Two Miami Pick-4 Legs Right On; Mid-Week Tweet Winners; Biggest Prices To Place

Last Wednesday, March 9, Twinspires Twitter members were again treated to special picks for Buffalo Raceway. The March 9 quartet of suggested contenders was tweeted from @FrankCotolo on Twitter and retweeted by @twinspires and @BuffaloRaceway. This week, two winners from four contenders won. In Race 7 we won with Avanza ($7.90, $3.60, $3.60) and in Race 8 we won with Blue Mitchell ($12.20, $6.20, $3.90). In Race 10 we were third with McRnrow Hall ($2.60). The losers appear in the next horses-to-watch (H2W) list.

Thursday. March 10, we offered a 12-1 Art Of The West in our feature at Freehold and finished off the board. New to Thursdays is Saratoga. The Pick 4 (Races 7 through 10) began with  Jolly Jubiter ($5.60, $3.20 Exacta $10.00). We won the second leg with Cup Day Spur N ($7.70, $4.00, $4.00 ok). Leg three’s TJs Rocky (12-1) finished eighth and the last leg’s contender, Depth More Depth, scratched.

Friday night, March 11, the Miami Valley Pick 4 delivered two favorites in the first legs. Our contenders in leg one were Velocity Lana ($5.40), third, Ken Doll J ($4.20, $3.40) second and with the favorite the Exacta paid $7.00, the Triple paid $27.70 and the Superfecta paid the
$25.72.

We won the second and third legs with My Hare Lady ($4.40, $3.00, $2.80), with Caseofthesmiles fourth; and then we scored with Gran Gabriel (9.40, $4.40, $3.80), with Ginger Spice ($2.40) third and Allthatjazz Die Vie fourth. In the fourth leg Its Jessee Time (7-1) finished seventh and Tinder ($3.20) was third.

Also Friday, at Yonkers, Girllookatthatbody (4-1) finished sixth. Then, Saturday, March 12, we struck out with a pair of longshots. Exactly Black (15-1) raced evenly but could not catch the public choice, Then Royaltyhasarrived (22-1) found an early spot from post 9 but the two public choices exchanged spots late for another crowd-pleasing, low-priced payoff,

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 52 active horses (a 12-percent win hit rate and a 40-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

Victory Ahead, $13.40, $4.80, $2.20
Blue Mitchell, $12.20, $6.20, $3.90, Buffalo
McCedesm $8.50, $4.10, $3.80, Yonkers
Avanza, $7.90, $3.60, $3.60 ok, Buffalo
Boy Of Mine, $6.30, $3.50, $2.90, Monticello
Red Carpet Tonight, $3.60, $2.60, $2.10, Buffalo

Seconds

Yes You Can, $24.60, n/s, Woodbime
Hopeful Trust, $17.80, $8.20, Northfield
Palms Beacgm $4.70, $4.00, Saratoga
O Narotac Perfectto, $4.00, $4.20, ok, Woodbine
Elisevinthedust, $3.20, $2.90, Fraser
Stirling Cadillac, $3.20, $2.20 (Exaca $6.00), Buffalo
Lefty Malone, $2.70,$2.30 (Exacta $6.10), Fraser
Goldin Parachute, $2.60, $2.10, $2.10, Dover

Thirds

Cracker Coffee, $6.10, Yonkers
Hard To Rock This, $5.40, Miami
Tinder, $3.20, Miami
Lisplaced, $2.80, Fraser
She’s All That, $2.80, Fraser
McEnroe Hall, $2.60, Buffalo
Hailstorm Volo, $2.40, Freehold

News & Notes

It’s getting close to the stakes season, once again opening with the best Free-For-Allers in training for Yonkers Raceway’s George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series for males and the Blue Chip Matchaker Series fo mare pacers. Unlike recent other years, the excitement is heightened with the presence of Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit. Returning, also is defending champion Domethatagain and the perennial performer Foiled Again. The cast also includes (alphabetically) All Bets Off, Bit Of A Legend N, Ideal Cowboy, Limelight Beach, P H Supercam, Take It Back Terry and The Real One, to name but a few. The first of five preliminary rounds (all races worth $50,000) is set for Saturday (March 19). The Matchmaker gets underway Friday, March 18, attracting some of the finest pacing mares around. Defending series champ Venus Delight is joined by, among others, Anndrovette, Carolsideal, Gallie Bythe Beach, Krispy Apple, Regil Elektra, Sell A Bit N and Yagonnakissmeornot. The Matchmaker also offers five prelim rounds (all races worth $40,000). Both series conclude with finals (purses TBA) and their respective consolations on Saturday night (April 23).

The first qualifying session of Pocono Downs’ 2016 season on  March 8 saw some serious prepping for the meet. A fast trotting time of 1:56.4 was recorded by Chipoffthewall, a three-year-old gelding trained by Syl King Jr. The fastest pacing time of the session went to Toastmygoats in 1:54 for trainer Nick Surick. The lucrative Pennsylvania meet once again attracts top barns as it opens Saturday, March 19 (post time will be 6:30 p.m.). In March, racing will be held on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and in April, racing will move to the regular schedule of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday.

Speaking of lucrative, Yonkers Raceway continues to offer horsemen terrific overnight purses and last week the track announced an across-the-the-board purse increase. The significant (up to 25 per cent) hikes raise the overnight purse range from $8,000 (for $12,500 claimers) to $40,000 (weekly Opens/Open Handicaps). The current structure is $6,500 to $32,000. Is it any wonder players are finding the community of trainers and drivers at the New York half mile among the most recognizable on the east coast?

Rocky View County council gave approval to an expansion plan for Century Downs Racetrack/Casino. The expansion will introduce a pair of barns, a barn lounge building and a building for the jockeys (when Century launches a thoroughbred meet.

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 ~