Meadowlands Pace Trial For Berths; Graduates Double Header; Frosh-Picks Parade

A single Meadowlands Pace elimination is the overture for next week’s big glamour-boy pacing event, worth $750,000. This weekend, though, at the Meadowlands, four-year-old pacers and trotters finalize their Graduate journeys for $250,000 each.

Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) finals for two- and three-year old pacers headline at Hoosier on Friday and Saturday nights. More freshmen trials from Hoosier, the Meadows and Northfield are listed in our special two-year-old stakes list. These choices have been made from statistics of sire productivity.

The Hambletonian Trail blog will cover “Reynolds” stakes for filly trotters at the Meadowlands and some other money-grabbing events for trotters breathing heavily about the first weekend in August. Every week, check the Hambletonian Trail blog, exclusively brought to you by TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society, for the soph trotters and read as we cover the rest of the action, leading to our live coverage for TwinSpires’ harness bettors, on the first Saturday in August.
 
The hunt for profitable overnight wagers ensues with TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch list (H2W). Exclusive wagering opportunities include hot contenders; most you will not read about on any other handicapping sources in print or on line. The H2W can be used for bets to win, places show and in all exotics. Always consider H2W horses when constructing your wagers.

INDIANA GALS

INSS frosh and soph filly pacers address $75,000 purses each in final events at Hoosier on July 8. Soph fillies are first, with 10 at the gate. The public should endorse Ron Burke’s pair and Seventimesavirgin (four wins in five starts) but we like Topville Cadillac. Second in her first outing this season, she has a few thousands reasons (the purse) to win this one and she could do that here for a price.

The green gals’ field is also a group of 10, a very tight bunch with shared success in their few starts. The public will weigh their speed, which is unreliable, at best, so far. As well, there are not many different sires representing them. Our choice would be a definite outsider, even on the track, number 9, Rockin Serena. She qualified in a fast time on a five-eighths track, showing she may be able to be faster. Her post only serves to raise the odds.

TEN FOR ‘PACE’ BERTHS

A $50,000 mile for 10 glamour-boy pacers will be one of the features on July 9’s Meadowlands program. Eleven declarations wlere accepted for this year’s Meadowlands Pace. The race conditions state that with 11 entries, a bye be offered to the connections of the top money earners. Trainer Tony Alagna approved a bye for the Max Hempt Memorial-winner Racing Hill, currently the top soph earner among the declared. Racing Hill will be back next week as the rest race to eliminate one for the final.

There is no wager, though, for which pacer will not return next week. The relatively unknown division reps seem to be a notch below the others. Though well bred, Another Daily Copy and Good Living will have to be better than their best so far this season to win this or the final, if either gets there. The former has only won against the division’s top with a perfect trip (at 20-1) and the latter has not won against better than what goes here.

There is still a case to be made for Lyons Snyder. He blew himself out in the North America Cup with a brush that briefly got him the lead at the half. It was not a good representation of his season thus far but it helped make Betting Line the winner. Lyons Snyder tightened with a qualifier after shipping south.

Ron Burke’s JK Will Power, one of two in here, has been collecting checks and has three wins from his Pennsylvania tour. His recent two efforts, in the “Hempt” were better than his odds but they were easy trips. The public may support him strongly since he wound up second to Racing Hill in the Hempt. Burke’s other charge is Manhattan Beach, who has shown little in this caliber.

Check Six is fresh after a state-bred win and a qualifier in Jersey and could easily be in the mix. Control The Moment, starting again from an outside post, was caught like “Boston” early in the Hempt battle. His recent desperation to be atop the field from start to end has cost him dearly. Ideal Rocky has not won a race yet this season and this doesn’t look like it will be his first.

We liked Boston Red Rocks at 5-1 in the Hempt and he held well for third after a strenuous start on the outside in a stunning first quarter. Here he has a much better shot and if the crowd is as generous as last time—or more—he is a hell of a bet. Along with Lyons Snyder, the duo could make a find exacta either way.

GRADUATION PACERS

Here are the pacers, sans Always B Miki, and with his co-stars Wiggle It Jiggleit and Freaky Feet Pete. Also present is Rockin Ron, who has surrendered to the likes of the aforementioned and who has not shifted into gear since his Canadian win. This looks, in a way, like last year’s Meadowlands Pace, where “Wiggle” commanded the mile. He could do it again but the price will be paltry.

Though “Pete” fits strongly in the mix and in late stretch, Burke’s Rock N’ Roll World could be the most dangerous for upsets. Toss his last race out and he is a firehouse 40-1 second to Pete. He is the outside contender, hopefully going off at strong odds to assist in some thick exotics if Wiggle is as good as last year. But we will got for the upset with “World” as well as including him in combos with the obvious.
 
