Pompano $39 Winner Nabbed; Feature Shots Struggle While H2W Across-The-Board Rate At 38-Percent

Our horses-to-watch (H2W) list offered contenders that were biggest win prices scored this week, topped by a $39.20 score at Pompano on Jan. 30. Our usual format for the win-place-and-show and exacta prices offers the results below.

Features-wise, nothing to brag about went on until Saturday, Jan. 30. Thursday, Jan. 28’s Freehold offerings included the scratch of Lucic and a sixth-place finish for Cold Escape (25-1), in a race won by the even-money choice.

Friday, Jan. 29, we were beaten in both Yonkers features by the public’s second choice, with Cincinnati Miss (17-1) finishing sixth and Hasty Proffitt (the public choice) getting the minor fifth share of the purse.

Saturday, Jan. 30, our Charlottetown contender won and was bet only a bit less heavy than we suspected. Casimir Luciano ($6.30, $2.40, $2.10) got it but the exactor partner we suggested, All Out (16-1) finished fifth.

A single ticket did not hit the Miami Valley Pick 4 on Jan. 30, though the combo included odds of 5-2, 3-1, 7-2, 7-2. Three of four winners paid $15.90. We had only one winner on top: Hey Dali ($9.20, $4.20, $2.80) in leg three. The secondary contender, Crank It Up (16-1), finished ninth.

The second leg went to the contender we mentioned could dominate the win pool but wound up the public’s second choice: Astereos Love ($8.60, $3.80, $2.60). He was not our top choice; that was Talk Strategy, who was fifth at 15-1, while the other suggested, Thisjetsabookin turned into the race favorite, finishing fourth.

The Pick 4 began with a 10^th-place finish for Hasty Weapon (5-1), a fifth place for Show Me Up (20-1) and a third for Pipecreek Yankee ($2.80). The stream ended with Ra Ra Steven, the public choice, finishing fourth and King Otra ($4.20) getting the show spot.

Any horses for features that did not win will be listed on our Thursday blog’s H2W.

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 56 active horses (an 11-percent win hit rate and a 38-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

Philandthequeens, $39.20, $11.00, $11.80 ok, Pompano
Twice The Ruckus, $13.00, $6.00, $3.60, Cal Expo
Wizard Of Art, $11.40, $5.20, $2.40, Monticello
Totally Shocking, $6.20, $3.40, $3.00, Hawthorne
Gram Rules, $5.60, $3.80, $3.00, Cal Expo
Howtotrainyourdragon, $3.00, $2.80, $2.10, Fraser

Seconds

Melmerby Beach, $4.20, $4.00 (Exacta $12.60), Yonkers
Wildcat Beauty, $3.90, $3.40 (Exacta $17.70), Woodbine
Western Alumni, $3.80, $2.20, Buffalo
Canaco Star, $2.70, $3.00 ok, Yonkers
Ira Chief, $2.60, $2.20, Meadows
Southwind Ike, $2.40, $2.10 (Exacta $7.00), Monticello

Thirds

Miramonttogo, $5.00, Charlottetown
Free Tie, $4.40, Freehold
Outlawcoltfortyfor, $4.10, Fraser
Hubby Number One, $3.70, Woodbine
Barbosa, $3.20, Cal Expo
Roll Em Up, $2.80, Miami
Dragons Fire, $2.70, Charlottetown
B Good Lena, $2.60, Northfield
Boots Place, $2.20, Freehold

News & Notes

Veteran trainer Carmen Auciello reached a milestone when, at Woodbine Racetrack, the 35-year-old conditioner’s pacing mare Twin B Sweetheart won, representing Carmen’s earnings passing the $10 million mark. A Stouffville, Ontario resident, his stable has earned over $200,000 in 2016. Last season, he earned career-high numbers with 194 victories and over $2.7 million in earnings. Auciello, who recorded his first starts as a trainer in 2004, was the top trainer of the 2015 Mohawk meet and overall on the Woodbine circuit in 2014.

Here is something rarely seen during a harness season: Ron Burke in the winner's circle—as a winning driver. He is generally seen in a winning photo in the role of owner and/or trainer but on Jan. 26 he had his picture taken after a training-and-driving victory. ‎‎Burke drove first-time starter Rugged Wear at the Meadows. It was the first driving win for Burke since August 2003 when he steered Dr Stewart to victory at the Waynesburg Fair in Pennsylvania.‎

Many horses readying for their 2016 campaigns are hitting the racetrack in qualifiers. At the Meadowlands,  Madman Hall won his qualifier on Jan. 29 at the Meadowlands for owner/trainer Ray Schnittker. The horse is a son of Schnittker’s Hambletonian champion Deweycheatumnhowe. A regular on the Ontario circuit last year under the care of Bruce MacDonald, Madman Hall earned $77,000 in 2015 at two. He is a full brother to $689,0000 winner Ma Chere Hall. Schnittker was third in another qualifier, this one with Puppy Dog. It was the first start for the green filly. Puppy Dog is a three-year-old daughter of Lislea from Schnittker’s former mare Poodle Party.

The results for players catching Dave Palone’s six-win program on Jan. 26 made $6.80 from $20.00 in bets, as Palone’s little streak produced a low win mutual of $2.40 and a high of $8.60. Dave has won more races than any U.S. driver in harness history, but good prices on his victories are rare for players, especially at the Meadows where he usually gets assignments on the best intended steeds in most races. Though it has not been calculated, accurately, it is safe to assume that the heavily-wagered-upon harness driver is a flat-bet loss for bettors during his career.

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 ~