Philly Feature Score $22; Placing With Longshots Pays Off

TwinSpires Harness Blog reports on its feature races this weekend. Plus, we share the shape of our horses-to-watch list (H2W) from last week’s choices. Check our News & Notes section for reporting and remarking on the states of our sport.

Thursday, Dec. 3

A bevy of bets offered in a Pick-4 stream at Philly resulted in the best win bet of the quartet with Andela ($22.60, $10.60, $4.00).

In another leg we were second with Dot Dot Dot Dash ($4.80, $2.60).

In two of the other legs we finished fourth, beaten by favorites, with Happy That (7-1) and Slyvesteramericate (19-1).

Finishing off the board were others used, including Infinite AS (23-1), fifth, Lucy Mae Hanover (6-1), sixth on a break, and Euro Gap (17-1), who broke at the start and was eliminated. 

Willing Hanover scratched.

That night at Dayton, scanning for winners to enrich some Rolling Doubles, we were third with Suddenly Sam ($3.20) and Fox Valley Halsey ($3.00), while Uncle Cuz (18-1) finished fifth.

Friday, Dec. 4

At the Meadows, our exotic choices tanked, as Imideal (7-2) suffered a break and finished last, while Neat (6-1) finished fifth.
 
Saturday, Dec. 5

Saturday had two selected features at the Meadowlands. In the first, the favorite won over our Thunder Dome (7-1), who finished fourth.

In the second feature we won with Mindtrip ($8.00, $5.00, $3.40), while Decision Day (3-1) 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 31 active horses (a 16 percent win hit rate and a 55-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate).

Winners

TC Scandal, $12.80, $3.60, $2.60, Northfield
Party Belle, $6.20, $4.00, $2.80, Northfield
Belair Beauty, $4.60, $3.00, $2.60, Philly
OK asmine, $4.60, $3.20, $2.30, Flamboro
Marced Magic, $3.20, $2.40, $2.10, Cal Expo

Seconds

Ideal Rowan, $29.80, $19.40, Monticello
Perfectly Clear, $10.40, $8.70, Yonkers
Major Comfort, $6.40, $4.60, Flamboro
Electric Western, $6.20, $5.70, Yonkers
Alyvia Deo, $3.00, $2.40 (Exacta $4.20), Philly

Thirds

Mohegan Blue Chip, $5.40, Woodbine
Baddabingbaddabang, $5.00, Northfield
Fear The Shadow, $3.60, Woodbine
Ryan Racketeer, $3.40, Dayton
Gloire Dream, $2.80, Woodbine
Acefourtyfourdon, $2.40, Batavia
Swiss House Onfire, $2.10, Monticello
 
NEWS & NOTES

The Raceway at the Western Fair offers an increase in the guaranteed pool for the track’s nightly Pick-5 wagers beginning Monday, Dec. 7). The Early-and Late-Pick-5 pools will be guaranteed at $7,500 on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Fridays, the guarantee will be $5,000. Harness racing continues at every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening with a first race post time of 6:15 p.m.

Nancy Takter was voted 2020 Trainer of the Year by the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA). The 12 chapters in USHWA and an At-Large gathering nominated Nancy for top trainer unanimously. As there were no other candidates brought forth by the communicators, the award was decided at the end of the nomination process. All 13 members agreed Nancy’s season was so spectacular, the decision to have her receive the award did not even have to go to a vote.

Batavia increases all purses by 20 percent for the final week of the 2020 meet. The increase bumps the top purse—for all Opens—from $8,500 to $10,200, while bottom-level purses rise from $3,200 to $3,800. The hike, according to management, will help horsemen get a jump on their expenses heading into the downtime between meets. The final week of racing consists of Wednesday (Dec. 9) and Saturday (Dec. 12) with post time at 5 p.m.

Upstate New York harness racing will be dark through the holidays. Then, the sport returns to Buffalo Raceway, the he half-mile oval located at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, N.Y. The track that defies some of the coldest winters in the northeast should be ready to start a 66-day meet in on Jan. 27, 2021. It will ensue through 2 ½ seasons, ending on July 17, 2021.

The Breeders Crown, harness racing’s annual $6-million year-end series of 12 championship events, returns to longtime partner track The Meadowlands, in East Rutherford, N.J., for 2021. Bringing the championship series back to New Jersey was made possible through the efforts of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey and New Meadowlands managing owner and CEO Jeff Gural, partners in what has long been considered the premiere harness racing product in North America.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update