Monday Harness Preview for 3/31/2014
by Ted Black
After another round of inclement weather passed through the Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend, warmer climes and expected to greet owners, trainers, drivers and fans as they venture to a trio of standardbred tracks on Monday evening.
Typically the Monday cards at Dover Downs, Pompano Park and Yonkers Raceway highlight the female pacers and that is certainly the case again this evening. Dover will three divisions of the second round of Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund eliminations for three-year-old filly pacers in addition to its usual array of overnight events for the distaff pacers.
In the opening race on the Dover card, the first of three divisions of the DSBF elims, look for Fashion Guru to turn the tables on Seeboomook Fool Yah this week. Last week in the opening leg, Fashion Guru set honest early fractions and was nailed late by 'Fool Yah' in 1:55.3. But look for the 'Guru' to post the upset in this elim as another opening round winner, I'm Won Rum Wiser, joins the fray.
In the very next race on the card, the second division of the DSBF second leg for sophomore filly pacers, look for Jonigold to atone for last week's third-place finish as the 3-10 choice in the opening leg. Last week, Jonigold set similar fractions to the ones that Fashion Guru carved out in her defeat and that enabled Reflected Art to post a 24-1 shocker. That one will likely get overbet here, as will Crushed Again who was a so-so third last week.
Two races later in the third and clearly weakest division of the DSBF second leg, give Bettylou Who a chance to prevail at her 5-1 morning line price. Last week against similar company, Bettylou Who sat a loose pocket behind I'm Won Rum Wiser and finished a good second in the slowest of three splits. Treasure Valley drew the rail and will likely be the overbet favorite here, but Mommom's Little C has a chance for an upset.
Then much later in the 13th, a non-winners of $9001 last six class for older fillies and mares, look for Sha Delight to finally notch her first win of the campaign. Second three times and third on another three occasions in eight winless starts thus far, Sha Delight raced first over from post nine through the entire back half and finished second at 19-1 against similar company last week. She will likely be less than one-half that price this evening, but she's still worth a play.
That same evening at Yonkers, the New York half-mile oval will host the $63,000 Petticoat Series final for three- and four-year-old filly pacers as well as two consolations for that event.
The sixth race on the card is the Petticoat final and as luck would have it two of the best fillies in the group drew the two inside posts and are also coupled in the wagering. Doo Wee Rusty and Hobe Sound, both trained by Andrew Harris, will start from posts one and two, respectively, and will likely be the odds-on favorite. Of the two, Doo Wee Rusty looks like the slightly stronger half of the entry.
But having the two inside posts does not guarantee success, even on the half-mile oval and the entry could be worth playing against. Macharoundtheclock has been solid throughout the series for trainer Larry Remmen and Road Bet has enough speed to be a factor throughout and will get overlooked due to her modest winning time one week ago.
Two races earlier on the card in the $25,000 Petticoat consolation, give It's A Miracle a serious chance to attain her first win of the season from nine tries. Last week she was shuffled early and rallied late to finish second to 1-2 choice Road Bet in a good effort. Although winless in eight starts on the campaign, It's A Miracle raced well throughout the series and this group could very well be to her liking in a race where American Shuttle will rule as the choice.
That same evening at Pompano, a quintet of Filly-Mare Open events ranging from the bottom level of $5000 to the upper tier of $10,000, will dominate the card.
In the opener, the $8500 F-M Open, look for Black Diamond Girl to notch her first win of the season from six tries. Last week she finished a solid fourth in the $10,000 Open and gets a modest class relief this evening. Black Diamond Girl has been second three times and third once in five winless tries thus far, but this looks like an ideal spot for her to end the modest drought.
Three races later in the featured, $10,000 F-M Open, give Southwind Trini a chance to turn the tables on Mach Me Not, who has won both of her starts over the Florida five-eighths mile oval and is the defending champ in this class. Southwind Trini settled well off the early pace last week and rallied to get third, but expect her to be on the move sooner this evening and not allow Mach Me Not to control things throughout.
