Chalk Chokes Sunday Stakes; Hoosier-Final Speedster Nabbed; Right ‘Rooney’ Exacta Partner; Top ‘Watch ‘Winner At $20

The weeks in harness are becoming more intense by the day. This is the rundown of our successes and failures from both of our TwinSpires blogs in the past week: Thursday, May 23 In Hoosier’s feature events on the program, we won the first, the Go On BB Final, with two out of three in the trifecta. We gave readers the winner, Tell Me Its Summer ($3.40, $3.20, $3.80 ok) and the show, Lady Capulet $3.20). Our other trifecta prospect, This Peach Rocks (19-1) finished seventh. In The Captain Marvel Final we lost with the public choice, Wheels Up Z Tam, who could not sustain a lead and finished a tired 10^th to a 20-1 winner. Our exacta partner, It Can Happen ($4.40), finished third. Friday, May24 Another Hoosier feature, the Hale Dale final, got us the second spot behind the public’s second choice. Rockin Medicine ($8.40, $4.60) paid well in the two board positions. Saturday, May 25 At Yonkers in the Lismore Final, mega-favorite Queen Of The Pride (1-9), broke in the fourth turn, allowing the 6-1 second choice a clear path to victory. Our exotic choices, Annie Hill (14-1) and Rock N McRoll (48-1) finished fourth ant seventh, respectively. The colts were swept clean by a definitive public choice in the Art Rooney Final. We were a hearty second with Branquinho ($6.60, $5.50) to complete the $24.00 exacta. Sunday, May 26 At Philly, Shartin N was almost beaten by our choice, Caviart Ally ($2.60, $2.20) in an exacta worth $8.40. The Maxie Lee Memorial, another stake at Philly that afternoon, went to the favorite, while we were finishing fifth with Cruzado Dela Noche (8-1). The Commodore Barry pace made the stakes results perfect for public choices, while we finished sixth with Western Joe (27-1). HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL Another traffic-thick week for glamour-boy-and-girl trotters began on Firday, May 24 at the Meadows with a single division of the classic Currier & Ives series. The huge favorite won while we finished fourth with Forecast (13-1) At night we covered another two divisions of the New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS), one for the boys and one for the girls. A 7-1 winner took the colt division as we lost all chance of competing when Hudson River (10-1) broke, slightly recovered and then galloped home. Our filly bet-back, Solitare Hill (33-1), was not interested in this mile, finishing sixth to one of the division’s top gals, odds-on Evident Beauty. 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 70 active horses (a 19-percent win hit rate and a 48-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 Undertaker, $20.00, $8.80, $3.60, Philly Jimtastic, $15.00, $6.80, $7.20 ok, Scioto Keystone Dalton, $12.00, $4.90, $3.20, Buffalo Black Daniels, $11.60, $4.40, $2.80, Northville Deli-craze, $8.40, $3.00, $3.00 ok, Scarborough Quatrain Blue Chip, $6.30, $3.00, $2.60, Mohawk Play For Keeps, $5.40, $2.80, $2.80 ok, Northville Little Big, $4.60, $2.40, $2.60 ok, Northfield Abigail Dawn, $3.80, $2.60, $2.40, Pocono Casa Palmera, $3.60, $2.80, $2.40, Philly Betterb Chevron N, $3.00, $2.10, $2.10, Plainridge Crystalline, $2.90, $2.60, $2.10, Saratoga Officer Jim. $2.60, $2.20, $2.20 ok, Running Aces Seconds Caviart Stetson, $12.60, $6.80, Pocono Jag Out, $9.60, $6.80, Yonkers Davids Draw, $9.30, $4.50, Monticello Remix, $7.00, $2.40, Scarborough Southwind Rex, $4.20, n/s/, Bangor Empire Earl N, $3.20, $2.50, Buffalo Little Bita Sass, $3.00, $2.80, Hawthorne Better Up, $2.80, $2.60 (Exacta $6.90), Mohawk Feherty, $2.60, $2.40 (Exacta $3.80), Hoosier Thirds Son Of A Lynx, $15.80, Harrington Scholz, $5.40, Plainridge Redneck Rally, $4.80, Scioto Nurse Nattie, $3.80, Running Aces Insane Propane, $3.20, Monticello Brendas Got It, $2.90, Saratoga Major Hill, $2.90, Mohawk Dr C’s Z Tam, $2.60, Scarborough Bettors Promise, $2.40, Running Aces Macadoodledoo, $2.20, Meadows News & Notes The Hambletonian has undergone multiple changes since 1926. Another major format change is on the horizon when there will not be elimination-heats on the same day as the final. In 2020, eliminations will be contested the week before to determine the final’s field. Hambletonian No. 95 is scheduled for Aug. 8, 2020. Prior to 1991, entrants had to win two heats to be declared the Hambletonian winner. That format caused a third heat race-off thrice. From 1991-1996, the same-day heat format declared a final winner from the second heat. In 1997, elims moved to the week before the event. When Jeff Gural came to the Meadowlands in 2011, same day heats returned in 2012. A lot of West Coast harness horsemen have moved their tack to Minnesota for the Running Aces meet. Mostly, the raceway has acted as a circuit partner for California harness folk, since Cal-Expo became the lone surviving harness track. Veterans from the once prolific California circuit are thick into action at “Aces.” They include Lemoyne Scendsen, Steve Wiseman, Kathleen Plested, Edwin Quevedo, Gerry Longo and Tim Maier. Prolific California trainer Bob Johnson is working stock at Hooiser these days. James Lackey is campaigning at Hawthorne, where Ryan Anderson (son of Joe) is also racing. The life and times of veteran racecaller Roger Huston is chronicled in a new book now available. Titled “The Voice: The Unparalleled Life of Roger Huston,” is available for purchase now at Amazon and Authorhouse. Huston has been known to many as “The Voice” and has called over 178,000 races, covering over 140 tracks in 19 states and eight countries. His 60-year career, still in progress, thrives on stories including every Little Brown Jug and Adios. The author is Victoria M. Howard. Extraordinary Extras Indulge in my monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update