‘Levy’ With Santa Fe Beachboy Scores For $15; Cold Daily Double At Buffalo Pays $39

We were on Twitter again this week with some Buffalo Raceway contenders. Our tweets for Twinspires Twitter members following us from @FrankCotolo –retweeted by @twinspires—offered Race 6 through Race 11 choices. We won with only Precise Accusation ($8.00, $3.60, $2.30) in Race 9. We were third with Amoveable Hanover ($5.90) in Race 7. Off the board were Outlaw Blues (65-1), Thunder Chaser (26-1); KD Bella (9-1) and Fox Valley Lena (14-1).. Losers will appear on next week’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list. Watch for special tweets for Pick 5 on Wednesday, April 6.

Let’s review the weekend in chronological order.

Thursday, March 31 at Saratoga we lost Race 5 with Overgrown (37-1), who broke and was eliminated from the mile. In Race 6 we got third with American Force ($8.70), who at 24-1 helped pump the trifecta price to $178.50 along with the race favorite and public’s second choice.

Friday, our miserable record in this year’s Blue Chip Matchmaker at Yonkers continued, as we were beaten in all three divisions on April 1 by longshots and choices. We came close to a miserly win with Mach It Par ($3.50, $3.30), who partnered with the race favorite for a $9.00 exacta. Our longest shot (13-1) contender was beaten by a longer shot (19-1), as Jungle Genie N ($10.80) got third. Gallie Bythe Beach (10-1) was fifth in division two. Note that a repeat Matchmaker entry and one of our contenders, Sandbetweenurtoes, raced and won at Philadelphia (see H2W below).

At Miami Valley on April 1, we mentioned the high probability of the first two legs going to the public choices and they did, starting the Pick 4 with Arts Jem ($4.60, $3.80, $3.20)—our outside contender, Abida Hanover (8-1) was seventh. In the second leg the winner was Rose Rum Quasar ($5.00, $2.20, $2.80 ok), while our outside contender, MMs Roanie (5-1), was seventh. The next two legs found all of our suggested contenders off the board and the winners (at 14-1 and 11-1, respectively) eluded all players. The Pick-4 payout for three of four winners was $31.50.

Round three of the Levy series at Yonkers headlined the April 2 features. A quartet of $50,000 miles were competitive and advantageous to the patient pacers. We scored our best hit in division one with Santa Fe Beachboy ($15.20, $7.90, $6.30). Our choice swept from a comfortable third spot as the fiery fractions took their tolls on the public choices.

This became the style of the next trio of Levy divisions. In the second, for instance, PH Supercam, arguably the best in this division’s field, went a monster mile, making two moves, mostly on the outside, dueling hard late with Phil Your Boots to be ruined just past three-quarters in 1:22.4. The backfield flew to the front and the first six finishers were within 2 lengths as Bit Of A Legend N, who began from post 8 and stayed last until the stretch, fired to get the win by ½ length. Our exacta plan with “PH” and Roland N Rock (67-1) failed, though that one was flying late at least six wide to be with the top six.

Wiggle It Jiggleit was 2-5 in division three but leaving from post 7 he was fanned and left to save whatever he was going to use for the stretch. All Bets Off (who we mistakenly thought was In The Arsenal, who wrecked the “Wiggle” Cane Pace at three) went wire to wire, slowing the pace to win by 1 length. Wiggle had to close hard to get second. Our choice, Bettor Rock On N (15-1) sat a comfortable second behind All Bets Off but was hammered in the stretch by the backfield.

In the last division of the evening we were second with Mach It So ($3.00, n/s) to partner with the public choice, Take It Back Terry, for a meager $11.00 exacta.
 
Round four of the Levy and Matchmaker headline next week’s features.
 
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 75 active horses (a 15-percent win hit rate and a 36-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

In The Clear, $17.20, $5.80, $4.80 (*Daily Double $39.60)
Incognito, $14.80, $7.00, $4.40, Philadelphia
Catch The Wave, $8.30, $2.90, $3.30 ok (*Daily Double $39.60)
Ginger Spice N, $8.20, $4.60, $3.20, Miami
Givemeaminute, $6.70, $3.20, $3.00, Fraser
Nor Star Renegade, $5.70, $3.40, $2.70, Western Fair
Sandbetweenurtoes, $5.40, $3.20, $2.20, Philadelphia
Under The Stars, $4.80, $3.40, $2.10, Saratoga
Lets Drink On It, $4.10, $3.20, $2.60, Yonkers
Mantaculator, $3.60, $2.40, $2.10, Northfield
Bobjacks Angle A, $3.40, $2.80, $2.60, Freehold

Seconds

Secluded Island, $8.00, $4.00, Buffalo
Sharkeys Way, $6.80, $3.60 (Exacta $31.60), Meadows
Thieving Magpie, $5.90, $5.20 (Exacta $41.90), Fraser
Wire Me Cash, $5.00, $3.60, Meadows
JK Panache, $4.30, $2.90, Saratoga
Raven Victory, $4.20, $4.20 ok, Philadelphia
Meadowbranch Lulu, $2.60, Pocono
Big Bambu, $3.80, $2.40 (Exacta $7.90), Yonkers
Warrawee Rap, $2.40, $2.10, Century
His Open Waters, $2.20, $2.10, Freehold
 
Thirds

All Pink, $7.40, Hoosier
Ostinato, $3.60, Woodbine
CSI Whats My Name, $3.40, Monticello
Come On Kathryn, $2.60, Century
Willey Bite, $2.40, Cal Expo
That’s Allthatiyam, $2.20, Fraser
 
News & Notes

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) released updated lists of eligibles of this year’s stakes program. The Pepsi North America Cup has 53 horses remaining eligible. Five were dropped following March’s sustaining payment. The Canadian Trotting Classic, Fan Hanover, Elegantimage and Goodtimes each saw at least 88 percent of their nominees stay on the lists. A total of 168 two-year-old pacers have been nominated to the Metro Pace. The Canadian Pacing Derby, has attracted 47 nominees. The list of older pacers includes last year’s champion State Treasurer, Wiggle It Jiggleit, Wakizashi Hanover and Always B Miki. Foiled Again is also nominated to the Canadian Pacing Derby. A group of 36 older trotters have been nominated to the Maple Leaf Trot. Last year’s winner Bee A Magician is eligible, along with D One, Mission Brief, Shake It Cerry. Frosh nominees for the Shes A Great Lady (pacing fillies) are 161 nominees, while the William Wellwood for rookie trotters and the Peaceful Way for trotting fillies attracted 162 and 164 nominees, respectively.

According to our old friend Mark Ratzky at Cal Expo, players should pay special attention to the Pick 5 and the Pick 4 at the northern California oval, as both offer a reduced 16 percent takeout rate. The Pick-5 is a 50-cent wager on the first five races of the program, while the Pick 4 is a 20-cent bet that includes the final four contests on the evening. Mark gave us an idea just how much value is available, using last Saturday night’s Pick 5. The winners in the sequence were 7-5, 4-5, 1-1 and 5-2, combining with an 18-1 for a $1,161 return for the half-buck investment. Using regular takeout, the payout would have been $1,036, which means $125 more was put in each winning player’s pocket.

The 2016 racing season at Harrah’s Philadelphia is underway and the H2W is already including horses from the meet. Philadelphia has lowered the minimum wager on its Pick 4 to 50 cents. The takeout remains 15 percent. Philadelphia races Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with a post time of 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

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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