Overnight Winners In Pricey Parade; Average Win Price $13.71, Top Winners $34, $28, $25

Since one of our features, the Progress Pace, is set for a day after our press time, we will cover our results in our next blog. Meanwhile, a great deal of success was posted in our H2W (horses-to-watch) list for the past week, through Saturday, Nov. 28. For complete details, see the list below for the top winners, place-and-show results and exacta combos.

In The Courageous Lady at Northfield, Sassa Hanover delivered a long-awaited win at a terrible price as the favorite. Our top contender, Bettor N Better ($3.20, $2.60) turned out to be the public’s second choice at 5-2, finishing second to underscore a paltry exacta worth $10.40. The big chance of an upset with Band Of Angels (43-1) was never imagined as that one finished eighth with little to offer throughout.

In our offerings for the guaranteed Pick 4 that included the “Lady,” our single choice in Race 10, Sand Sonya ($11.80, $6.60, $3.60) contributed to the Pick-4 price, which included two 5-1 shots, our 9-2 shot and “Sassa” at 4-5, paying $1,084.40 for a buck. In Race 9 we had a third with Donna Party ($2.10).
 
Beginning with our Dec. 3 blog, we will be presenting our personally chosen feature races from the well of overnights offered around North America. Because the remainder of the season and the early 2016 months will be sparse with stakes (we will cover winter series and special events as they surface), we will analyze some overnight events we feel may offer top value in any and all of the pools. These event will come from our personal files, just as we choose horses for our H2W list, only we will analyze them as we would any major event.

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 the 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 61 active horses (a 16-percent win hit rate and a 51-percent in-the-money hit rate).

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place and/or show results occurring after press time and that it is up to you to follow those horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

Power And Purpose, $34.80, $12.60, $4.80, Northfield
Mystery Bet, $28.50, $12.90, $5.90, Woodbine
Blissfullannmarie, $25.30, $7.30, $3.30, Flamboro
Phenatical Maniac, $15.60, $6.30, $3.60, Northlands
She Escapes Me, $11.60, $5.40, $3.80, Freehold
The Muscler, $6.80, $3.80, $2.60, Pompano
UF Fast Feeling, $6.20, $2.80, $2.20, Meadowlands
Jet to The Beach, $3.60, $2.30, $2.10, Fraser
Buff, $2.60, $2.10, $2.40 ok, Saratoga
Tymal Breezee, $2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Freehold

Seconds

Lexington Avenue, $10.00, $7.60, Dayton
Most Happy Rider, $7.00, $3.00 (Exacta $15.80), Batavia
Heartland Slushie, $6.20, $3.60 (Exacta $5.30), Cal Expo
Rushing Hero, $5.80, $3.40 (Exacta $16.00), Plainridge
Neutral Court, $5.40, $3.40 (Exacta $9.60), Plainridge
Aroma, $5.30, $2.80, Batavia
Drawing Dead, $5.20, $3.00, Fraser
Black Wind, $4.40, $3.20, Freehold
Brescia Seelster, $3.60, $3.00, Woodbine
Wynnfrith, $3.60, $2.40, Charlottestown
Highlandmusclehall, $3.20, $2.40, Philadelphia
Breewood Brier, $3.00, $3.80 ok, Saratoga

Thirds

Ninetynine Hanover, $4.90, Fraser
Puff Mommy, $4.00, Northfield
Mach To The Max, $3.60, Philadelphia
Orilla Joe, $3.60, Meadowlands
Thisgirlcanhunt, $3.20, Charlottestown
Before I Die, $3.10, Batavia
Bettormeboy, $3.00, Cal Expo
Cold Certified, $2.70, Woodbine
Stayoutofmyaffair, $2.10, Charlottestown

News & Notes

Northlands Park in Alberta will race through Dec. 31. Its trademark races will be on tap Dec. 5. We will cover the finals of the Northlands Filly Pace and Western Pacing Derby in our next blog. The purses for these events have shrunk over the years, with the fillies going for around $70,000 and the colts for $90,000 this time around. Northlands races present suggested contenders in our H2W list through the end of the meet.

Tim Tetrick will be heading Down Under during this hemisphere’s winter to drive in some of Australasia’s biggest summer stakes. Tim will be at Gloucester Park in Australia through Inter-Dominion Grand Final Day, Sunday, Dec. 13. From the United Kingdom come fellow drivers John Richardson and Alan Haythornthwaite.

Charlottetown Driving Park, with horses appearing weekly in our H2W list, has had a race date added to its schedule. Sunday, Dec. 6 will be a full program for the Maritimes harness raceway. The first- post time will be 12:30 p.m.

There are still forces in Illinois campaigning to see Maywood and Balmoral parks operating in 2016. Recently, a problem in communication caused a cancellation of a meeting in Chicago between Balmoral’s general manager and a State House Committee, having to do with a bill recently presented by Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who represents the district housing Balmoral. Jones’ bill requests that both tracks continue to hold racing programs with the intent to show the facilities off and find new owners.

Two trotters about to begin their seasons in the older ranks won’t be battling in North America in 2016. Habitat and Uncle Lasse have been sold to Swedish owners that will campaign the four-year-olds overseas. Exceptional trotter Habitat has already left for Sweden and his new trainer Peter Untersteiner, housed at Halmstad racetrack. First, Habitat will stand at stud in southern Sweden. Untersteiner said he wants to race Habitat in late summer. Uncle Lasse, from the Jimmy Takter tribe of trotters, has been sold to a group led by horseman-photographer Stefan Melander and will be hitting the track in deep winter.

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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