Across-The-Board Bargains; Chalk Chokes Outsiders

Here is our weekly report on hits and misses as presented by the TwinSpires Harness Preview Blog.


Thursday, July 2

In two of three divisions of the New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) for soph-filly pacers at Yonkers, we were eliminated due to breaks. We won one, though, with Hen Party ($3.90, $2.60, $2.10).

The other two splits included an odds-on favorite, Stephanie Deo, who finished sixth and never had a chance. She broke off the gate and had only one faint brush once back on stride. A 7-1 shot took advantage of her exit from the field and went wire to wire.

Turnthefrownaround (31-1) also reneged from participating with a jump off the gate. She was eliminated and wandered home seventh in a field of as many, beaten by the public choice. 

Friday, July 3

Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) also held a trio of divisions for soph-filly pacers. Each were won by the public choice. We had one of them with Island Of The Sea ($3.20, $2,10, $2,10 ok).

We finished fifth in another split with Thornbush Hanover (15-1) and third with Nassau Desire ($9.80), the latter making her way into the $50.55 trifecta and the $64.73 superfecta.

Saturday, July 4

The afternoon at the Meadows featured divisions of the historic Currier & Ives trots; two for soph fillies and one for soph colts.

In both filly divisions we were hammered by the favorites. In the first, we finished eighth with Impulse By (51-1). In the second, we took a stab at beating Sister Sledge, the overwhelming favorite, and finished fourth with Dazzling Diva (28-1).

The colt division was also no contest, as the public’s prohibitive favorite won easily. However, two of the exotics would not be so high were it not for our contribution, Coventry ($14.60). The 138-1 shot inflated the trifecta to $143.80 (with a 5-1 shot second) and the superfecta to $70.68 with our second choice, Easter King (7-1) fourth. Steel Schooner (111-1), our third choice, finished seventh.

The Graduate leg divisions at the Meadowlands cooked up two outsiders and a favorite. We managed one place finish with Century Farroh ($5.60, $3.00) in the split won by a 12-1 shot. In the others, US Captain (27-1) wound up fifth to a 10-1 shot and we were fourth to the 1-5 Bettors Wish with Wild Wild Western (63-1), who completed the $10.58 superfecta.

The A.C. Cutler was another two-horse race between Atlanta and Machego, finishing in that order, while Plunge Blue Chip (46-1) followed them home to cross the wire ninth.

H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Exactas listed include a H2W horse finishing second to a race-favorite or if the first two finishers are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses are listed—a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices are correct (even when a show price exceeds a place price or all prices are the same).

Please note that some results reflect horses racing after the blog posts (they appear the following week).

This week, there were 55 active horses (a 11-percent win hit rate and a 27-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate).

Winners

Artful Dancer, $30.60, $11.00, $7.60, Scioto
Discoforadollar, $6.40, $3.40, $3.50 ok, Yonkers
Sir Richie N, $4.20, $2.80, $2.20, Buffalo
Velocity Layla, $3.40, $2.20, $2.10, Running Aces
Barry Hanover, $3.30, 2.40, $2.10, Buffalo
Fox Valley Gemini, $3.20, $2.40, $2.10, Hawthorne

Seconds

Instructor, $13.80, $3.90, Tioga
Seventimesacharm, $4.80, $3.60, Hoosier

Thirds

Cindys Party Boy, $22.40, Meadows
Lugar, $5.60, Vernon
Ahead By A Century, $4.60, Running Aces
McKinley, $4.60, Northfield
Roman Treasure, $3.20, Running Aces
Papa Cheez, $2.60, Meadows
Five Towns, $2.40, Vernon

NEWS & NOTES

Cams Card Shark passed away peacefully at Hanover Shoe Farms at the age of 29. The 1994 Horse of The Year was retired from stallion duty in 2014. A mulit-million earner on the track, Cams Card Shark won major stakes, including the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace, New Jersey Classic, Messenger Stakes and The Adios. As a stallion he sired 1,829 foals that earned over $150 million in purses. His most notable performer is double millionaire Bettors Delight, himself a productive sire.

What we remember most about Cam’s Card Shark is his mysterious withdrawal from a major stakes event. The press build up was huge in September of his sophomore year, as “Shark” was shipped to Delaware, Ohio for the Little Brown Jug. Shark was mowing through fields of soph pacers in the season’s string of stake events, so “Jug”-winning anticipation was high. On the track he was the prohibitive favorite, but just before his “Jug” heat he was scratched lame and never raced again.

The Red Mile announced that its 2020 race meet, Aug. 2—Oct. 11, will find purses raised and there are more nominations than last year for the track’s open stakes. The sires stakes (KYSS) championship series will have three $40,000 legs and $250,000 finals for two- and three-year-olds. The Red Mile’s major stakes portion of the meet starts Oct. 2 and closes with the traditional Kentucky Futurity Day card on Oct. 11. Races will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during those two weeks with a 1 p.m. post.

MGM/Yonkers announced new dates for some stakes races interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic The MGM Borgata Pacing Series Final will be held Nov. 28 (estimated purse $400,000 with a $100,000 consolation. There are two preliminary legs in the series—Nov. 7 and Nov. 14—each worth $50,000. The Blue Chip Farms Matchmaker Series will also be held on Nov. 28 (estimated final $200,000 and a $75,000 consolation). There aretwo preliminary legs—Nov. 6 and Nov. 13—each worth $40.

Extraordinary Extras

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