Harness Weekly Update: Dexter, Buckeye Wins & Exotics

The TwinSpires Harness Blog Weekly Update covers our successes and failures from selected features and the horses-to-watch list (H2W).

Friday, April 30

Buckeye Stallion Series (BSS) colt pacers and trotters were active. We chose our favorite four divisions, two for each gait, at Miami.

Our main and only victory came from division two for the trotters, as our pair of choices produced the $65.60 exacta. Our winner was Cyclone Union Jack ($23.20, $7.40, $3.20), followed by King Klueber ($4, $2.40).

The first split for the trotters got you the $14.40 exacta with the favorite winning and our choice, Mr Pal Sparky ($3.40, $2.80) in the second spot. Of the trotters, only Wegoforthefront (35-1) did not hit the board.

For the pacers, we were second with Caviart Sargent ($3.20, $3), who with the winning favorite presented a $9 exacta. Big Boss Hill (9-2) finished fourth. Also, we were third in the other pace split with Beebeetee ($2.40). Official Bean (5-1) finished seventh.

Saturday, May 1

As we forecast, Incommunicado ($3.20, $2.60, $2.10) won The Dexter Cup, making the win price look strong. Chapolier (44-1) was eliminated early by galloping, though he finished sixth of the eight.

More BSS divisions, these for soph-filly trotters, were featured at Miami; we chose three divisions. We won the first with Sewin Sue ($2.60, $2.20, $2.10) while Fiesty Pistol scratched.

In the final two we were fifth with Lady Resort AS (15-1) and won with Jogging Sweats ($7.80, $3, $2.60) over Sheni AS (19-1), fourth.

At the Meadowlands a pair of $50k Graduates for four-year-old pacers was won by the favorites. We finished fifth with Groovy Joe (11-1) and third with Chief Mate ($6.80).

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 36 active horses, with a 17% win hit rate and a 55% ATB (across-the-board) hit. Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Durhamville, $21.60, $7.20, $2.80, Meadows
Model, $20.40, $4.80, $3.60, Northville
Arrhythmic Surge, $6, $3.80, $2.50, Buffalo
Captain Nash, $6, $3.60, $3.80 OK, Pocono
Casa Miasa, $4, $3.20, $2.20, Hoosier
Lucky Matter, $3.40, $3.80, $3.20 OK, Meadows

Seconds

Alpine, $14, $5.80, Freehold
Redneck Fortune, $6.60, $6.80 OK (Exacta $13.60), Monticello
Travlin Swan, $3.80, $2.40, Northville
Shameful Eyes, $3.60, $2.60 (Exacta $10.40), Miami
Leave And Roll, $2.60, $2.20, Plainridge
Quiksilvr Blue Chip, $2.60, $2.10, Harrington

Thirds

Nextroundsonme, $5.80, Pocono
Eyes Of Mercy, $5.40, Northfield
Bearly Behavin, $4.20, Northville
Ideal Wheel, $3, Yonkers
Alkippe, $2.80, Meadowlands
Dontustopbelievn N, $2.60, Plainridge
Smiley Dragon, $2.60, Northfield
Always As Fast, $2.40, Vernon

NEWS & NOTES

Charlottetown Driving Park announced the opening date for their spring meet is May 8; post time is 6 p.m. Atlantic. Their sister track, Summerside, launches for the season on May 24 at 1 p.m. Atlantic. A trainer’s declaration verifies a clean-health status for their horses. Failure to report any change in health statuses may result in the loss of racing privileges. Qualifying races were held this past weekend.

Tioga Downs began its 16th season of harness racing on May 1. The five-eighths mile track in New York races on Fridays (starting May 28) and Saturdays at 6:15 p.m. (ET), and Sundays at 1 p.m. (ET). Closing night will be Sept. 25. Tioga will have spectators for the first time since 2019. They show proof of a negative COVID-19 from no more than 72 hours prior or proof of full vaccination upon entrance. Tioga again hosts the Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) for soph-pacing fillies and colts, each for a purse of $250,000 (Est.).

Party Girl Hill, the world-record-setting 2020 three-year-old pacing female, has been retired because of an injury discovered after training . Chris Ryder, her trainer, was ready to qualify in preparation for her four-year-old campaign but, said all involved were “devastated.” Unraced at two, Party Girl Hill won 15 of 16 last year and $880k. She became only the second pacing filly to beat males in a $100k race in the last 30 years. Unfortunately, the party’s over.

Extraordinary Extras

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