The winners from our exclusive H2W series continue to spark our best weekly action. Lebanon Raceway was added this week, delivering two of the 14 winners listed.  

Feature-wise we were second at the Meadowlands with Yo Cheyenne Rocky and Volare DeVie in two of the series finals on Feb. 23.   

In the TwinSpires bonus-tagged Woodbine Pick 4 on Saturday we had just one winner, World Away, at $6.20. Our ticket, with two per race, finished 8-win/ 9-2/ 5-Scratch/ 7-4.    

Here they are from the highest paying to the lowest paying winners from the H2W on our blog last Thursday:   

$50.00 Rocknroll Band, Buffalo
$31.70 Red Star Cashflow, Fraser
$21.00 Gee Up, Cal Expo
$19.20 Billy Elliot, Cal Expo
$12.60 Rascan Steve, Buffalo
$12.40 Angle Of Attack, Pompano
$10.40 Stoney Interlude, Maywood
$7.80 Paul The Powerful, Cal Expo
$6.20 Super Dream, Lebanon
$5.40 Franky Provolone, Cal Expo
$5.00 Dawn Of New Money, Lebanon
$4.80 Bell On Wheels, Freehold
$4.70 Dartmouth Hall, Buffalo
$3.70 Gooch’s Bad Boy, Buffalo

The following are the horses that finished second or third from Thursday’s list along with their post-time odds. Special notes on their affects in those positions follow. Be aware that some of them were second-timers on the list and will not return next week (you may continue following them on your own, using them as you see fit). 

Seconds:
Quiet Judy (23-1), Buffalo; Palmers Z Tam (8-5), Buffalo; Fox Valley Libero (7-1), Maywood; Master Jeeves (7-1), Maywood; Nanette Hall (3-1), Freehold; Simply Jorgeous (7-2), Lebanon; Roger And Son (8-5), Lebanon; Carmelitas Girl (7-1), Northfield; Style Element (4-1), Cal Expo; Larry Horse (5-1), Cal Expo; Red Star Vicker (5-1), Fraser; Red Star Bogart (5-2), Fraser; Thisoneandonemore (6-1), Meadows; Odin Blue Chip (7-1), Meadowlands   

Thirds
King Otra (7-1), Buffalo; My Man Ben (8-5), Freehold; Rader Detector (3-2), Pompano; Degas Protégé (7-2), Fraser; Comeshomeearly (7-1), Cal Expo; Grateful John (13-1), Meadows; Hillcrest Bigdaddy (2-1), Meadows; Solong Saboo (62-1), Meadows; Grin-n-scoot (3-1), Meadows; Mighty Fine Hi Ho (3-1), Cal Expo

All adjustments for returnees to the list and additions will be in the Thursday blog.

Freehold Raceway’s 2013 stakes schedule is official, kicking off with the Grand Circuit three-year-old Dexter Cup trot eliminations on April 27 with a May 4 final estimated at $130,000. The Lady Suffolk, the filly division, estimated at $77,000 is carded on May 3.  

A spring late closing series named after the late Kenneth Fischer, former owner of Freehold and Gaitway Farms, debuts with a first leg on Saturday, May 4, the second leg on Saturday, May 11, and the final on Saturday, May 18 with an estimated purse of $30,000.    

The New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS) divisions dominate the fall schedule along with the Lou Babic Memorial for frosh pacers. The eliminations for the “Babic” go on Aug. 31 with the two finals coming back on Sept. 7. The finals are estimated at $90,000 for the colt division and $55,000 for the fillies.   

 

Also, again, are the Helen Smith for soph-trotting fillies on Aug. 30, the Marion Dancer (frosh filly trotters), the Charles Smith (soph trotters), the Harold Dancer (frosh trotters) and NJ Futurity races.

The second annual Open Space Pace will be held on Sept. 21 during Open Space Pace Day, recognized as a County Fair and an effort to preserve open space in New Jersey by raising awareness of the standarbred horse and harness racing industry. The complete states schedule along with more information on the spring late closing series can be found at Ray Cotolocontributed to this blog.

 

Cartoons by Thom Pye