Wednesday Harness Preview for 6/11/2014
by Ted Black
While the Wednesday evening cards at Harrington Raceway typically focus on the trotters, and that is again the case this evening at the Delaware half-mile oval, much of the attention from racegoers and horsemen should go toward trainer Jim Atkinson, who is making a speedy return to the track.
Atkinson, who will send out four trotters on the 14-race card, recently underwent 10 hours of surgery designed to help him stave off the pending effects of internal cancer. His recovery was expected to have him sidelined for months, but instead the Delaware trotting trainer is already eager to get his horses conditioned and back to the winner's circle. His long term health, at once in question, is now expected to improve with time.
In the opening race on the card, luck was not on Atkinson's side as his talented five-year-old trotter, Ideal Revenue, drew the dreaded eight hole on the half-mile oval. He has enough ability to get involved in the race at some point, but the logical choice, U-B (Jonathan Roberts) has the rail in this non-winners of $5501 last five class that he nearly won a week ago.
Two races later on the card, however, Idol Kemp (George Dennis) was fortunate to draw the rail following a good, second over score in 1:57.3 last week for Atkinson and looks poised for his second straight tally this evening.
Two races races later in the fifth, a competitive, non-winners of four races or $25,000 lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares, expect Pantheon Seelster (Montrell Teague) and Tune Up (Tony Morgan) to draw most of the public's attention after both were beaten favorites in their respective divisions of the split condition last week. Both will again be formidable, but upset players could take a shot on both Public Enemy and J J Nitro, who drew inside the two favorites.
In the sixth race, sponsored by the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, look for Six Gun Hall to go postward as the solid favorite one race after he was a nondescript sixth in the Open Handicap. Two starts back he won this class for fun and should be difficult to beat here although another Atkinson trainee, Giant Clash, drew the rail and should work out an ideal trip behind favored Six Gun Hall.
One race later in the seventh, a non-winners of three races lifetime event for filly-mare pacers, give Fashion Guru a good chance for the upset following an unlucky trip last week as the 6-5 favorite. She was impeded early and forced to race very wide late and finished fifth - promoted to fourth - and could turn the tables on Caviart Savannah and Lookout Stokk Zone, who will start from posts one and three, respectively.
In the 13th, another Atkinson trainee, DJ's Darling, will look for her first win in 16 starts on the season in this non-winners of $2501 last five event for trotters. Windsong Ingenius (Jim Morand) is the logical choice following a good, second-place effort one week ago and the speedy Jodi Lin (Mike Rossi) will be a factor throughout but sentimentalists will lean toward a DJ's Darling upset.
Then in the 14th and final, looks for Lounge Act (Victor Kirby) to continue her winning ways when she seeks her fourth win in five career tries. Lounge Act has been the odds-on favorite in all four of her starts this year and will likely dip below even-money again in the other half of the non-winners of four or $25,000 lifetime class. Southwind Illusion has the rail and Selandia drew post four with upset chances.
While the Wednesday evening cards at Harrington Raceway typically focus on the trotters, and that is again the case this evening at the Delaware half-mile oval, much of the attention from racegoers and horsemen should go toward trainer Jim Atkinson, who is making a speedy return to the track.
Atkinson, who will send out four trotters on the 14-race card, recently underwent 10 hours of surgery designed to help him stave off the pending effects of internal cancer. His recovery was expected to have him sidelined for months, but instead the Delaware trotting trainer is already eager to get his horses conditioned and back to the winner's circle. His long term health, at once in question, is now expected to improve with time.
In the opening race on the card, luck was not on Atkinson's side as his talented five-year-old trotter, Ideal Revenue, drew the dreaded eight hole on the half-mile oval. He has enough ability to get involved in the race at some point, but the logical choice, U-B (Jonathan Roberts) has the rail in this non-winners of $5501 last five class that he nearly won a week ago.
Two races later on the card, however, Idol Kemp (George Dennis) was fortunate to draw the rail following a good, second over score in 1:57.3 last week for Atkinson and looks poised for his second straight tally this evening.
Two races races later in the fifth, a competitive, non-winners of four races or $25,000 lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares, expect Pantheon Seelster (Montrell Teague) and Tune Up (Tony Morgan) to draw most of the public's attention after both were beaten favorites in their respective divisions of the split condition last week. Both will again be formidable, but upset players could take a shot on both Public Enemy and J J Nitro, who drew inside the two favorites.
In the sixth race, sponsored by the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, look for Six Gun Hall to go postward as the solid favorite one race after he was a nondescript sixth in the Open Handicap. Two starts back he won this class for fun and should be difficult to beat here although another Atkinson trainee, Giant Clash, drew the rail and should work out an ideal trip behind favored Six Gun Hall.
One race later in the seventh, a non-winners of three races lifetime event for filly-mare pacers, give Fashion Guru a good chance for the upset following an unlucky trip last week as the 6-5 favorite. She was impeded early and forced to race very wide late and finished fifth - promoted to fourth - and could turn the tables on Caviart Savannah and Lookout Stokk Zone, who will start from posts one and three, respectively.
In the 13th, another Atkinson trainee, DJ's Darling, will look for her first win in 16 starts on the season in this non-winners of $2501 last five event for trotters. Windsong Ingenius (Jim Morand) is the logical choice following a good, second-place effort one week ago and the speedy Jodi Lin (Mike Rossi) will be a factor throughout but sentimentalists will lean toward a DJ's Darling upset.
Then in the 14th and final, looks for Lounge Act (Victor Kirby) to continue her winning ways when she seeks her fourth win in five career tries. Lounge Act has been the odds-on favorite in all four of her starts this year and will likely dip below even-money again in the other half of the non-winners of four or $25,000 lifetime class. Southwind Illusion has the rail and Selandia drew post four with upset chances.
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