Rosecroft Offers Contentious Tuesday Card
While many harness racing enthusiasts are eagerly looking forward to the dozen Breeders Crown finals slated to be contested this Friday and Saturday evening at The Meadowlands, various standardbred players will look to pad their bankrolls by wagering on cards earlier in the week such as Tuesday's program at Rosecroft Raceway.
In fact, the middle portion of the Tuesday card at Rosecroft offers a bevy of competitive events for trotters and pacers. Beginning with the fourth, a non-winners of three races lifetime condition, look for Yippi Ki Yo (Russell Foster) to turn the tables on King Of The D (Frank Milby) in this event. Last week Yippi Ko Yo set wicked fractions of 27.1, 56.3 and 1:25 before being overhauled in the lane by King Of The D in 1:55.3. The pace scenario should prove to be more favorable for Yippi Ki Yo on Tuesday, although it is often difficult to get excited about a horse that only owns one win in 20 starts this year.
Two races later in the $12,000 Open Handicap for older pacers, literally five of the nine starters could prevail in this affair. Concert Artist (Timmy Offutt) returns to the top class following a sharp, nine-length score in 1:51.2 in the non-winners of $2500 last five class last week and gets the rail. Rock On The Hill (Jonathan Roberts) moves up slightly off a sharp two-length score in 1:51.2 for trainer Bruce Saunders. Rock N'Roll Jet (Kim Vincent) won this class on Oct. 11 by two lengths in 1:50.3 for trainer Buddy Bright. Captive Audience (Brian Burton) has been idle since May but won a recent qualifier here by four lengths in 1:52.3, while Rock On Precious (Foster) won the Open at Woodstock last out and prevailed in the top class here on Sep. 20.
Then one race later in the seventh, Freedombird (Roberts) looks like a lock in this non-winners of $5000 last five starts class for trotters. Last week he raced first over for more than the final half-mile and finished third in a very good try as the 2-1 favorite, but should make amends in this spot on Tuesday.
In fact, the middle portion of the Tuesday card at Rosecroft offers a bevy of competitive events for trotters and pacers. Beginning with the fourth, a non-winners of three races lifetime condition, look for Yippi Ki Yo (Russell Foster) to turn the tables on King Of The D (Frank Milby) in this event. Last week Yippi Ko Yo set wicked fractions of 27.1, 56.3 and 1:25 before being overhauled in the lane by King Of The D in 1:55.3. The pace scenario should prove to be more favorable for Yippi Ki Yo on Tuesday, although it is often difficult to get excited about a horse that only owns one win in 20 starts this year.
Two races later in the $12,000 Open Handicap for older pacers, literally five of the nine starters could prevail in this affair. Concert Artist (Timmy Offutt) returns to the top class following a sharp, nine-length score in 1:51.2 in the non-winners of $2500 last five class last week and gets the rail. Rock On The Hill (Jonathan Roberts) moves up slightly off a sharp two-length score in 1:51.2 for trainer Bruce Saunders. Rock N'Roll Jet (Kim Vincent) won this class on Oct. 11 by two lengths in 1:50.3 for trainer Buddy Bright. Captive Audience (Brian Burton) has been idle since May but won a recent qualifier here by four lengths in 1:52.3, while Rock On Precious (Foster) won the Open at Woodstock last out and prevailed in the top class here on Sep. 20.
Then one race later in the seventh, Freedombird (Roberts) looks like a lock in this non-winners of $5000 last five starts class for trotters. Last week he raced first over for more than the final half-mile and finished third in a very good try as the 2-1 favorite, but should make amends in this spot on Tuesday.
Then one race later in the Winners Over $6000 last five class for pacers, youthful participants JW Renegade (John Mackinnon) and Rocktavius (Roberts) will look to continue their winning ways against local star Hi Sir (Foster), who has thrived over this oval the past three years. JW Renegade won his two most recent starts here on Sep. 20 & 27 before scratching sick on Oct. 4 and has not been seen since. Rocktavius sports a 7-6-5 slate from 28 starts this year for trainer Megan Roberts and rates one of the rising stars on the circuit. Hi Sir has not reached peak form of late during a season in which he owns a 6-4-2 slate from 22 starts, but the back class aged pacer owns a commendable 37-28-28 slate and $367,000 banked from 190 career outings.
Then one race later in the non-winners of $6000 last five starts class for older pacers, Real Impulsive (Milby). Toms Tornado (Offutt), White Rolls (Foster) and Caviart Tyler (Roberts) will all vie for favoritism and top honors in this competitive affair. Real Impulsive and Caviart Tyler are no strangers to the winners circle here, while White Rolls makes his local debut for trainer Mike Hall after performing well in the upper conditioned events at Harrington Raceway during their summer-fall meet.
Then one race later in the 10th, a non-winners of $4000 last five class for older pacers, railbound Bad Man Sam (Jared Moyer) will seek his second straight tally after last week's two-length score in 1:54.1 against the non-winners of $2500 last five group. Arpeggio Hanover (Foster), tabbed as the spring meet champion by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Assocation, last won on Sep. 15 against non-winners of $2500 last five company but has only garnered two small checks in four starts since then.
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