After another round of inclement weather passed through the Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend, warmer climes and expected to greet owners, trainers, drivers and fans as they venture to a trio of standardbred tracks on Monday evening.
Typically the Monday cards at Dover Downs, Pompano Park and Yonkers Raceway highlight the female pacers and that is certainly the case again this evening. Dover will three divisions of the second round of Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund eliminations for three-year-old filly pacers in addition to its usual array of overnight events for the distaff pacers.
In the opening race on the Dover card, the first of three divisions of the DSBF elims, look for Fashion Guru to turn the tables on Seeboomook Fool Yah this week. Last week in the opening leg, Fashion Guru set honest early fractions and was nailed late by 'Fool Yah' in 1:55.3. But look for the 'Guru' to post the upset in this elim as another opening round winner, I'm Won Rum Wiser, joins the fray.
In the very next race on the card, the second division of the DSBF second leg for sophomore filly pacers, look for Jonigold to atone for last week's third-place finish as the 3-10 choice in the opening leg. Last week, Jonigold set similar fractions to the ones that Fashion Guru carved out in her defeat and that enabled Reflected Art to post a 24-1 shocker. That one will likely get overbet here, as will Crushed Again who was a so-so third last week.
Two races later in the third and clearly weakest division of the DSBF second leg, give Bettylou Who a chance to prevail at her 5-1 morning line price. Last week against similar company, Bettylou Who sat a loose pocket behind I'm Won Rum Wiser and finished a good second in the slowest of three splits. Treasure Valley drew the rail and will likely be the overbet favorite here, but Mommom's Little C has a chance for an upset.
Then much later in the 13th, a non-winners of $9001 last six class for older fillies and mares, look for Sha Delight to finally notch her first win of the campaign. Second three times and third on another three occasions in eight winless starts thus far, Sha Delight raced first over from post nine through the entire back half and finished second at 19-1 against similar company last week. She will likely be less than one-half that price this evening, but she's still worth a play.
That same evening at Yonkers, the New York half-mile oval will host the $63,000 Petticoat Series final for three- and four-year-old filly pacers as well as two consolations for that event.
The sixth race on the card is the Petticoat final and as luck would have it two of the best fillies in the group drew the two inside posts and are also coupled in the wagering. Doo Wee Rusty and Hobe Sound, both trained by Andrew Harris, will start from posts one and two, respectively, and will likely be the odds-on favorite. Of the two, Doo Wee Rusty looks like the slightly stronger half of the entry.
But having the two inside posts does not guarantee success, even on the half-mile oval and the entry could be worth playing against. Macharoundtheclock has been solid throughout the series for trainer Larry Remmen and Road Bet has enough speed to be a factor throughout and will get overlooked due to her modest winning time one week ago.
Two races earlier on the card in the $25,000 Petticoat consolation, give It's A Miracle a serious chance to attain her first win of the season from nine tries. Last week she was shuffled early and rallied late to finish second to 1-2 choice Road Bet in a good effort. Although winless in eight starts on the campaign, It's A Miracle raced well throughout the series and this group could very well be to her liking in a race where American Shuttle will rule as the choice.
That same evening at Pompano, a quintet of Filly-Mare Open events ranging from the bottom level of $5000 to the upper tier of $10,000, will dominate the card.
In the opener, the $8500 F-M Open, look for Black Diamond Girl to notch her first win of the season from six tries. Last week she finished a solid fourth in the $10,000 Open and gets a modest class relief this evening. Black Diamond Girl has been second three times and third once in five winless tries thus far, but this looks like an ideal spot for her to end the modest drought.
Three races later in the featured, $10,000 F-M Open, give Southwind Trini a chance to turn the tables on Mach Me Not, who has won both of her starts over the Florida five-eighths mile oval and is the defending champ in this class. Southwind Trini settled well off the early pace last week and rallied to get third, but expect her to be on the move sooner this evening and not allow Mach Me Not to control things throughout.
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