Saratoga Pick Pays $186.50 To Win; Northville Daily Double Is $529 Score

This weekend’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list was written in gold dust, while our features’ contenders group had a silver lining.

It’s all on the H2W list below. It began Friday the 13^th when skill met luck and The Filly Princess, our only contender at Saratoga that night, won and paid $186.50 to win.

In the Friday Pick 3 at the Meadowlands, our suggested additions included one winner, Rock N Load ($11.80, $4.80, $3.20) in the second leg. The first-leg contender, Worth The Money As was second ($9.60, $6.60), while the two suggested for leg three were off the board.

Also Friday at the Meadowlands, we were third with Razor Ramone ($2.20) in division one of the Shiaway St Pat series opener and fourth in the second division. The public choices won both divisions of the first leg.

When Northville opened the Saturday, March 14 program, our only choice in Race 1 stormed home to win the first half of the Daily Double in a shocker for everyone else. The H2W had a sole choice, Hemlock Tough Guy ($40.60).

Then, our only choice in Race 2 completed the Daily Double’s generous payoff. Victorious Valle ($14.40) took it, igniting a $529.80 cold score.

Check all of the win, place and show prices, many making across-the-board profits and partners with favorites in Exactas, in the H2W list below.

Back in New Jersey the favorites got the best of our contenders in divisions of the Clyde Hirt and the “Gilmour” final, as Caviart Luca was second at 8-1 ($3.80, $2.20, a $7.80 Exacta with the public-choice winner) in the Hirt and Midnight Lightning third at 55-1 (no show betting) to the 1-9 favorite, Wiggle It Jiggle It.

March is still coming in like a lion for us and we hope you are cashing in on it all, pumping up your TwinSpires accounts as we pass the Ides of March and look toward spring. Next week we cover the launch of the Yonkers stakes season. Read the News & Notes below for those coming attractions.

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H2W RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing second completes the result 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). If a horse appears twice in any category it is because it won after press time from the previous week’s list. This week, there were ===== active horses.

Winners

The Filly Princess, $186.50, $53.00, $10.00, Saratoga
Hemlock Tough Guy, $40.60, $14.00, $4.80 (*Daily Double $529.80), Northville
Victorious Valle, $14.40, $3.80, $2.60 (*Daily Double $529.80), Northville
Lone Raider, $11.20, $4.80, $3.00, Rosecroft
King Otra, $8.50, $4.00, $2.80, Buffalo
Rainbow Gold, $4.60, $4.00, $3.20, Northville
Our Cullenscrown N, $4.00, $2.50, $2.50 ok, Yonkers
Shape Up, $3.50, $2.50, $2.40, Western Fair
Contraband Hanover, $3.40, $2.60, $2.20, Dover
Royal Assassin, $3.40, $2.20, $2.20, Northville

Seconds

Twin B Inspiring, $17.20, $10.10 (Exacta $61.30)
Infinite Desire, $9.40, $6.00, Northfield
Sparky Sir, $8.80, $3.00, Meadows
Klondike Mike, $6.60, $6.40 (Exacta $46.40), Rosecroft
Rajis Blue Line, $6.20, $4.20 (Exacta $28.60), Pompano
Jettie Jamie, $5.40, $5.20, Northfield
Kiss My Yankee, $4.40, $4.80 ok, Northfield
Johnny Grippa, $4.20, $3.20 (Exacta $11.60), Pompano
Barrys Shelby, $3.70, $2.40, Flamboro
Hoosier Chatter, $3.30, $2.40 (Exacta $9.50), Yonkers
Peenie, $3.80, $2.90, Buffalo
Jvs Dream, $2.60, $2.10, Norhfield

Thirds

Forest Orade, $10.50, Flamboro
Kayleighs Future, $5.00, Northfield
Babes I Scoot, $4.10, Yonkers
Incredible Frank, $3.00, Western Fair
Caseys Lil Harry, $2.80, Northville
Coletech, $2.90, Buffalo
Coffee Addict, $2.50, Yonkers
Hally, $2.20, Northfield

News & Notes

Yonkers Raceway launches the 2015 edition of the George Morton Levy Memorial and Blue Chip Matchmaker next week (we will be featuring the series in our weekend blogs). Sixty-two of the best Free For Allers in training – 39 “Levys” and 23 “Matchmakers” – are poised to start the marathon series (Matchmaker on Friday, March 20 and GM Levy Saturday, March 21). Leading the Levys is Foiled Again., as he begins his 11-year-old campaign. He won the Levy consecutively in 2008-‘09. Defending champ PH Supercam is also among the group, along with Apprentice Hanover, Big Boy Dreams, Clear Vision, Dancin Yankee, Lucan Hanover and Warrawee Needy.

Somwherovrarainbow, who won the Matchmaker last year, is among the femmes in their series. Anndrovette is also Matchmaker-bound, along with Carolsideal, Sayitall BB and Yagonnakissmeornot. Both the Levy ($50,000 per race) and Matchmaker ($40,000 per event) offer five legs, with finals (and consolations) scheduled for Saturday, April 25.

Hoosier Park is set to open its 22nd season of harness racing. It will be a 160-day meet, starting Friday, March 27 and going through Saturday, Nov. 14. The daily post time will be 5:15 p.m. Eastern time. Hoosier horses will be added to the H2W list, as well as we will cover their major events throughout the season.

Bill Robinson, who returned to active training of horses in late February, has been doing well so far. The conditioner who spent more than a decade out of the sport, has, at press time, two wins, two seconds and two thirds in eight starts. Many players will monitor team Robinson as stock on his watch continue to campaign in North America, since he was one of the top trainers in the continent for years before being forced out.

Vernon Downs kicks off its 62nd year of racing on Friday, April 17 with a first-race post of 6:45 p.m., Eastern time. The meet will consist of 90 days, from April 17 through Nov. 21. The Catherine Burton Trotting Series’ preliminary legs are set for April 24 and May 1. The Anthony Farina Pacing Series is slated for April 25 and May 2. The finals for each will be raced on May 10. Both legs of each series go for $4,000 with $10,000 added to each final.

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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