GRADUATION TROTTERS

This trotting field of four-year-olds includes Canepa Hanover. He has failed twice on the H2W, breaking last out in a conditioned he dropped into after a failed Graduate leg. With a chronic gait problem that haunted his talents at two and three, Jimmy Takter puts him right into this final and we are still restless about his chances. Given a clean-gaited race, he could fly. It’s reminiscent of Manofmanymissions a few seasons back. When he did not break he soared and paid big bucks.

Musical Rhythm is 11 for 13, gets post 10 and Maestro Blue Chip has the same numbers from post 6. Crescent Fashion scratched sick before scheduled to drop down and will be used hard here as one of Ake Svanstedt’s duo. His other, Honor And Serve, appears to be the better of the two and will make himself known here.

As you can see, this leaves a perplexing situation with so many contenders and the unknown Canepa Hanover. I would not bet heavily in this race so a yield to our fears puts a small bet on “Canepa.” We have to give Canepa the shot to show his stuff now that the big money, which Takter likes a lot, is on the line. He would be on the H2W list this week were he not here but his presence here makes us shout for an upset

FRESH FROSH FACTS

Two-year-old races at the beginning of each season are the most difficult events for handicappers to forecast winners, no less value. Every season’s start for us means extra work on sire productivity, so we can make wise wagers in freshman races. If you handicap the races below, be sure to respect those listed as contenders.

Hoosier, July 7: Race 8, Emma Ivy

Hoosier, July 8: Race 14, Hold The Gold

The Meadows, July 9: Race 2, Anna D; Race 3, Glassine, Dangerous Woman; Race 4, Gigi From Fiji.

The Meadows, July 11: Race 2, WF Bella

Northfield, July 11: Race 1, McGold; Race 3, Pace Car; Race 4, Barley Up; Race 7, Drunk On Your Love; Race 9, Official Delight; Race 12, Uncle Dick

H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

H2W LIST

Bangor
7/8/16, Heart Breaking R6

Century
7/8/16, Must Be Paige R4; +Run And Tell R5; +Officialconnection R5; +Emmas Big Girl ae R7; +Sayitlikeyoumeanit R8
7/9/16, +Emmas Big Girl R6

Charlottetown
7/7/16, +Twin B Macho R5; +Dustlanemissmolly R9; +Astronomical Union R10; Windsun Rebel R12

Hawthorne
7/7/16, Lousdcipher R3
7/8/16, +Da Blue Jay R2; Dandys Dududidudu R6

Hoosier
7/7/16, +Fantasy Doc R10

Meadowlands
7/9/16, Tye Seelster R3; +Sumatra R4; Bettor Be Steppin R9

Mohawk
7/8/16, +Call Me Maybe R1; Our Hot Majorette R8; DGs Pesquero R10
7/9/16, +Big Bang Boom R1; +Thunder Steeler R11

Monticello
7/7/16, Sherry My Sherry R2; The Huntsman R9

Northfield
7/9/16, Sand Sonya R2; Cajon Jubilee R5; Ice Cold R6; +McNice R7; Nominal Hanover R9

Northville
7/9/16, +Speakin Greek R1; Allamerican Laser R4; +Sailors Fortune R10

Ocean
7/7/16, Bougie Queen R5; Nan Jack R9
7/8/16, French Lick R8; +Cams Blue Belle R12

Philadelphia
7/7/16, +Don Dorado R8

Plainridge
7/7/16, +Astreos Delight R1; +More Red Wine R3; +Pembroke Delux R5; +Northern Breakout R8

Pocono
7/9/16, +PL Haymaker R2
7/10,16, BWT Taj R10

Running Aces
7/9/16, Al-mar Reba Babe R1; Flashy Lady R5; Edith Keeler R6; La Diva De Rosa R9

Saratoga
7/7/16, +Kinda Naughty R9
7/8/16, Letherriptaterchip R10

Scarborough
7/9/16, Markup Hanover R1; Race Me Fantasy R2; Jasmine K R5; The Greene Monster R9

Scioto
7/7/16, Urban Renewal R9; Blue Boy Benji R11
7/9/16, Ardyne Ace R8

Tioga
7/8/16, Hot Summer Knight ae R2; +Datsyuk R8

Vernon
7/9/16, Columbia Lion R3

Yonkers
7/8/16, +Shadows Image R3; +Better Said R12
7/9/16, +Cooperstown R6; PH Supercam R10


Ray Cotolo contributes to this blog