Adios Elims Thrice; PA-Packed For Pace; Hambo Hopefuls On Brink

 
The weekend agendas are expanding as all divisions emerge from the harness hiatus. The Adios eliminations and sires stakes are on the dockets. And, of course, there are our live contenders on our horses-to-watch list (H2W). They are available for all shades of wagers; always peruse the H2W choices for winners and participating exotic-wagering elements..


INSS FROSH FRAYS

Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) freshman colt pacers are on deck at Hoosier on July 23 in leg one of the 2020 series. There are four events for the division, each worth around $22k.

In the first split, the single Tellitlikeitis product, Whiskey Wizzard, looks for his second win in as many starts for productive trainer Shane Bowermaster. None of the other eight have won yet but the strongest foe “Whiskey” will face is Velocity Gator (Always A Virgin), a well-bred pacer bound to improve.

In INSS round two, Dylan Davis sends Virgo, another son of Always A Virgin, to post, this one a winner in his first outing who may race better than his odds since the public may go for What’s Your Beef. That one is two for two in his first pair out for Brian Brown.

The penultimate INSS for the green group has another Browermaster-trained entry with Rockin On Venus. He’s a Rockin Image colt that must be respected coming from Shane’s barn. He could easily be the third or worse public choice, which should be a good win offering.

Lastly, the fourth split, like the first, offers a single colt by Tellitlikeitis. That stallion has turned out to be worth following, as his colt Skyway Victor proves, having won at first crack. He is bound to be in the thick of it here. The Bowermaster barn sends I’m The Candyman out for his first race and it would be no surprise if another Bowermaster student shines from the very beginning.

TwinSpires account holders are privy to many wagering offers when playing Hoosier Park harness races. Watch for details on the $25,000 PLACE PAYOUT at the Offers section on the website.

ADIOS TRIPTYCH

A trio of $25k eliminations to create the final field for The Adios is on the Meadows’ program July 25. Twenty-one glamour-boy colts race for berths. As has become the case with this stakes in the last decade, the bulk of the entries are not the stars of the soph-colt pacing division. There are many second-tier characters versus the top string. This opens up a specific class edge for some colts, in this season’s case, horses having raced in the Meadowlands Pace elim and/or final.

In Adios elim two, for instance, Papi Rob Hanover comes from the “Pace” final to face a field he should destroy. Captain Barbossa, though an also-ran in the Pace, still hovers over the others. If you do not like their low prices, pass or accept them as overlays, since their competition is practically moot.

In Adios elim three, two more Pace players are in the field—Capt Midnight and Catch The Fire. If you agree with the class-edge theory (the key-race concept with throughbreds), then the Capt Midnight and Catch The Fire failures in the Pace final should mean little against this field. They become the top two contenders, just not the only ones. Elver Hanover was prominent at two and has started his soph career well and is the third class contender.

In Adios elim one, Roll With Jr is the Pace-final bet-back. He will have to deal with Sandbetweenmytoes, Jim Campbell’s speedy gal who may very well be the favorite. We will go with “Roll,” though, following through on the Pace-final-key-race plan.

PASS FILLIES

A pair of $94k Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) splits co-star at the Meadows on the Adios-elim program, July 25. The first of the two miles will feature JK First Lady, who was the disappointing favorite in last week’s Mistletoe Shalee, finishing fifth in a dead heat with 5-1 Peaky Sneaky.

It certainly seems the Nancy Takter filly came out of that race all right, so here she finds a spot to prove her prowess was worthy of favoritism. How she winds up in the win pool is still uncertain, since Chris Ryder’s unbeaten Party Girl Hill and Ron Burke’s Dance Club will get strong attention. “JK” may be more than worth the offering if she winds up third choice in the wagering. A big exotic element may be Baby Your the Best, also coming out of the “Shalee,” who we over-estimated in that field but for sure she will go off far too much than she should, especially from the 8 hole.

In the second PASS for the gals, Lyons Sentinel, second in the Shalee, will have to find a big excuse if losing this one. Rocknificent may set the stage for her, since her speed set up the Shalee win for Reflect With Me.

MORE ALL STARS

Eight PA All Star (PALS) events adorn the July 25 program—four for glamour-girl trotters and four for frosh-filly pacers—each worth $30k. (See the H2W list for freshman PALS)

We begin with the trotters. Erv Miller’s Coconut Kate (e) is the sole Hambo eligible (e) in the field. She has the most to gain with a win here but may not live up to the cause considering the tough competition. Queen Of The Hill, for instance, has launched her soph campaign and has great frosh credentials and may be a step above all of these. Her offered price will reflect that, so we’ll take “Kate” the outside contender for price and purpose.

