Ideal Cowboy Pick, $11, Is Best ‘Levy’ Price; Miami Pick-4Trio Scores; $32 Meadowlands Win Tops Weekend

We started out the week on Twitter this week with an extensive analysis of the Buffalo Raceway Pick-5 contenders, five of which were also spot plays, one of which scratched. The Pick-5 ticket in total amounted to $76.00 and included two winners: Iwannabejustlikeu ($25.00, $9.60, $7.30) in leg one and Kisses N Kicks ($3.90, $2.60, $2.70 ok) in leg three. Many of the others in the layered ticket hit the board. In leg one we were also third with Prophet Mary ($4.90). In leg three we were third with Heavenly Way ($6.00). In leg four we were given the favorite when Mr Casual scratched but only produced the place horse, Lakers Vett ($4.00, $2.10). In the fifth leg we were third with Donegal Jim ($3.40). The Pick 5 paid $5,825.00.

Our tweets for Twinspires Twitter members come from @FrankCotolo –retweeted by @twinspires—and in this case Buffalo Raceway. Losers from April 6 will appear on next week’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list. Watch for special tweets from raceways on various Wednesdays.

Our profit momentum took a few races to kick in this weekend. Let’s continue to review our progress in chronological order.
 
Thursday, April 7 at Saratoga we lost with outsiders Quikwit (12-1) and Here Comes Karma (22-1). The latter finished third to be a part of a meager $6.48 superfecta. The winners of both races were from the public’s first three choices.

Friday, we did nothing to improve our hideous record in the Blue Chip Matchmaker. All we managed was a strong place in division two with Regil Elektra ($10.20, $2.80). Jungle Genie N (44-1), Skippin By (8-1) and Delightful Dragon (27-1) were off the board, while second-choice Al Raza N (5-2) was fifth in division two. No public choices won any of the Matchmaker’s trio.

Saturday night, April 9 we had our way in a few affairs. At Miami Valley we went three for four in the Pick 4. In leg one we had Waterside Champ ($11.40, $4.80, $4.40). In leg two we had Sunday Poker ($4.80, $3.40, $3.80 ok). In leg three we had Lookinforadventure ($13.80, $4.20, $3.00). Three of four paid $49.95. No ticket had all four winners.

The “Levy” quartet, round IV at Yonkers Raceway, began with our winner, Ideal Cowboy ($11.80, $4.10, n/s). In the second division we were second with PH Supercam ($5.50, n/s), a partner with favorite Wiggle It Jiggleit in an exacta worth $16.20. We were second to the public choice in division three with Lettuserockthem A ($3.40 n/s), for an exacta worth $14.80. The last division found us fifth with Bettor Rock On N (16-1).

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 76 active horses (a 14-percent win hit rate and a 43-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

Brookroad Knight, $32.40, $10.80, $5.00, Meadowlands
One And Only, $12.60, $5.60, $3.40, Cal Expo
A Hard Day’s Night, $10.60, $2.60, $2.20, Scarborough
Little Whiskey Girl, $6.90, $4.30, $3.80, Western Fair
DW’s NY Yank, $5.20, $3.60, $2.40, Philadelphia
Finding Terror, dead heat $4.80, $4.20, $2.80, Meadows
Addys Way, $4.40, $3.60, $3.00, Miami
Roadway, $4.20, $3.00, $2.40, Freehold
Selfie Hanover, $3.60, $3.00, $2.10, Meadowlands
Kokanee Seelster, $3.20, $2.60, $2.10, Fraser
Warrawee Rap, $2.90, $2.10, $2.10, Century
 
Seconds

Dazzle N Delight, $9.00, $7.50 (Exacta $30.50), Mohawk
War Filly, $8.20, $5.40, Mohawk
My Friend Charlie, $6.60, $4.80, Saratoga
Shiretown Pittbull, $5.80, $4.40 (Exacta $21.40), Dover
Meetyouatmidnight, $5.30, $4.50, Buffalo
Scootin Woody, $3.80, $2.20 (Exacta $12.20), Rosecroft
Homesick Angel, $3.60, $2.70 (Exacta $16.00), Fraser
Laurie Lin, $3.60, $2.80, Dover

Thirds

Romantic Escape, $21.40, Rosecroft
Who Dat Love, $15.80, Cal Expo
Acadia AS, $6.00, Meadows
Elle’s Boy, $5.40, Freehold
Arrivista Hanover, $4.70, Mohawk
Luvinajiffy, $4.70, Fraser
Beach Fighter, $3.40, Freehold
Royal Becca J, $3.40, Meadowlands
Hoofenanny, $3.20, Century
Velocity Lana, $2.80, Hoosier
No Reason At All, $2.60, Philadelphia
Austin Rocks, $2.20, Freehold
Outlaw Blues, $2.20, Buffalo
Amazing Quest, n/s, Monticello
 
News & Notes

At three, Mission Brief was the most prolific filly to take on the trotting boys in years, winning a heat of the Hambletonian and taking a big chunk of the final’s purse. Her promise as an older mare trotter was great until her connections reported the four-year-old trotting mare won’t race at four race due to injury.Trainer Ron Burke said she took a “funny step,” while training and swelling developed. Currently, the injury is not considered career threatening. Burke said skipping the season was the best thing for the talented mare. Mark Weaver, a co-owner, said there were considerations of “selling her as a broodmare” after the mishap but all connections agreed not to since it is “almost certain she will be back.” Weaver thought she could have sold “for more than any broodmare had ever been sold. All involved decided, however, to give her the season off and race her next year, perhaps internationally.

Speaking of productive filly trotters, remember Check Me Out? She was monstrous at three in 2012 and touted as a challenge to the boys. However, her connections put her in the Hambletonian Oaks and she made a terrible break that eliminated her from that coveted filly event. Now a broodmare, Check Me Out has had a filly by Hambletonian-winner Trixton. Strangely enough, Trixton won the Hambo final when his superior stable mate, Father Patrick, broke and was eliminated. Check Me Out is a filly from Muscle Hill, he a Hambo winner and productive sire.

As followers of our exclusive H2W list have noticed, the 53rd season of harness racing at Mohawk Racetrack has begun. A total of 144 cards are scheduled for the 2016 meet, marking this the longest season in the history of the Ontario oval. The meet will run from April 7 to Nov. 7. Racing rolls on every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tuesdays will be added in June.

Don’t look for the names of six trainers on the New York harness circuit programs any time soon. The state gaming commission took “unprecedented action” against the sextet who each “administered potentially dangerous and performance-enhancing doses of cobalt to race horses in violation of racing rules.” The names include Tyler J. Nostadt, Joseph Carrubba, Dennis M. Washington, Sean M. Campbell, Megan M. Gilmour and Dawn M. DeVaux. They have been suspended and face significant sanctions. Horses trained by Nostadt, Carrubba and Washington were found to contain cobalt at “egregious enough levels to warrant ten-year bans from the sport.” The violations occurred at Monticello, Saratoga and Yonkers in March 2016.

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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