Cheeky Hambo Hunters Score; Top Prices For Overnight Achievers

The Hambletonian Trail began last week, pitting soph colt and-filly trotters against one another in lucrative contests at Freehold and Pocono. This is where our feature results excelled. Remember, the Hambletonian Trail blog is exclusive on these TwinSpires blog pages and it is posted when our preview prose goes live on Wednesday evenings.Archived stories of races are posted at the Hambletonian Society web pages.

The first division of the Lady Suffolk for the fillies at Freehold, we predicted the winner, EL Love ($8.20, $4.20, $2.10). She is not eligible to the August classics. In the second “Suffolk,” we took second, losing to an 11-1 non-eligible. However, our choice was dismissed, as we thought, and Southwind Cartier paid $19.00 and $7.00 for second and third respectively.

In the Dexter Cup, we warned of the huge favorite, Habitat, and he won his debut as a sophomore at five cents to the dollar. We expected Apostles Creed to be third favored of our three contenders but our third contender, Divisionist, was an astounding 17-1, finishing second ($6.60, $4.20), certainly becoming the best bet of the three, since “Creed” went off at a short 2-1, finishing fourth. The Exacta of $18.20 with those two was generous.

At Pocono on Kentucky Derby afternoon, four Pennsylvania All Stars divisions were held for soph-colt trotters on the H-Trail. We were second in division one with Jackson Minion ($2.60, $2.60 ok); we were second in division two with Piercewave Hanover ($4.40, $3.20).

In the third split we won with Cruzado Dela Noche ($7.00, $5.80, $3.20). The fourth division was won by the huge favorite. Our choice, Cue Hall, finishing fourth at 48-1.

Friday’s Reynolds Grand Circuit stakes found our filly pacer, Crescent City in fourth at 25-1. Saturday’s Reynolds Grand Circuit stakes for colt pacers was no treat for any participant, no less ours (Fast Movin Train, sixth at 18-1) as Wiggle It Jiggleit won his seventh-straight race as the overwhelming choice. Both stakes were at the Meadowlands.

In the Whata Baron Final, also at the Meadowlands, we ignored the obvious favorite and finished third and first, respectively. Our second choice, Ideal Cowboy won ($10.00, $4.00, $3.40) and our first choice, El Bloombit ($6.00) was third. If you liked Bettorever at 5-2 (this is the pacer we gave you when he won the first leg of the series), the two-thirds of the trifecta we handed you returned a nifty $222.80 with him.

At the Meadows May 2 we were fourth with Possessed Fashion (21-1) in the Meadows Maturity (won by the favorite); we were seventh at Pocono that night in the Van Rose Invitational with Luck Be Withyou (6-1).

In between published harness blogs, follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter.

H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas are included when a H2W horse finishing second completes the result 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 the exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices published are correct even when a show price exceeds a place price. This week, there were 82 active horses.

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place and/or show results occurring after press time and that it is up to you to follow those horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

Artist From Above, $16.00, $7.00, $3.80, Miami
Mr Nice Guy, $14.00, $8.00, $6.00, Bangor
All The Bettor, $12.60, $6.20, $2.80, Saratoga
Mcgreat, $12.40, $4.00, $4.00 ok, Pompano
Burn The Floor, $7.20, $2.70, $2.40, Century
Polak A, $7.10, $5.30, $2.80, Yonkers
Captain Hazardous, $2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Century

Seconds

My Hare Lady, $13.60, $9.60, Miami
Lizzies Dream, $8.00, $4.00, Pocono
Canaco Star, $7.20, $3.90, Yonkers
Fox Valley Bobbijo, $7.20, $4.60, Maywood
Soba Hanover, $5.50, $3.00 (Exacta $13.30), Century
Renata, $4.00, $2.60, Northfield
Upfront Casino, $4.00, $2.50 (Exacta $11.40), Century
Here Comes Thunder, $3.70, $2.30 (Exacta $6.60), Vernon
Willy Mucha, $3.40, $3.00, Pocono
Dream Out Loud N, $3.20, $4.00 ok, Yonkers
Yankees Lady, $3.20, $2.60 (Exacta $10.20), Miami
Someone Fameous, $3.00, $2.20 (Exacta $6.00), Meadows
R Journey Together, $2.80, $2.10 (Exacta $7.20), Northfield
By A Noggin, $2.60, $2.30 (Exacta $17.40), Monticello
Lexies Delight, $2.60, $2.20, Cal Expo

Thirds
 
Sodys Moonshine, $5.20, Yonkers
Im A Wildcat, $4.40, Century
Action Onelasttime, $3.60, Pompano
Julias Song, $3.60, Northfield
American Passion, $3.40, Century
No Dialogue, $3.40, Northville
Machinist, $3.40, Miami
Jk Panache, $3.10, Vernon
Dashing For Home, $3.00, Maywood
Explodent, $3.00, Philadelphia
Lefty Malone, $2.90, Century
Sir Kensington, $2.90, Saratoga
Sts Frankie, $2.40, Miami
Dabunka, $2.30, Yonkers

News & Notes

There are only 56 glamour-boy pacers remaining eligible for the $1-Pepsi North America Cup this June 20. Among them are the division’s top early stars based on their frosh resumes are Artsspeak, Go Daddy Go and Ontario-champ Reverend Hanover. Eliminations are on June 13. Thirty-eight of the 56 remain eligible to another top soph pace, the Somebeachsomewhere. Both stakes are at Mohawk.

Committing to barns for the next Running Aces meet are the following trainers with stock that we will be watching: Lemoyne Svendsen, Luke Plano, Tim Maier, Gerry Longo, Robert Johnson and Steve Wiseman, all shipping to Minnesota, since the Cal Expo meet ended May 3.

Harrah's Philadelphia is the venue for the Betsy Ross, Maxie Lee Memorial, and the Jerry Taylor Invitational on Sunday, May 24. All three are invitational go for a purse of $150,000. The Betsy Ross, an annual event for the top pacing mares may feature last year’s winner Anndrovette, while last year's Maxie Lee for older trotters could find its winner, Market Share, who won with a 1:50.2 world record, available. The Jerry Taylor Invitational is new to the stakes schedule; it’s for older pacers.

The 2014 Horse of the Year, filly-pacer Jk Shesalady, won her first appearance at three in qualifier, while her full brother, Jk Endofanera, also won. The filly is trained by Nancy Johansson and the colt is trained by Ron Burke. Jimmy Takter qualifiers were busy on the Meadowlands qualifying program, with winners that included trotters The Bank and Pinkman, the later defeating his stablemate French Laundry. Top trotting filly Mission Brief broke in her qualifier but recovered and finished third. Father Patrick is back, he won his second qualifier of the new season.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in many standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

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