Bettor’s Wish, Gimpanzee Best; Power Plays Positive Influences
Thursday, Nov. 14
At Dover there were four Matron stakes for three-year-olds. Our Breeders Crown alumni bet-backs, with a few in each division, received special conditions again this week for the Matrons.
Gimpanzee ($2.80, $2.20, $2.10), had conditions. We assigned the best odds for betting him to win in the soph-colt trot Matron at 3-2. He won far below that ceiling. Instead, for price and purpose, we backed Goes Down Smooth (25-1) with fair odds starting at 10-1 but he raced no success, finishing sixth.
Bettor’s Wish ($3.20, $2.40, $2.10) was our choice in the colt-pace Matron and in our opinion he went off and paid extremely fair odds to win.
In the filly trot Matron, Only Take Cash ($3.80, $2.80) finished second to the favorite, completing an exacta worth $25.20.
There was no upset by our choice, JK American Beauty (77-1), in the filly pace Matron. It was won by a 5-1 shot as the big favorite finished off the board.
Friday, Nov. 15
The return of our exclusive Power Plays (PoP) features was a functional success. PoP suggests contenders for inner- and multi-race exotics, many times offering horses public handicappers dismiss. PoP launched the winter feature at the Meadows.
The PoP opener began with a smart win. It was Maximum Credit ($14.80, $4.40, $3.00) leading the Pick 5 ticket and other exotics in Race 2. The second choice from PoP was Hoosier Paco (43-1), finishing sixth.
The inner-exotic addition in the next Pick-5 leg, which also launched a Pick 4, was Kolt Power ($2.20), third. Our other prospect, Mississippi Rabbit (6-1) finished sixth in the race, won by a 9-2 shot.
Leg three failed with a single choice, Sometimesawinner (115-1), not winning this time (what was with those odds?), finishing fifth. The favorite won the race.
Another winner came in Leg four of the Pick 5 with Innocent Victim ($6.40, $3.00, $2.40). Our other prospect in the race, Cruiserwillwin (6-1) finished fourth, making it two for four in the $129.80 (dollar) superfecta.
Closing the PoP sequences, we pumped up exotics with Poacher N ($6.20), finishing third with contributions to the $131.00 trifecta and $333.87 (dollar) superfecta. The other suggested contender, Southwind Masino (34-1) finished 10th. The favorite won the race.
Unless otherwise noted, all PoP-losing horses return in the H2W list for their next race.
Saturday, Nov. 9
The public’s second choice won the solo elim for next week’s Three Diamons for frosh-filly pacers. Our choice, Hen Party (9-1) made the final finishing fourth.
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 43 active horses (a 21-percent win hit rate and a 51-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
Sandy Barbielegacy, $18.20, $7.20, $3.20, Scarborough
Full Speed Ahead, $15.00, $6.00, $4.00, Plainridge
Boots N Chains, $11.00, $6.60, $2.80, Philly
Prince Aston, $5.00, $2.80, $2.40, Plainridge
Jacks Legend N, $3.90, $2.50, $2.10, Yonkers
Keegan Ho, $3.40, $2.40, $2.40 ok, Pompano
Chitty Bang Bang, $2.80, $2.20, $2.10, Northfield
Massive Talent, $2.60, $2.60, $2.10 ok, Freehold
Ramblin Art, $2.60, $2.10, $2.10, Plainridge
Seconds
Culinary Delight N, $6.10, $3.80, Saratoga
Jimbelina, $5.80, $3.80 (Exacta $30.40), Freehold
Easton Ivy, $5.20, $4.70, Western Fair
Usgeneral WA Mann, $5.20, $5.20 ok, Cal-Expo
Scottish Light, $4.40, $3.40 (Exacta $18.50), Western Fair
Alacrity, $4.10, $3.20, Batavia
Cherry Crown Jewel, $4.00, $13.60 ok, Plainridge
Starlight AS, $3.80, $2.40 (Exacta $22.20), Dayton
Thirds
March Awareness, $10.40, Pocono
IC Caviar, $4.60, Meadows
San Domino A, $4.00, Dover
Sports Column, $3.80, Yonkers
Ideal Deal, $3.10, Monticello
News & Notes
Yonkers announced that it added Saturday, Nov. 30 to its racing calendar. First post will be at 6:50 p.m. The addition replaces an earlier program that was cancelled. Yonkers’ Thanksgiving week schedule now reads Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 25 and 26), along with the aforementioned Saturday.
Hannelore Hanover’s retirement ceremony will be held following the final start of her career, which will come in the TVG mares’ final at the Meadowlands on Nov. 23. The 2017 Horse of the Year has earned over $3 million in purses, including wins in the Hambletonian Maturity, TVG (twice), Armbro Flight (three times), Breeders Crown (twice), Maple Leaf Trot (twice) and the Cutler Memorial.
Six Pack, the 2018 three-year-old trotting colt of the year, will also be retired following his TVG final on Nov. 23. The productive trotter trained and driven by Ake Svenstedt, notched three world-record performances, including a win in 1:50 in the 2018 Stanley Dancer, a win in 1:49.1 in the Kentucky Futurity and a win in 1:49.2 in the Allerage Farms Open Trot at The Red Mile. Six Pack also posted wins in the Yonkers Trot, Empire Breeders Classic and a Matron to earn close to $2 million.
Trainer George Reider is back for Cal-Expo’s latest meet and is looking forward to making his share of winner’s circle appearances. “I try to bring some new horses back to California and [every year],” he said. More from the usual horseman’s community are back in action as well. Robert Johnson returns from a Midwest campaign along with Luke Plano. Some other familiar horsemen include Nick Roland, Lemoyne Svendsen, Kathleen Plested, Gordon Empy.
Winbak Farm announced the retirement of trotting stallion Muscles Yankee. A winner of $1,424,938 in his racing career, Muscles Yankee was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame as an outstanding racehorse and a standout stallion. Muscles Yankee was born at Yankeeland Farms, Inc., Maryland in 1995. He was trained by Chuck Sylvester and driven by John Campbell. Sylvester said, “He had a foot that bothered him some but when it didn’t, they couldn’t beat him.”
Extraordinary Extras
Indulge in our monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update
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