Miami Pick-4 Leg-Winner Worth $45 In Two-For-Three Ticket; Top Returning H2W Winners Pay $32, $20

A combination of winners from our personal features and from our horses-to-watch (H2W) list led the success parade this weekend, while the Mid-Atlantic States from the south all the way up the coast experienced the biggest snowstorm since weather was reported in America (see News & Notes for racetrack closings).

Topping the features were the legs of the Miami Valley Pick 4 with three of four winners from our suggested contenders in legs two, three and four. We also regularly suggest that you give our contenders in featured “Pick” exotics serious consideration for win, place, show and other single-race exotics and this week that was the boon, since no ticket correctly identified all four winners and the return on the wager was a mere $23.45.

The big kick was Falcon Justice ($45.20, $16.20, $8.80), the winner of leg two. After we were off the board in leg one with J’s Six pack Attack (7-2) and Cheyenne Outlaw (7-1), the big-win in leg two was just short of a trifecta, as our other choice, Roll Em Up ($2.60), was third. One of our choices for this event last week, Wildcat Bobby, was second in this leg but did not appear as a contender for us this week, though he was on the H2W list (see below). Our other choice, In Theory (14-1) took fourth. The 50-cent trifecta paid $215.80 if you somehow used “Wildcat” from the H2W list. As well, the 10-cent Superfecta with all of our mentions paid $632.46.

We struck the win pool in leg three with Fancy Creek Elusiv ($6.40, $3.00, $2.80), while Talk Strategy (26-1) was fourth, adding to the Superfecta. Then we won the last leg with Schoolkids ($11.20, $3.40, $2.80). Remember not to put all of your investing power in one Pick ticket, as we continue to hand out strong-paying leg winners and single-race exotics.

Our Freehold features on Jan. 21 produced one third, Keystone Camaro ($3.00) and an eighth with The X Horse (49-1). One of last week’s Freehold feature choices, Pacific Escape, won in another race that day (see H2W below).

On Jan. 22 our Meadowlands feature contender, Massive Looker (27-1) finished fifth, losing to the even-money favorite. That afternoon our Meadows’ feature was cancelled due to the aforementioned storm.

At Charlottetown on Jan. 23 we lost with our value contenders, Ideal Lifestyle (fourth at 8-1) and Hurrah (seventh at 19-1) but listed the obvious choices that finished first and second, respectively—Bad Date ($4.80, $2.10, $2.10 ok) and Red Magician ($2.30, $2.10) for an exacta worth $12.40.

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 48 active horses (a 19-percent win hit rate and a 48-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

The Life Boat, $32.00, $10.80, $6.40, Freehold
Mateo M, $20.00, $5.80, $4.80, Meadows
Master Of Desire, $13.40, $5.40, $4.00, Miami
Lets Leavem, $9.00, $5.20, $3.60, Flamboro
Pacific Escape, $8.20, $2.60, $2.10, Freehold
Steves Legacy, $6.70, $3.50, $3.10, Woodbine
Fancy Creek Elusiv, $6.40, $3.00, $2.80, Miami
Beren Hanover, $3.70, $2.80, $2.70, Fraser
Hook Line N Minker, $3.60, $2.80, $2.40, Fraser
 
Seconds

Fast Lane Firebolt, $8.50, $5.00, Fraser
Bloomfieldanifly, $8.20, $5.20 (Exacta $49.20), Meadowlands
Wildcat Bobby, $5.40, $3.80, Miami
Brusin N Cruisin, $3.40, $2.40 (Exacta $9.00), Cal Expo
Da Terror, $3.00, $2.80 (Exacta $14.40), Hawthorne
Red Magician, $2.30, $2.10, Charlottetown

Thirds

Let’s Wait And See, $6.60, Woodbine
Yankovitch Hanover, $5.10, Monticello
Wildcat Beauty, $3.80, Woodbine
Rascan Steve, $3.10, Buffalo
Hubby Number One, $2.90, Woodbine
Lodi Bank Robber, $2.40, Cal Expo
Bad Bad Boy, $2.20, Buffalo
Southwind Ike, $2.10, Monticello

News & Notes

The first harness-racing program affected by the Blizzard of ’16 was the Meadowls. On Friday, Jan. 22, the snow was beginning to blow from Ohio into Pennsylvania. In its path was the Pittsburgh-area track, which shortened card by.canceling the final seven of 13 scheduled races due to the onslaught, which rendered the surface hazardous. The two horses listed in the H2W from that program will reappear on next week’s list. Expecting the forecasts to be accurate, Freehold, the Meadowlands and Yonkers cancelled their Jan. 23 programs, along with man tri-state area thoroughbred tracks.

Valentine’s Day 2016, Feb. 14, renews harness fans’ romance with Century Downs Racetrack in Calgary, Canada, as it opens for its second season. The racing schedule includes 73 race days, from Sunday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 21. Century will operate on a Saturday-Sunday schedule, with Fridays added in May. The track will also host a handful of special holiday programs. Post time for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays will be 1:10 p.m. and post time for the Friday programs will be 5:45 p.m.

Officials with Harrah's Philadelphia announced the track’s 2016 racing schedule. It will be a 150-program season to begin on April 1 with a first-race post time of 12:40 p.m., which will remain throughout the season. The race week follows a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday schedule. The 2016 season will conclude on Sunday, Dec. 18. Philadelphia will race special Saturday cards (post at 12:40 p.m.) on all three Triple Crown event days. There will be three Monday programs (post at 12:40 p.m.) on Memorial Day (May 30), July 4, and Labor Day (Sept. 5).

One of 2015’s Hambletonian Trail members, Whom Shall I Fear, a full brother to Father Patrick, is now retired from racing and will stand stud for the 2016 breeding season at Victory Hill Farm in Indiana. He was the top-priced yearling of 2013, purchased for $475,000 trainer Jimmy Takter. The son of Cantab Hall’s breeder was Brittany Farms.

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 ~