Monticello Smasher At $78 Tops Double-Digit Dollar Crew

Here is the TwinSpires Harness Blog Weekly Update.

Thursday, Jan. 28

Freehold’s first Pick 3 of the program was a Power Plays offensive. The $1 ticket resulted in a winner and three seconds; in other words, close but no cigar.

We nabbed the second leg with the favorite, Twin B Showtime ($3.00, $2.60, $2.20). Also on the ticket, Upteen Hanover ($5.30, $3.20) finished second and Wingman Hanover (20-1) broke and finished eighth.

We were second in the first leg with Cayenne Victory ($3.40, $3.00), while Exuberance (10-1) got sixth and Ally Way Cast scratched.

Leg three produced another second—Ari Allstar ($7.60, $5.20), with YS Sunshine (12-1) getting sixth and Im Sid The Kid (4-1), who galloped wildly, did not finish.

 Friday, Jan. 29

The afternoon Meadows feature resulted in a 43-1 winner, while we were fifth with Vector (15-1) and scratched with Broadway Kabam.

At our Yonkers feature, Dark Energy N (6-1) tired after an overland journey for two calls, finishing fifth.

At our Miami Valley feature we suffered from the same awful trip as at Yonkers when favorite Sandy Sue self-destructed by an outside trip to three-quarters and finished ninth. 

Saturday, Jan. 30

At Miami, Fox Valley Hijinx (18-1) was unimpressive, finishing sixth.

The Meadowlands went for our choice, favorite Like Clockwork ($3.00, $2.40, $2.10) along with exacta partner Justin Credible ($7.80, $4.20), a combo worth $19.20. Best Trick Ever (30-1) finished fifth.


H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Exactas listed include a H2W horse finishing second to a race-favorite or if the first two finishers are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses are listed—a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices are correct (even when a show price exceeds a place price or all prices are the same).

Please note that some results reflect horses racing after the blog posts (they appear the following week).

This week, there were 37 active horses (a 16-percent win hit rate and a 49-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for all late choices.

Winners

Jericho Willie, $78.50, $22.60, $11.20, Monticello
Sundancediamond, $12.00, $5.20, $3.20, Miami
Book Binge, $10.60, $4.30, $3.20, Monticello
Somesurfsomewhere, $9.60, $4.40, $4.20, Freehold
Starskys Dream N, $7.00, $3.30, $2.10, Monticello
Big Pocket Teen, $6.30, $4.70, $3.70, Buffalo
Seconds

Sara Jane, $18.80, $7.60, Miami
Americanation, $7.00, $3.80, Buffalo
Whoucalncrazy, $7.00, $3.80, Freehold
Hunting AS, $6.40, $3.00, Yonkers
Galante A, $3.20, $2.60 (Exacta $9.20), Freehold

Thirds

Wonder Bull, $7.20, Meadows
Bugatti, $5.60, Buffalo
Gucciriffic, $4.80, Pompano
Paloma Ruiz, $4.60, Cal-Expo
Gee Wilikers, $4.40, Cal-Expo
American Venture, $2.10, Freehold
Sunday Afternoon, $2.10, Miami
 
NEWS & NOTES

It is only the beginning of February and already the race for TwinSpires Harness Players Horse of the Year has a candidate. Monticello produced winner Jericho Willie on Jan. 28. The pacer paid $78.50 to win. That is, so far, the highest priced winner from either our blog’s feature or H2W list. It will take a horse paying more than $78.50 to win from either of our qualifying sources in the next 11 months to steal the title from Jericho Willie.

Many novice pari-mutuel bettors ask me why certain horses have the letters “A” or “N” after their names. Simply, the two letters mean Australia and New Zealand, respectively. The appropriate letter is added to the horse’s name when either of them come to race in North America (N.A.) after a purchase of a horse from those countries. This way, the horses in question do not have to change their names. The addition of either letter to their Down Under registered name distinguishes them from any horse with the same name in NA.

Owner-breeder Robert K, another former shareholder of the defunct TIMES: in harness periodical, has passed. Key bred American Winner. The colt won the 1993 Hambletonian. As a sire, American Winner leaves a legacy through his daughter Yankee Blondie, the dam of Muscle Hill. American Winner was by Super Bowl and the Speedy Somolli mare BJs Pleasure. Key purchased BJs Pleasure as a yearling. Her half-brother was Mack Lobell.

Two recent notable racehorses are now dads. Trotting-champ Greenshoe is among the first croppers [sic]. His progeny is a colt out of Cedar Dove, making him a half-brother to When Dovescry. The first foal sired by Courtly Choice was also born. The colt’s dam is Spring Break, who won 39 races before retiring.

Extraordinary Extras

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