Adios Elims Chalk Out; Nadia Lobell Exotics Surge With Our Longshot Choice; Cold Hambletonian Finishes; Big Balloon Place, Show Prices

Thursday, July 18 Scioto’s Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) frosh-filly trotters quartet produced only three third-place finishes on our choice list. We were third to the second favorite with Delaware Ave ($3.00) and defeated by a 9-2 shot in another with Evita ($7.60). Beaten by the public choice in a third split, we finished sixth with Electric Ridge (6-1). A 7-1 baby beat our Champagne On Ice (11-1), who finished fourth. New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) offered a high-priced pair of splits for soph-colt pacers at Vernon. The public nailed the winners of both episodes. We finished third with Magic Joe Lindy ($3.60) and sixth with Fromthestartagain (28-1). Friday, July 19 The Nadia Lobell soph-filly pace classic at Hoosier was a surprise to anyone who did not read the TwinSpires harness blog preview analysis. We warned of the winner, though expected him to go off cheaper. However, behind Sylph Hanover were our two endorsed entries that lifted the exotic prices considerably. We offered the place horse, Lady Capulet ($20.80, $8.60) and the show horse, Queen Of The Pride ($3.40), while our other exotic partner, Rose Run Uptowngirl (22-1) finished eighth. OHSS action continued at Scioto, this pair for soph-colt trotters. Again, we hit the show spot, finishing third with Voyage To Paris ($4.00), who was beaten by a 26-1 winner. In the second split we went with Hambo-elim Shake N Bake (21-1), who won’t be going to the big dance off of this performance, though he finished a respectable fourth. Saturday, July 20 Three Adios eliminations, which we justly labeled great betting races, were disappointing in the win department, as the public thought much differently and swept each elim mile with their top choice. On the exotic front, using the first elim winner with our choice, Branquinho ($11.20, $4.60), brought back a whopping $63.80 exacta for two dollars. The second Adios elim was another steal, with the 4-5 public choice soaring home as if he could pace as fast as he won (some bitterness rises from all of these majority choices winning so easily). Earlier in the season we cashed on the winner of elim two, Prince Of Tides, at around 6-1. That was worth it. We finished eighth, surprising the many people investing in US Captain (3-1). The last Adios elim found us making it into the final with Stag Party ($2.80) finishing third. The first three finishers in each elim make up the final, which we cover in the July 25 preview blog. HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL Sunday, July 14, Tioga offered two NYSS for the filly trotters. The public choice won the first split; we completed the exacta with Winndevie ($2.90, $2.10) and finished fourth with our exacta partner, Sweet Chapter (9-1). We finished second and third, respectively, in episode two with With Out A Doubt ($5.00, $3.00) and Gobi Princess ($3.70), and were off the grid with Conway Kellyanne (20-1) who galloped. Two divisions of NYSS for colts at Tioga on July 19 resulted in a trio of cashed bets for our readers. Obvious but winning, we backed Gimpanzee ($2.10) along with his strongest foe, Mr Vicktor (no place or show betting), and together they handed backers an exacta worth $5.00. In the second NYSS event, we had the spot-on winner, the generously paying Cavill Hanover ($7.90, $4.50, $3.50). Tompkins-Geers stakes for fillies and colts saw some possible Hambo stars in action on July 20. For the fillies, we were fourth with Personal Paradise (2-1), while putting in a possible upset and definite exotic element with Seasside Bliss ($17.00, $9.00, $5.60). The second “Geers” for fillies found our choice favored and winning. Golden Tricks ($2.60, $2.10, $2.10) went off stronger than we predicted. The first colt Geers split was a walkover for our and everyone’s choice, Green Manalishi S ($2.80, $2.10, $2.10) with our second choice in the exacta spot. Sheena’s Boy ($2.80, $2.40) completed the meager but easy $5.60 exacta. Round two for the colts was taken by Marseille (5-1), with our choice, Soul Strong ($7.20, $3.20) second. 