Wiggle’ Wipes Out ‘Battle’ Field; $28 Winner From Northfield; $15 Soph Trotter Tops ‘Trail’ Scores

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.

About this past weekend:

Saturday, May 21, Wiggle It Jiggleit ($3.00, $2.40, $2.10) won the Battle of Lake Erie, as we predicted, over Freaky Feet Pete, who finished third, with All Bets Off (30-1) taking second. The “Wiggle” price was fair, as “Pete” took some win money from the pool and wound up the second choice. 

At the Meadowlands on May 21 we were third in two of three Graduate splits. In one of the two trots we had Honor And Serve ($3.80). In the other trot, Pinkman ($2.40) was overtaken by two long shots and Centurion ATM (47-1) was sixth. We lost the pace with fifth-finisher Americanprimetime (87-1).

That same evening, we were third in a New Jersey Sires Stakes for filly pacers with Katies Rocker ($2.20). The huge public choice took that one. We lost in the other split for fillies with Rocknroll Fan (86-1).

At Yonkers on May 21, the single elimination for next week’s Art Rooney Memorial (soph-pacing colts), we were third but we won; not on a disqualification, either. We backed Artmagic, who finished third, but he was part of the favorite entry with the winner, Missile J ($2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok).

On Sunday, May 22 at Pocono Downs, three divisions of Pennsylvania Sires Stakes for soph-colt pacers highlighted the program, each worth $54,000-plus.

We scored in round two with Lyons Snyder ($7.60, $3.80, $3.00), and were fifth in each of the other two divisions with JJ Flynn (29-1) and Sapient Hanover (7-1).

HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL

On Saturday, May 21, the Meadows hosted -filly and colt divisions of the Currier & Ives Grand Circuit stakes. We won with Iron Mine Bucky ($15.80, $5.00, $2.80) in the first colt event (Steed, who was a recent “Trail” choice, was second for a $70.00 exacta. We lost the second colt split with Landjack Hanover (20-1).

We were third in one of the two filly divisions with My Pink Bike ($4.00), who, with the two top choices brought in a measly triple worth $20.20. We lost the other with Twill Be Done (8-1) who broke in action.

That same day, at Vernon, we lost a New York Sires Stakes event for colts with Chukkar (37-1). Oddly enough, the colt we backed and lost on in the Dexter Cup won this race—Sir Royson ($42.00, $15.40, n/s/).

Friday, May 20, soph-filly trotters battled at the Meadowlands in two divisions of New Jersey Sires Stakes, while one division hosted colts. We captured the public choice in round two for the fillies with Wildflower ($4.80, $2.60, $2.10). We were fourth in the colt split with Double L Lindy (31-1) and fourth and fifth, respectively in the first filly mile with Batoutahill (15-1) and Jinx (61-1).

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 80 active horses (a 15-percent win hit rate and a 38-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

Gamblers Anonymous, $28.60, $11.60, $6.20, Northfield
Tyne Valley, $9.90, $5.50, $2.10, Charlottetown
Acefortyfour Alex, $9.10, $3.80, $2.80, Flamboro
Master Of Desire, $6.80, $4.00, $3.20, Hawthorne
Times Are Tight, $6.60, $3.40, n/s, Northville
SS Derby Girl, $6.20, $3.20, $2.10, Freehold
Gerries Sport, $5.90, $2.70, $2.40, Mohawk
Tidquist, $4.10, $3.90, $3.30, Tioga
GPS Legacy, $4.00, $2.10, $2.60 ok, Pompano
Darlinonthebeach, $3.60, $2.20, $2.10, Pocono
Sams Honeybee, $3.60, $3.00, $2.60, Freehold
Kick A Lot, $3.10, $2.30, $2.10, Vernon

Seconds

Female Finesse, $21.30, $9,00 (Exacta $21.20), Charlottetown
Duc Dorleans, $8.30, $.50, Mohawk
Parklane Indy, $7.40, $4.40, Hawthorne
Riverofroyalty, $6.10, $3.90 (Exacta $10.40), Saratoga
Rubis Prescott, $4.80, $3.10, Mohawk
Clintons Memory, $4.30, $3.60 (Exacta, $40.80), Century
Beluga Ridge, $3.20, n/s, Plainridge
I Said Please, $23.00, $2.60 (Exacta $7.20), Pocono
Steed, $2.60, $2.20, Pocono
Garlandsandpearls, $2.20, $2.10, Plainridge
Hoorei For Flash, $2.20, $2.10 (Exacta $5.00), Northville

Thirds

Buddha Blue Chip, $5.00, Meadows
Twin B Sweetheart, $4.50, Mohawk
Churita, $4.40, Hoosier
Wind Of The North, $4.20, Philadelphia
Nomatterwhen, $3.90, Mohawk
Naked By Nine, $3.80, Scioto
Limelight Beach, $2.80, Philadelphia

News & Notes

Western Fair announced that a few millionaires confirmed to the upcoming $150,000 Molson Pace and that the field is now set for next Friday night (May 27). The combined earnings of this year’s Molson Pace field are more than $9 million. One of the rich pacers is $1.7- million winner McWicked. He joins seven rivals, including All Bets Off, Bettor Rock On N, Evenin Of Pleasure, Machtu N, PH Supercam, State Treasurer and Sunfire Blue Chip. We will analyze the race in our May 26 blog.

Jim Marino and Justin Currie are well known in the western Canadian harness community but are new faces at Running Aces, where they are currently racing some stock. Marino joined the Running Aces driving colony for the summer meet. The British Columbia (B.C.) native has been among the top drivers in that region, with winners of over $10 million in purses. Marino’s stable in Minnesota is in league with fellow B.C. trainer Justin Currie. Running Aces will be racing every Tuesday night (7 p.m. Central) and Saturday and Sunday nights (6 p.m. Central ) through Sept. 3, and will add Wednesday nights (7 p.m. Central) starting July 27.

Also returning to Running Aces for the summer schedule are horsemen from the great California harness era. Veterans of the old days when California harness raced at the now defunct Hollywood Park, the thoroughbred-extended Los Alamitos, the upstate Bay Meadows, the cherished spa Del Mar and Pompona’s Fairplex, have been traveling to race their stock, mostly in the Midwest (Cal-Expo, the surviving harness oval in the Golden State, just ended its current meet). On tap in Minnesota are trainer/drivers Gerald Longo and Tim Maier. Modern harness heroes from the west include Luke Plano (son of veteran Rick), Lemoyne Svendsen, Steve Wiseman and Tony Succarotte. More may join as the summer ensues.

The Meadows announced changes in the track’s racing calendar, affecting five 2016 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) events. The stakes new dates are: PASS soph-filly pace, May 27; PA Stallion Series soph-filly pace, May 27; PASS frosh-colt trot, July 15; PASS soph-filly trot-- Aug. 19; PA Stallion Series soph-filly trot, Aug. 19.

Here is another reminder regarding Yonkers’s scheduled mid-season intermission. After the matinee program of Tuesday (May 31), Yonker’s next program is Monday (June 13) with post time at 7:10 p.m. At that time, the five-program per week (Monday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday at 7:10 p.m., Tuesday at 1 p.m.) returns.

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 ~