Public’s Short Prices Take Out Longshot Contenders; 2015 Review And 2016 Weekend On Tap Next

The holiday week disrupted our usual deadline for features as the dark day for all tracks on Dec. 25 and a string of closing plants left us with two features after deadline (see previous blog), as well as some H2W (horses-to-watch) listed horses also on hold. We’ll cover the leftovers in our next review. Meanwhile, here are the results for our suggested contenders from the races we presented as features from Friday through Saturday.

On Saturday, Dec. 26, we were third in both features. The Meadowlands delivered Cndiana Jones ($4.00) and Charlottestown gave us Leaveitwithme ($3.70), with Honor Roll from the latter feature finidhing ninth. Both of those races were won by the public choices.

On Sunday we took on the Win Four at Flamboro. The winning ticket paid $439.10 with winners paying 4-1, 4-5, 5-2 and 5-2. We gave you one of the 5-2 shots with Lyndale Delite ($7.20, 3.20, $2.50). We were third in leg two with Neversaidiwassweet ($2.90), while we tanked with Meahbrach (48-1), Regal Fame (4-1) in leg one and Maritime Girl (4-1) in the last leg.

Next Thursday, Dec. 31, two blogs will be posted. The first will be our special New Year’s Eve/Day blog, listing our top successes for features and H2W horses from the past year and our TwinSpires Harness Horse of the Year.

The other blog will be our usual preview, including features and H2W for the first weekend of 2016.

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 30 active horses (an 10-percent win hit rate and a 23-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

Squeeze This, $7.00, $4.40, $3.00, Flamboro
Lifeimitatesart, $5.60, $3.00, $2.40, Pompano
Mr Solongbyebye, $4.20, $2.40, $2.40, Cal Expo
 
Seconds

Shellyssilvermoon, $6.50, $4.80, Flamboro
Avila Beach, $2.40, $2.10, Cal Expo
 
Thirds

Ab’s Attack, $7.40, Dayton
Fly To The Angels, $7.40, Northfield

News & Notes

Illinois harness racing is not dead. Though Maywood and Balmoral parks are in the proverbial tank, Hawthorne Race Course and the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association (IHHA) reached an agreement to keep harness racing in the Lincoln State for 2016. Tim Carey, president and general manager of Hawthorne, said, “Race tracks are closing, competition from other states has never been stronger …  We have an obligation to the people who work in this sport and we're doing all we can to keep it going.”

Hawthorne has an aggressive timeline to transform its dirt track’s thoroughbred surface into a crushed limestone standardbred surface. Hawthorne's fall/winter thoroughbred meet ends Jan. 2 and harness racing will begin on Friday, Jan. 8. Hawthorne’s winter harness meet will feature 10 races per night, five nights per week until Feb. 6.

The Meadows will offer 186 live racing programs in 2016. highlighted by 50th edition of the Adios Pace on July 30, with eliminations on July 23. For most of the year, the Meadows will present four live cards per week -- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday -- each beginning at 1 p.m. While the track has been dark on holidays in recent years, the 2016 schedule features live racing on a number of holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. Post time for those holiday cards is 5 p.m. An evening program on Jan. 22, with a first post 5 p.m., celebrates the Meadows’ champions of 2015.

Raceways are gearing up for the New Year. In scheduled order, the Meadowlands starts Jan. 2; Charlottestown continues racing on Jan. 3; Monticello returns on Jan. 4; Yonkers Raceway begins Jan. 7; Miami Valley is back at Jan. 9; and Buffalo begins Jan. 13. Western Fair is amid racing programs until Jan. 18, with a New Year’s Eve program at 8 p.m. and a New Year’s Day program at 7:15 p.m.

The date of the 2016 $1-million Pepsi North America Cup has been announced. The 33rd edition for glamour-boy pacers will take place on Saturday, June 18 at Mohawk Racetrack. The eliminations are contested Saturday, June 11. The 2016 North America Cup will be the 10th edition hosted at Mohawk. Since being moved from Woodbine to Mohawk in 2007, the Pepsi North America Cup has grown. A “Cup” record $4,292,777 was wagered on last year’s card, while an attendance of close to 12,000 watched Wakizashi Hanover overtake Wiggle It Jiggleit. The 2016 Cup under card will feature several top Grand Circuit events, including the Fan Hanover, Goodtimes, Roses Are Red and Armbro Flight Stakes.

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 ~