Top Winners At $18, $13, $10 With 53-Percent Win, Place, Show For H2W; Power Plays Kaput With Chosen Favorites Atop

Our personal-features weekend began on Thursday, March 9 at Freehold where we took on a Pick 3. We took the first leg with Soapy Sap ($7.20, $5.20, $3.60), having Flowing James (16-1) finish sixth. We just missed the next leg with a second for Modern Look ($2.60, $2.10), though Santanna Sam (7-1), also on the ticket, was seventh. We were very confident about Italian Rebel (19-1) and singled him but he did no better than fifth.

Power Plays began at Saratoga on Friday, March 10. We nabbed the winner, Barryscourt ($5.40, $2.70, $2.30) and the show horse, Full Grown Man ($5.20), two elements of the $152.50 trifecta. Our superfecta possibilities went south with Coin Collector (9-1) finishing sixth and Cabo San Lukas (20-1) finishing seventh.

That afternoon at the Meadows we were third with Sheeza Shark N ($2.80), while Blus Hanover (23-1) came in sixth.

A Power Plays Meadowlands race on Saturday, March 11, produced the winner, Rockin Ron ($5.40, $3.20, $2.20), but our other contenders failed to accompany him in any exotic combo. Dontcallmefrancis (27-1) finished sixth; Somesizessomestyle (23-1) finished seventh; and Bettor Memories (52-1) got home ninth.

The other Power Plays race took place at Northfield, where we usually do well with our outside contenders but failed miserably as two of the favorites dominated the pools with success. Meanwhile, the best we did was with an element of the superfecta, as KJs Foxy Lady (17-1) finished fourth. Delightful Syd (10-1) finished fifth; Star Studded Gun (8-1) finished sixth; and Hillarys Style came in eighth.

All horses that did not win in our personal features—including Power Plays—if not scratched—appear in the following week’s H2W list as second-time (noted: +) entries. Keep an eye on their second times around; more than a few come back to win.

On various Wednesday nights we tweet for TwinSpires Twitter members from @FrankCotolo –retweeted by @twinspires—and the raceway involved. Losers from each week will appear on the next week’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list unless they race before that blog is published, so watch for them returning to the races on days in between blogs. Watch for special tweets from raceways on various Wednesdays.

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 43 active horses (a 23-percent win hit rate and a 53-percent ATB [across-the-board] 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

Kesons Avaia, $18.00, $8.80, $6.50, Saratoga
St Lads Maggie Mae, $13.60, $4.40, $7.40 ok, Northfield
Lodi Machete Man, $10.40, $4.00, $3.00, Cal-Expo
Fantastic Rock, $6.40, $4.20, $3.60, Miami
Denver Deal, $6.00, $3.00, $2.60, Northville
Keep The Cash, $5.80, $3.20, $2.80, Northville
Allmyx’sliveintexas, $5.20, $3.60, $2.40, Cal-Expo
Pine Dream, $4.60, $3.00, $2.40, Miami
Fraternity, $4.00, $2.60, $2.20, Meadowlands
Power To Perform, $2.80, $2.20, $2.10, Dover

Seconds

Petite Courageuse, $9.40, $7.20, Miami
Lincoln, $6.80, $2.80 (Exacta $9.20), Cal-Expo
Alexas Jackpot, $4.60, $2.70 (Exacta $24.60), Woodbine
Togetherforever, $4.60, $3.00 (Exacta $25.00), Miami
Be My Lucky Lady, $3.80, $2.60 (Exacta $5.70), Cal-Expo
Skyflex, $2.9-, $2.40, Flamboro
DC Uprising, $2.40, $2.10, Northfield

Thirds

Ms Solongbyebye, $13.00, Northfield
Runway Model, $6.30, Western Fair
Bismark, $6.00, Rosecroft
High Resolution, $3.10, Buffalo
Big Yellow, $2.70, Woodbine
Derecho, $2.70, Yonkers

News & Notes

It is with profound sadness that I accept the passing of Sam McKee. The race-caller who suffered a debilitating stroke a few weeks and was recuperating, died this past week from complications. We are running the link to the GoFund Me account here for any and all expenses incurred by his death –  https://www.gofundme.com/sam-mckees-medical-fund. I’m sure that I speak for the entire TwinSpires staff in expressing condolences to the McKee family. Sam is and will be missed dearly. For a story on Sam’s achievements, click here: http://standardbredcanada.ca/news/3-9-17/remembering-sam-mckee.html

The upcoming week launches the season’s major features, beginning at Yonkers with the George Morton Levy and the Blue Chip Matchmaker series. These two series have provided great winners from our harness blogs at TwinSpires and dating back to those we covered on YouBet. Forty Free-For-All pacers, including last year’s champ, Bit Of A Legend, are nominated to the “Levy,” which presents five weeks of preliminary miles worth $50,000 a mile, beginning March 18.

Also at Yonkers, the Blue Chip Matchmaker, for pacing mares, attracted 28 aged distaffers and begins on March 17, featuring five weeks of prelim legs worth $40,000 a mile. Not returning this year is the ’16 champion, Yagonnakissmeornot. She is now a broodmare only. Other recognizable nominees include Al Raza N, Bedroomconfessions, Krispy Apple, Mach It A Par and Sandbetweenurtoes. Watch for analysis and strong outside contenders in the TwinSpires harness blogs.

There are date changes for some upcoming events at Pocono. The Bobby Weiss Series, a late-closer for three- and four-year-old horses returns in April with four events (for non-winners of two extended pari-mutuel races or $30,000 lifetime as of and including Jan. 1, 2017). The events will be for male pacers, female pacers, male trotters and female trotters. Each “Weiss” will consist of four legs and a $30,000 final.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in many standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.

For Thom Pye cartoons, informative harness history and more, click here ~