Three fillies race toward August as eligible for the Hambo in this second PALS. Julie Miller’s Queso Fresco (e) is yet to win in four starts but is a contender to consider strongly. The field’s only winner this season is Ron Burke’s Sans Defaut (e), probably the crowd’s choice, while Ginger Tree Bren (e) has a lot to prove. It’s a good Millers bet. 

Next, six of the eight fillies want for the “Oaks.” Looking beyond the obvious, another Millers trotter, Never Content (e) should be in the thick of this, as Julie is training some fine fillies in the shorter Hambletonian Trail and this one is fast.

Six more eligible fillies of eight in the final PALS split revolve for the best of the purse and some outsiders loom boldly, especially Impressive Fashion (e). Jim Campbell is moving a few fillies and colts that still have good shots at the classic. This one certainly gives Jim hopes since he has not had a high profile on the “Trail” so far, and it is so far along now.

HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL

GEERS IN MOTION

At the Meadowlands on July 25, glamour-boy trotters are on the brink of going to the Hambletonian elims or moving on with their sophomore campaigns and this $89k Tompkins-Geers split could be a turning point for at least five of the six that are eligible (e).

Real Cool Sam (e), the winter-book Hambo favorite, had a crushing debut last week when he jumped early in a “Dancer” division and was eliminated, finishing distanced. How he handles his second race of the season is up for discussion.

He cannot be dismissed based on last week’s miscue, but be aware he went off at 7-1, still the third choice, but far behind the huge favorite and “now” horse, Back Of The Neck. That one is not here, but ironically, “Sam” has to deal with the field’s top money-earner, Play Trix On Me—the only colt in the field not Hambe-eligible.

Also Rome Pays Off (e), Marcus Melander’s colt in only his second race of the season after a win in his first outing at three, is intensely prepping for the Hambo elims, et al. Sam has to put him away, too, as well as Ave Svanstedt’s Jula Trix Treasure, who has hit the board in all of his four races.

Sam at his best could beat all of these and that is the risk we’ll take, having only wished he would go off the odds he may in this feature.

For the fillies there are two Tompkins-Geers at $42k each. Sister Sledge (e) was beaten last week but should still hold up with the public. We’ll try to beat her here with outsider Creature Of Habit (e). She should be in top shape for Nifty Norman and his hopes of being competitive in the “Oaks.”

The second split for the fillies has six of seven eligible to the classic. Campbell’s Next Level Stuff (e) is unbeaten in three and looks like the public choice. However, this is a good spot to back Melander’s outsider, Hall of Am S (e). She is here to make her mark for Melander, in his quest for an Oaks member and it would be no surprise if she knocked off this tepid group, no less at a good price.

H2W Legend

Review our choices and confirm the wagers available at the prescribed track. H2W offers possible contenders researched from reviewing races. Horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track with the date of their race and the race number (R6 ) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name, it appears on the list for the second time (horses are listed twice only if, at first, they failed to win. An “ae” signals also eligible. Types of wagers to make are based on your judgment.

H2W LIST

Grand River
7/24/20, +Howmac Sabrina R2

Hoosier
7/24/20, +Always A Fiji R1; +Ellagator R7

Meadowlands
7/24/20, Johnny Chip R1

Meadows
7/25/20, Wild Wild Western R2; Rock On Line R13

Northfield
7/24/20, +Cocktail Time R16
7/25/20, +Somebeach Baron R2; Smalltownthrowdown R6; +Wind Of The North R8

Ocean
7/23/20, +Holiday Harlot R8
7/24/20, Willowuflywthme R2; Flashy Dude R7; Casino Cash R10

Philly
7/26/20, Outkast Blue Chip R7; Last Gunfighter R8

Plainridge
7/23/20, Rock Diamonds N R5; Zinny Mach N R6
7/24/20, +Neverdie R7

Pocono
7/24/20, Marsala Hanover R4; Ideal In Miracles R6; Darby Hanover R7; Continuvalou R 9
7/25/20,

Running Aces
7/25/20, +Onedayinyourhouse R4
7/26/20, Queenace Blue Chip R6; +Sin Machqueen R8

Scioto
7/24/20, MVP Luke R11
7/25/20, +Burning Shore R8; +Dakota Ole R8

Vernon
7/23/20, Sugaronthebeach R5; +Salutation R15
7/25/20, Jamaican Cowboy R3; Lyons Johnny R5

Woodbine/Mohawk
7/24/20, +Bettorbuckleup R1
7/25/20, Foot Soldier R7

Yonkers
7/24/20, +Cash Hit R2