Woodbine’s $36 Winner Tops First New Year’s Weekend; Fat Place And Show Numbers Adorn Features

The best of our paying winners came from the horses-to-watch (H2W) list, starting the New Year with a set of double-digit victories.

Our features mix this past week had more positives than negatives, all in all, but only one outright winner. That status went to the first race in the Northfield Park Pick 4 on Jan. 1. It was KJ’s Foxy Lady ($15.60, $5.60, $4.60) taking the first leg. In that same race, third went to our other selection, Desperate Crowds ($11.00), going off at 93-1.

The remainder of that Pick 4 included High Flying Sara ($4.40) third in leg two, with Shell Bell (9-2) breaking to finish eighth. Another third, American Grace ($2.40) became the only choice in that race when Allie Oakley scratched. Then, 22-1 Eternal River ($4.00) was third, beating our other choice for the final leg, Real Joy (3-1), who finished fourth as a co-favorite.

The Northfield Pick 4 was won by horses paying 6-1 (our choice), 8-5, 7-2 and 4-5. It paid $334.20 for $1.00.

At the beginning of the features week, Dec. 31, our choices at Charlottetown were both beaten by the race favorite, who won, but were two-thirds of a huge trifecta and an exacta. We had second with Million Teen ($10.30, $6.70) for a $31.40 exacta and we had third with Just A Professor ($9.00) for a triactor worth $881.40 for two bucks.

On Jan. 2 our two Meadowlands pick were huge outsiders. Mullet Blue Chip (64-1) and Caiart Luca (45-1) both finished second in their respective races.
 
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 36 active horses (an 11-percent win hit rate and a 42-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

Bringhome Theblue, $36.60, $12.60, $7.60, Woodbine
Fast Lane Ferrari, $14.10, $4.20, $3.30, Fraser
Moon Is On Fire, $8.20, $4.60, $3.60, Cal Expo
Wizard Of Art, $3.90, $2.30, $2.20, Monticello

Seconds

Ally-con, $4.60, $3.80 (Exacta $11.80), Northfield
Beauty Of Nature, $3.40, $2.70 (Exacta $4.30), Northlands

Thirds

Benjaminbanneker N, $23.20, Meadowlands
Ab’s Attack, $7.40, Dayton
Beach Blast, $7.40, Pompano
Place At The Beach, $6.60, Cal Expo
Mystic Sign, $4.30, Northlands
Cold Certified, $3.30, Woodbine
Yanotherhos, $3.20, Fraser
Say It Again Sam, $2.60, Dayon
Fast Lane Fireball, $2.50, Fraser
 
News & Notes

Miami Valley Gaming’s (MVG) third season, a four-month, 86-program meet, begins Jan. 9 and goes through May 8. Bettors will enjoy some new changes. In 2016, afternoon matinees take place every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with a first race post of 2:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday cards beginning at 6:05 p.m. New wagering opportunities include the addition of rolling Daily Doubles on races 1 through 7, a 50-cent Pick 5 (with an industry low 12 percent takeout) beginning on race eight and a 10-cent Hi-5 on Race 12. The latter two new wagers have carryover provisions until a winning ticket is sold, which potentially creates rewarding jackpot pools, which attract new interests. The Lucky Pick 5 cascades into Pick 4 and Pick 3 opportunities as well. Log on to your TwinSpires account to play Miami Valley’s 0% Pick 5 –available on TwinSpires.com only and watch for extended coverage on the TwinSpires harness racing blogs.

Harness racing at Hawthorne will kick off on Friday, Jan. 8. Last week, Balmoral Park’s final program was packed with visitors, many sad that the raceway was closing. Maywood Park, you will recall, closed months earlier and the history of harness racing in the Lincoln State was almost extinct until Hawthorne picked up the pieces. Hawthorne harness will be conducted on a five-night a week schedule with post time Wednesday through Sunday’s at 7:20 p.m. (Central).

More wagering changes in the standardbred world will take place at the Meadows Racetrack in its 2016 racing season. On opening day, Jan. 4, the Meadows is reducing its takeout rate on trifecta wagers from 27 percent to 20 percent and will begin offering $5,000 total-pool guarantees for Pick 4s. In addition to reducing the trifecta takeout, the track will retain the current takeout rate for its other wagers — 17 percent for win, place and show, 20 percent for all other exotic wagers. The Meadows has been offering $5,000 Pick 4 guarantees each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. But this year, in cooperation with the United States Trotting Association Strategic Wagering Initiative, the track will offer a $5,000 Pick 4 guarantee with each card. The minimum wager for the Pick 4 is 50 cents. Since Pennsylvania law requires a minimum per-race wager of $2, a player wagering at the 50-cent level must bet at least four tickets.

Northfield Park is offering live harness racing four nights a week to start the 2016-racing year. January through September racing is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The exceptions are the addition of three Sundays (May 29, July 3 and Sept. 4). There is no live racing on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day Mondays. Beginning Oct. 7 Northfield adds Friday evenings and will race five nights a week until the end of the ear. Thursday (Dec.22) will replace Christmas Eve Saturday, while Thursday (Dec. 29) will replace racing on New Year’s Eve Saturday.

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 ~