Blog Tags International Trot Score; $43 Winner Tops $164 Exacta

Indiana, Ontario Sires Stakes Tough On Contenders Friday, Oct. 11 Each of the eight Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) finals at Hoosier were dominated by one of the three betting favorites. We came close in just one, with a second from Foxy Rigger ($3.00, $2.40) for a $4.30 exacta with the favorite. Beyond that, none of our outside contenders made the board. There was one scratch from J-s Miss Carly. Otherwise, the losing finishes included Bigotto (11-1) and Martini Show (8-1), both finishing fourth; Rockie Got Framed (6-1) and Summit City Swan (90-1), both finishing seventh; High Impression (16-1) getting eighth; and Dojea Rita (101-1) crossing the wire 10^th. Saturday, Oct. 12 Though we were very surprised at the winning price, we won the $1-million Yonkers International Trot with Italy’s Zacon Gio ($4.30, $3.60, $2.50). As we thought, Zacon Gio scored commandingly, drawing away in the final quarter. Our expectations for cashing more on the winner were quashed by a few pools commingled with European bettors. The morning line predicted Atlanta as the favorite. Although she made a go of it on top for three panels, she was no match for six others at the end. Another prediction from Twinspires harness blog became fact when defending champion Cruzado Dela Noche (32-1) raced dull enough to finish out of the money, fifth. Second to Zacon Gio was Slide So Easy (22-1) and the show surprise was Marion Marauder (40-1), who is yet to win a race this season. In another featured event at Yonkers we finished third to the race favorite Mission Accepted with Will Take Charge ($3.30). Second-choice McWicked won the third feature of the program. We finished fourth with The Real One (43-1), contributing to the $1,000-plus superfecta. At Woodbine/Mohawk, Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals adorned the program. We were far more involved in these eight stakes than with the INSS. We had only one winner in eight races and called the $11.20 exacta cold with Alicorn ($2.10, $2.10, n/s) and Karma Seelster $5.00, n/s). Our contenders supplied the second spots for three exactas. They are Port Perry ($5.20, $3.00), who lost to a 5-1 shot; Stag Party ($11.90; n/s), losing to a 37-1 bomb; and Sunny Dee ($4.10, $3,00) who completed a $15.50 exactor. A second choice beat our show finisher She Rocks Kemp ($4.40). We finished fifth with Southwind Avenger (79-1), 10^th with disappointing favorite YS Mathis, and 10^th with galloping Presto Change O (55-1). At Northfield we finished third in the Courageous Lady with Rose Run Uptowngal ($4.00) as the public’s second choice won. BREEDERS CROWN COUNTDOWN blog will share any Breeders Crown eliminations necessary and the finals as its major features with the main preview blog over the next two weeks. 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 45 active horses (a 27-percent win hit rate and a 56-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 *Southern Swain, $43.80, $16.60, $7.20, Plainridge Cole On The Beach, $19.40, $7.40, $4.20), Meadows Danger Strike, $13.60, $5.40, $3.60, Northfield Sapphire City, $7.40, $5.20, $4.20, Meadows Enoch, $6.60, $4.80, $3.20, Meadows Winndevie, $5.80, $3.00, $3.00 ok, Meadowlands Senorita Rita, $5.40, $2.80, $2.10, Meadowlands Geez Joe, $5.20, $2.80, $2.40, Meadowlands Infiniti AS, $3.40, $3.20, $2.40, Dayton Crusher Q, $3.20, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Northfield Cisco Pal, $2.70, $2.10, $2.10, Yonkers Captain Barbossa, $2.60, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Meadowlands Seconds Lookout Stokk Zone, $9.00, $4.00 (Exacta $23.60), Freehold Linkjack Hanover, $8.30, $3.80, Yonkers Passionate Deo, $4.20, $2.40, Dayton *Burkes Bandit, $3.60, $2.60 (Exacta $164.40), Plainridge Marloe Hanover, $3.20, $2.20, Meadowlands Restless Dreamer, $3.20, $2.70 (Exacta $11.60), Monticello Dr Grinch, $2.40, $2.10, Freehold American Champ, $2.20, $2.10, Monticello Winna Winna, $2.20, $2.10, Dayton Yacht Week, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Yonkers Thirds Love Trumps Hate, $11.00, Yonkers Nomo Volo, $4.40, Philly Twin B Impressive, $4.00, Yonkers News & Notes Lather Up won’t just miss action in the Breeders Crown, he will miss racing for the rest of his life. His connections announced this week that he has been retired “as a result of an injury.” Lather Up has been on hiatus for almost two months. On Aug. 31 at WoMo he finished second in the Canadian Pacing Derby. He retires with 23 wins from 37 starts. This season he won racied in 1:46 to win the Graduate Series Final in July at the Meadowlands. It was the fastest mile ever at the Meadowlands, with sizzling fraction and one of his rare off-the-pace wins. Trained by Clyde Francis of the Teague Stable, Lather Up retires with career earnings of $1,735,623. Supplemental entries for three-year-old and Open events are due and payable by noon today, Oct. 14. There are no supplements for the two-year-old races. For sophomores and Open trotters the price to buy in is $62,500. Open pacers cost $50,000, while mare pacers and trotters have to shell up$31,250. All Breeders Crown eligible horses wanting to be in the events must declare in by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15. Eliminations, if needed, will occur for two-year-olds on Friday, Oct. 18 with a post time of 7:50 p.m. (EDT). Three-year-old and Open eliminations, if needed, will race Saturday, Oct. 19, with a post time of 7:10 p.m. (EDT). All eliminations will race for a minimum of $25,000. As Twinspires harness-blog readers must know by now, after nine weeks, harness racing returned to the Meadowlands on Oct. 11. During October and November, racing is conducted on Fridays and Saturdays only. In December Thursdays are added to the schedule. All programs have a post time of 7:15 p.m. The post-Breeders-Crown stakes start on Nov. 16, with eliminations for the late-season frosh classics: the Goldsmith Maid, Diamonds, Valley Victory and Governor’s Cup. The $1.75-million finals for those events follow the next weekend. Northfield Park announced dates of six Mini-Claiming Series. These series offer owners to place horses in races with progressive claiming prices and purses. This could make for some great betting races. The newly added Late Closers start with a base claiming price of either $7,500 or $17,500 for pacing distaffs and males. Trotters are also offered a series with the same claiming tags. Watch our H2W for choices. Armbro Monarch, an award-winning two-year-old trotting filly, passed away on Oct. 8. As far as horse lives go, Armbro Monarch survived many from her crop and lots of others. She died “from old age” at 28. A daughter of productive sire Valley Victory, she was purchased as a yearling for only $25,000 at the 1992 Kentucky Standardbred Sale. Her trainer was Bill Robinson (of Precious Bunny fame). At two, she won eight of 11 starts and earned $441,071, with victories in the Merrie Annabelle at the Meadowlands. Extraordinary Extras Indulge in our monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update