‘Wiggle’ On Target In Confederation Cup Field of Nine; Glamour Pacers At Pocono

The concentration this week once again falls upon the older set and one in particular pacer that has entered the division this year with a great deal of focus and question—Wiggle It Jiggleit. The $244,000 Confederation Cup from Flamboro Downs on May 15 pits the Horse of the Year against eight others, some also new to the division, all of them four-year-olds in a demanding situation to prove and produce. Below, we feature extensive coverage of the “Confed” and its cast of characters.

Also on Sunday, glamour-boy pacers line the division’s fields for lucrative PA All Stars miles at Pocono Downs. It is early in the season but some of the projected superstars of the sophomore ilk are rearing their speedy gaits already and that means value may present itself in up-and-coming participants.

Because the featured race programs (Flamboro’s program starts at 6 p.m. Eastern) are on Sunday, our update blog with remarks and results for the week will be posted late Sunday night.

On The Hambletonian Trail this week, the Meadows hosts lucrative Pennsylvania Sires Stakes splits on Saturday, May 14 and Yonkers grills the glamour gals on the half-mile Monday, May 15. Check the separate blog, exclusively brought to you by TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society.
 
The TwinSpires horses-to-watch list (H2W) is producting great percentages across the board with its unique selections of outside contenders. No other handicapping sources in print or on line deliver as much promising profit from the horses on the H2W list. Prepare to hammer the win, place, show and exotic pools. Always consider H2W horses when constructing your wagers.

SATURDAY’S SPECIALS

With a Sunday-heavy features weekend (not counting the Hambletonian Trail), we offer some special races worthy of wagering consideration. We begin at The Meadowlands’ on Saturday, May 14, where the $25,000 Open Handicap features some star pacers.

The dynamic Indiana-bred Always B Miki gets post 7 against six others. He is one win and place for his two starts so far and joins stable mate JK Endofanera (Jimmy Takter barn) against season-starters In The Arsenal and Mcwicked. Mixing up the works is Ron Burke’s Always At My Place, two for five this year and two others considered rank outsiders.

”Miki” deserves the utmost attention always, so to speak, but one of the rank outsiders, Mel Mara, could get an opportunistic trip with the speed battling heavily the first three-quarters. Using Mel Mara and Miki in exotics could result in a decent pay off.

With a $30,000 purse, Yonkers’ Preferred Handicap on Saturday brings to the field a few “Levy” pacers that should dominate the eight-horse harangue. Lucan Hanover has only to shake up Limelight Beach to get the lead and wander home first unless “Limelight,” winless for 10 this season, can win a clear lead early. That, however, is the best betting scenario. Limelight may be overlooked in this Levy-reject group and that should attract smart bettors.

THE CONFED-CUP CHALLENGE

It is never easy handicapping a race when a stalwart performer is involved. Though we don’t run across these types too often any more, we did last season with the sophomore Wiggle It Jiggleit and now we are faced with his prowess at four, which has already reared its forceful head.

The $244,000 Confederation Cup, oddly enough, used to be a race with same-day heats and a final for sophomore pacers. After a two-year hiatus, it returned to Flamboro Downs in 2015 as a stakes race for four-year-olds. The timing was not right for “Wiggle” to follow in the hoof beats of champion sophomores that have won the “Cup” but it falls into history to allow him to take it on at four. The venerable speedster leads a field of nine on May 15, including a trio from Burke’s barn, a pair from Chris Ryder and some locals.

The Canadian pair in the field are Drachan Hanover and Rockin In Heaven, the latter coming off a win in 1:50.1 at Mohawk. Burke’s crew includes My Hero Ron, Rockin Ron and Rock N Roll World.
 
Class-wise, Wiggle has them all beaten with $2.3 million in earnings and only four losses in 26 starts at three. He has done well on half-mile tracks. Trainer Clyde Francis trains Wiggle on the four turns and says track size “doesn’t bother him.”

Last week at Mohawk, Wiggle took on Canadian champ State Treasurer and the two cancelled one another out in a speed duel, allowing Nickle Bag, trained by our old pal, Bill Robinson. Nickle Bag, though coming off a win at 1:49—fastest Canadian mile this year so far—took advantage of the two pacers’ head-to-head battle (three-quarters in 1:22.4) and roared ahead of the tiring two in the stretch.

Francis admitted he was disappointed in how Wiggle raced. “He didn’t look as good as he did when we trained him [before the race]. I hope there is not much to it.” Wiggle does have a strange waddle when he accelerates but Francis said the usual bobbling was worse during that race. At press time, there was no report that anything happened to Wiggle and he stayed in the box and drew post 9 for the event. Post 9 at Flamboro is behind post 1 in the second tier.

