Bonanza Bets Blast; Hoosier Features Hit

Here is our  report on hits and misses from the past week of harness racing across North America as presented by the TwinSpires Harness Preview Blog.


Thursday, June 25

Though there was only one winner in our Power Plays Pick 3 at Saratoga, the contenders we suggested in each were necessary for winning single-race exotics.

In the first leg, we were third with Rollinwithambition ($10.00), that longshot completing the $614.00 trifecta and essential for the $123.50 superfecta. Brads Buddy (4-1) finished eighth.

Leg two offered another third, Tuapeka Trick N ($2.10), included in the $38.00 trifecta and the $6.90 superfecta. Wood Hunter (37-1) finished seventh; Devisser (29-1) eighth.

The last leg contributed two for the exotics—the winner, Aces Rock ($3.10, $2.20, $2.10), and third finisher Bolt Ruler ($2.10) were two of the $33.60 trifecta members and for the $5.35 superfecta. Presleysbeachshack (23-1) finished a fine fifth.


Friday, June 26

At Hoosier we nailed both divisions of the Star Destroyer Series leg. The first field’s contender, Island Of The Sea ($2.20, $2.10, $2.10) was bet down to a prohibitive favorite. The good news is our second contender, Rogerthat Bluechip ($9.00, $4.40) made it a cold exacta worth $25.20. Nassau Desire (31-1) did not make it a cold triple by finishing seventh.

We supported only one contender in the second division, the winner, Roll With Jr ($14.20, $4.80, $2.80) to sweep the event’s leg.

In the Open, we finished fourth with Seventimesacharm (25-1), in a superfecta worth a mere $2.53.
 

Saturday, June 27

Maybe no other four-year-old trotter can beat Gimpanzee. We tried with Marseille (54-1) and finished fourth. Also at the Meadowlands, we had Reign Of Honor ($4.40) in the other Graduate split, where the favorite, Don’t Letem broke and a 22-1 shot was given the opportunity to win.

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 53 active horses (a 9-percent win hit rate and a 34-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate).

Winners

Startin Something, $32.20, $13.00, $8.60, Meadows
Electric Chapel N, $28.80, $18.00, $9.50, Buffalo
Rock Flush, $26.40, $12.00, $8.20, Hoosier
Blakes Chip. $4.20, $3.10, $2.10, Grand River
Rocksann, $3.00, $2.40, $2.10, Hoosier

Seconds

O Jonnie, $49.60, $21.40, (Exacta $281.00) Pocono
Sin Machqueen, $4.80, $5.40 ok, Running Aces
Caviart Skyler, $4.10, $2.80, Yonkers
Barley, $3.80, $2.20 (Exacta $9.80), Meadowlands
The Wall, dh $3.60, $4.40 ok (Exacta $12.20), Scioto
Lets Roll, $3.20, $2.10, Meadowlands
Malicious, $2.80, $2.40, Buffalo
Capricornius, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Philly
Skyway Kon Man, $2.40, $2.20, $2.10, Hoosier

Thirds

Demi Ivy, $8.60, Hoosier
Kendall Seelster, $4.50, Mohawk
Baby Lets Roll, $4.00, Hoosier
Cruise Captain, $2.10, Hanover


NEWS & NOTES
 
Since the 2020 Hambletonian Trail blogs were cancelled, we have not posted our top 10 for the August classic. Ken Warkentin of the Meadowlands Road to the Hambletonian’s top 10 is 1. Amigo Volo; 2. Real Cool Sam; 3. Hypnotic AM; 4. Maesteramon; 5. Synergy; 6. Big Oil; 7. Capricornus; 8. Third Shift; 9. Chustnut Hill; 10. Back Of The Neck. That order leans on the obvious contenders. Our TwinSpires Hambletonian Trail top 10 mixes the less obvious with the obvious: 1. Beyond Kronos; 2. Capricornus; 3. Moon Bridge; 4. Real Cool Sam; 5. Amigo Volo; 6. Third Shift; 7. Hypnotic AM; 8. Big Oil; 9. Father Dunn; 10. Threefiftytwo (all changes will appear weekly).

Plans to ship French trotter Bold Eagle to race in North America this autumn have been scratched after the trotter finished seventh in the Prix Rene Balliere on June 21 at Vincennes. Bold Eagle was slated to race in the Maple Leaf Trot at WoMo and try to repeat in the Breeders Crown at Hoosier and then retire. Although there has not been any official reason, the bad loss ultimately affected Bold Eagle’s future. He will make his final appearance in Belgium’s Grand Prix de Wallonie on Aug. 2.

I was reading Thomas Hedlund’s column from Harness Racing Update about Rick Ebbinge winning the World Drivers Championship in Sweden. I thought: Too bad there isn’t a track in Ebbinge’s homeland called The Meadowlands In The Netherlands—just because it sounds so damned cool.
 
Extraordinary Extras

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