horses with a trainer that will be able to race them. This does not include, and The Meadowlands reserves the right to reject the entry of, any horse whose ownership is excluded from participation at The Meadowlands.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet, at Harness Racing Update