Wiggle won’t wait long for the horses to line up out of the gate before coming out and taking over. That brush could be a move lethal to the others, making their chase futile. Rockin In Heaven, the penultimate speedster here, leaves from post 7 and could be hanged early or forced to go the overland route in the chase which makes the race Wiggle’s to lose.

National Seelster could find a mid-pack place that saves him ground for a role in the exotics that could pay well.

KEYSTONE COLTS COLLIDE

Soph-colt pacers pounce for the big prizes of PA All Stars splits on May 15 at Pocono. In the first $30,000 episode, we return to the talents of The Catamount Kid, who raced gallantly in the elim and final of the Pennsylvania Classic and should go off in this batch worthy of a wager. It’s always hard to tell as we go to press but the seemingly closeness of talent here could turn the public off of the classiest horse.

Also from the “Classic,” JJ Flynn takes on eight others in episode two. He finished in the purse grid of the Classic’s second elim at 5-1 and should be thereabouts in this. A brave exacta would include Beach Ogre, who debuts at three after a spotty frosh campaign. He may have matured enough to start earning well.

The last split of the program will most likely favor Burke’s Fernando Hanover but Senator Charlie has yet to be off the board in as many starts and even as a second public choice should more than live up to being a top contender. Also, Mr Right Hanover, from post 8, is more than capable to make some noise here, if not upset the other seven.

H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

H2W LIST

Bangor
5/13/16, Electric Mayhem R3; +Ms Neutralize R6

Century
5/13/16, Im Gracies Wigwam R3; +Crash My Party R5; +Princess Dorleans R7
5/14/16, Astrid The Axe R2; Joyful Sound R4; Outlawblueporsche R6; Rodeo Joe R7; Cenalta Artistry R8; +Credit The Shark R8; Shes All That R10

Charlottetown
5/12/16, +Hornswoggle R7; +Julep Hanover R11

Flamboro
5/14/16, Squeeze This R5
5/15/16, Cantcountmeout R4

Freehold
5/12/16, +Lemon Drop Hall R5; +Nothing To Wear R9

Hawthorne
5/12/16, +Hoodwinked R10
5/13/16, Sparkin Your Fire R6
5/14/16, +Leenah Pearl R3; Double Stitched R4; +Montero Blue Chip R7; Master Of Desire R9; +That Man Of Mine R11

Meadowlands
5/14/16, Roland N Rock R6

Meadows
5/14/16, +Seventh Secret R7; +Shes Swanderful R14

Mohawk
5/13/16, Twin B Sweetheart R1; Naughty Lady B R4; Rubis Prescott R5; Nomatterwhen R7; +Ms Mac N Cheese R9
5/14/16, Justabit Mean R1; Domedomedome R5; Casimir Overdrive R9; +Tighten Up R9; Duc Dorleans R11; Dalton Bromac N R11

Monticello
5/12/16, Chester Hanover R1

Northfield
5/14/16, Gamblers Anonymous R5; Sand Tilly Lace R5; +Nirvana Gear R9; +Olivia V R13
5/16/16, +Upfrontoutthedoor R8

Northville
5/14/16, Speakin Greek R4

Philadelphia
5/12/16, Don Dorado R2; +BWT Taj R9; Azucar R12
5/15/16, +PH Supercam R7

Plainridge
5/12/16, Beluga Ridge R4; Hallanet R7; Lindyaholic R7

Pocono
5/15/16, +Steed R1; Canepa Hanover R9; +Sea Harrier R13
5/16/16, +Darlinonthebeach R5; +I Said Please R7; +Reigningblack Swan R8

Pompano
5/15/16, GPS Legacy R5; Heaven Said R6

Saratoga
5/12/16, _New Miracle R11
5/13/16, Fox Valley Truth R3; Queen Of Darkness R6; Kallista R8
 
Scarborough
5/14/16, +Heaven Touched R2; +Daughtry Hanover R2; Really Living R4; My Last Chance R8

Scioto
5/14/16, Santa Fe Beachboy R7

Tioga
5/14/16, Tidquist R1; Well Shaded R8
5/15/16, Clearedfortakeoff R12
 
Vernon
5/12/16, Amazon Ideal R5
5/13/16, +Shallow Hal R7; Elettrizzante R9

Western Fair
5/13/16, Sweet Aaron R2; Irish Thunder R7

Yonkers
5/12/16, +Velocity Vespa R1  ;
5/13/16, +For The Ladies N R9
5/14/16, +Meetmeatmidnight R3; Texas Terror N R4

Ray Cotolo contributes to each edition