Wild Winners Pay $56, $36, $25 Highs; ‘Pete’ Power; ‘Wow’ Awakens At Hoosier

The features may have resulted in slim pickings but the horses-to-watch list (H2W) was a winner’s knock out across the board. Check out the H2W pool results below.

The features’ choices literally came up a bit short, even when they offerd to pay long . . .

The big showdown between Freaky Feet Pete and Wiggle It Jiggleit at Hoosier on Oct. 30 was much like the Breeders Crown final for the soph-colt division, with “Pete” sitting cold while “Wiggle” cut the mile and then pulling to zoom past Wiggle and win. Rightfully so, Wiggle was the top choice and the perfect-trip Pete was second favorite. We hoped to pump up the price with either an upset from a duel or as third in a triple with Wiggle and Pete by using Roland N Rock (81-1) but My Hero Ron (20-1) took third and made no real contribution to the exotics.

Earlier, local-favorite Devil Child beat Sassa Hanover (2.20, $2.10) in the USS Indianapolis, which was surprising to us in how it was bet and how it resulted. Like Wiggle, “Sassa” led and was short. Neither of those finishes were understandable to our estimations.

Another strange short finish came from Pinkman ($2.10), overpowered by Crazy Wow (6-1) and local-hero Homicide Hunter (11-1) in the soph-colt Carl Erskine stakes. The speed would not hold for the the magnificent trio of Wiggle, Sassa and Pinkman and Habitat (10-1) was traveling super at three-quarters from a 10-hole start when he jumped and galloped home last.

Though Churita (another surprise at 8-1) finished third in the Crossroads of America, we partnered her with the winner, Muscle Baby Doll ($3.40, $2.60, $2.20) in the soph-filly trot stakes.

For Foiled Again (4-1) however, a wire-to-wire victory in the tiny field of the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby was a win by ¼ length from Jk Endofanera, while we backed the third horse, All Bets Off ($2.40) at the best price (5-1).

Saturday, Oct. 31 at Vernon Downs in a Kindergarten Stakes for frosh-colt trotters, Celebrity Express (12-1) came off a strong brush to lead at three-quarters when he began to gallop, letting the favorite trot to victory.

The filly-trot Kindergarten Stakes was a wild-west show once the 1-9 favorite entry of Haughty and Hollywood Hill broke behind 64-1 Sweet Ashley dueling with our choice, Radiant Beam (21-1). The duel cost our horse dearly as Wildflower (91-1) glided easily by them to win by a neck over another closer, Lookin Sharp (8-1). That is a true heartbreaker, having a 1-9 entry eliminated from the race only to lose to a 91-1 shot with a 21-1 shot.

Now, on to the role call of successful choices.

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 the 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 47 active horses (a 21-percent win hit rate and a 45-percent in-the-money hit rate). One note: the list included three horses at Batavia that at the time we thought would be betting races; they turned out to be non-betting races.

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place and/or show results occurring after press time and that it is up to you to follow those horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

You’re News, $56.00, $3.80, $2.40, Scarborough
Slow And Easy, $36.40, $11.80, $6.60, Cal Expo
Pembroke Delux, $25.20, $6.00, $3.40, Plainridge
Jada Queen, $12.20, $5.40, $6.80 ok, Rosecroft
Twice Too Nice, $10.40, $6.40, $2.90, Vernon
Holy Molie Maggie, $6.60, $3.00, $3.00, Charlottestown
Freaky Flyer, $4.80, $3.30, $2.40, Batavia
Little Miss Woohoo, $4.80, $4.80, $5.00 ok, Rosecroft
Smooth Finish, $4.20, $3.20, $2.60, Freehold
Bad Bad Boy, $3.60, $3.90, $2.30 ok, Batavia

Seconds

Cue Hall, $20.20, $9.20 (Exacta $145.20), Hoosier
The Irish Maverick, $3.40, $2.10 (Exacta $9.00), Scarborough
Logan Runn, $2.60, $2.20, Scarborough

Thirds

Out nOf Our Hands, $6.60, Dayton
Nothing Wrong, $6.00, Rosecroft
Quick Little Miss, $4.20, Northville
Good Side, $3.40, Freehold
Meritage Hanover, $3.20, Cal Expo
Beckett Hanover, $2.60, Rosecroft
Norma Rei, $2.20, Northville
Bossy, n/s, Fraser

News & Notes

Winter at Woodbine—while harness is still being offered—will present a dozen winter series events over the months of December, January, February and March. The finals will feature nearly $500,000 in added money over the course of the 2015-2016 winter. The Niagara for three-year-old pacing fillies and the Valedictory for three-year-old pacing colts kick off winter series in December. Both series will wrap up with their finals on a special afternoon Boxing Day (Dec. 26) card. New in 2015, a pair of series for four-year-old pacers is presented; one for four-year-old pacing mares who are non-winners of $100,000 lifetime as of Oct. 31, 2015; another with the same conditions and is for four-year-old pacing horses and geldings. Other winter series include the Blizzard, Snowshoe, Miss Vera Bars, The Count B, Ontario Girls, Ontario Boys, Lifetime Dream and General Brock.

The Meadows’ three-week hiatus is over and the fall/winter meeting got underway on Friday, Oct. 30, complemented by the track’s simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup. In November, the schedule offers racing Monday through Wednesday and Friday. December follows the same schedule except for one Friday evening program on Dec. 18. All other post times are 12:55 p.m.

The Red Mile was awarded 32 dates, from July 24 – Oct. 9. Grand Circuit racing will begin Sept. 29 and run through Oct. 9. Bluegrass Downs was awarded 15 dates, operating June 10 – July 10. Thunder Ridge received 21 dates, April 13 – May 27. Keeneland has been working to purchase Thunder Ridge and relocate the facility and license to Corbin in southern Kentucky, with plans for a Quarter Horse meet. The proceeds from the sale of Thunder Ridge were to be used to pay the simulcasting fees owed.

The Meadowlands Racetrack has released information about its next harness racing meet. The 2015-2016 fall/winter season begins Friday, Nov. 13. There will be 13 dates in the remainder of 2015 and the Meadowlands has requested 90 days of racing for its 2016 racing season. The first qualifying session will be held on Friday, Nov. 6. The first condition sheet will be made available on Tuesday, Nov. 3 for the opening weekend of racing. The first weekend of racing will include eliminations for the Fall Final Four freshmen stakes, the Governor’s Cup, Valley Victory, Three Diamonds and Goldsmith Maid).

Extraordinary Extras

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

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

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