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 58 active horses (a 17-percent win hit rate and a 47-percent ATB [across-the-board] 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 weeks) It is up to you to follow horses that have not performed before this weekly review. Winners Speed Ball Swagger, $7.80, $4.20, $2.60, Philly The Gobye Girl, $7.00, $3.60, $3.40, Running Aces Fishyriggins, $5.20, $3.00, $2.20, Hoosier Shrinkwrap, $5.20, $4.40, $2.80, Scarborough Billy Badger, $4.20, $2.80, $2.20, Philly Daughtry Hanover, $4.20, $3.00, $3.00 ok, Bangor Western Joe, $3.80, $3.20, $2.10, Pocono Pembroke Art, $3.00, $2.40, $2.20, Bangor Hitman Hill, $2.80, $2.10, $2.10, Pocono Good Heavens, $2.60, $2.10, $2.10, Plainridge Seconds Arden Hanover, $11.60, $8.00, Meadows Just Fly Beyond, $10.00, $4.60 (Exacta $24.60), Meadows Level Up, $8.00, $5.10, Saratoga A World Apart, $7.00, $5.40, Scarborough Its Rigged, $5.30, $4.80, Vernon The Real One, $4.70, $2.70, Yonkers Joey Pro, $4.00, $2.80 (Exacta $8.80), Tioga Windfall Profits, $4.00. $3.20, Meadows Bullseye, $2.80, $2.60 (Exacta $6.00), Bangor Santana Beach, $2.80, $2.10, Buffalo Thirds Fox Valley Salso, $21.40, Scarborough I Have A Dream, $10.00, Meadowlands Betty Barley, $5.60, Scioto Leap Year Lucky, $4.70, Tioga Worthy Of Honor, $3.00, Meadowlands Brooklets Desire, $2.80, Hoosier Trump Train, $2.60, Running Aces News & Notes Racing ensued as the hottest weekend weather in 140 years swarmed the East Coast. The outrageous heat attack of the region affected a number of racetracks. Three days of adjusted heat and humidity in the 100s alerted people to stay out of the way of the sizzling scenes—the National Weather Service advised the same for the equine community. Racetracks that did not cancel their programs pushed back their post times as a slow cooling through dusk eased the pressure. All H2W listed horses unable to race due to track cancellations will be listed the next time the enter into a race anywhere at a pari-mutuels track. Our TwinSpires harness blog is always looking for “key races,” those events with extraordinary fields which produce winners in their next one or two races, regardless of where they finished in the key event. The latest key race we have been following is the Max Hempt Final from Pocono’s Saturday Sun Stakes program. Shake That House, winner of the “Hempt set the track record for soph- pacing colts (1:47.4) at Vernon on July 18, making the Hempt a key race. All key horses are included in the H2W. Another key race could turn out to be The Meadowlands Pace. Best In Show won off of a dream path opening late in the sizzling moments weighing the favorites down late in the fourth quarter. Certainly, Bettors Wish is a bet back (a key horse from a key race) considering that he raced almost entirely on the outside and was edged out for the win by Best In Show. Some of the prices of key-race comebacks are low for obvious handicapping and wagering reasons, but we keep an eye on members of the “Pace” that finished at all—period—to present better prices in their next two races. In all key races (as labeled by our experience), the horses finishing off the grid can return and pay handsomely. The first condition sheet of the season for Batavia Downs is now available, as the New York track sets to take over the upstate circuit from Buffalo for another five-month meet. The 2019 season gets underway on Wednesday, July 24. Horses begin arriving on July 20. The draw for opening night, which will include a leg of the New York Sires Stakes, takes place on July 19. This is the 73^rd season at America’s oldest lighted harness track; it features 65 race dates, including six matinees. On July 12, the last North American foal by the stupendous Somebeachsomewhere was born at Hanover Shoe Farms. The bay filly with no white markings is the first foal out of the Shadow Play mare Tessa Seelster, and was conceived through the frozen-semen process after the death of Somebeachsomewhere. The filly was appropriately named The Legacy Hanover. The bloodline of Somebeachsomewhere flows on, with most of the pressure on his champion son, Captaintreacherous. Extraordinary Extras Indulge in our monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update