Division Stars Challenged In Autumn Stakes At The Red Mile

The second week of the Grand Circuit cavalcade of stars at The Red Mile is the focus of this long weekend. This weekly blog covers Oct. 3 through Oct. 5. We will cover Sunday, Oct. 6 stakes from The Red Mile in our Breeders Crown Countdown blog so as to address the classic Kentucky Futurities. Many of the rest of harness races in North America are the focus of the never-ending TwinSpires’ horses-to-watch (H2W) list. Check the H2W for numerous outside contenders that offer many winners and pump up exotics as list members finish in crucial exotic-ticket spots. INDIANA SONS Frosh-colt pacers get going with Leg 6 of the Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS). There are two $67k divisions on Oct. 3. In the first split, Clever Character out-weighs the competition but may still be backed heavily despite post 9. Mid-pack, Straight Up Cool leaves with much speed and a fine record for the season. He should be worth it as the third or worse choice. The other INSS for the greenies brings together a pair of the series’ top foes. Sawyer’s Desire is one we backed earlier and Odds On Osiris shone in past divisions. Amid the lesser regarded we find High Impression, who may offer a better-than-expected price considering the top two. INDIANA GLAMOUR INSS glamour-boy trotters meet in Leg 8 on the Oct. 3 program, with two divisions worth $47k each. This is a good spot for Smooth Acceleration, since the crowd will embrace the two “Swan”-bred colts with the top earnings. Seven finishes in the money (three wins) in 11 starts is a glowing average. The second split offers what remains of Swandre The Giant in his home series. We must, if we bet this, support a local defeat and will do so backing DG’s Caviar, coming off of a mediocre performance last week. KY INTERNATIONAL The final Grand Circuit week at The Red Mile delivers the lucrative International Stallion Stakes (INTS) episodes. “Futurity” week’s INTS binge begins with a trio of $92k divisions for frosh-colt trotters. In round one, a strong-silent type that hides in the Breeders Crown (BC) Top Fives (see at Hambletonian.com) is gearing up for his best mile yet. That colt is Rome Pays Off and he is in a great spot to soar on the red clay and even if the crowd believes that, a fair price is expected. Seven go to the gate for the second INTS. Last week we backed a winner with Amigo Volo, who returns for some money grabbing here. Although he was highly regarded for us then and entered the BC Fives, another member is our choice here—Synergy. It is his last chance to prove he is e BC-worthy and he is good enough to convince his connections and the bettors here. The last INTS for the program provides seven, arguably the best seven in the division, led by Real Cool Sam, followed by Ready For Moni and Capricornus. If you care to attempt an upset we offer Gangster Hanover. A win bet will pay more than adding him to exotics with “Sam,” but Ake Svanstedt’s colt could take down Sam’s two obvious rivals and it would only take a hair to win if the three top colts battle too hard on the red clay surface. INTERNATIONAL SEXTET INTS action continues on Oct. 4 at The Red Mile with four $72k splits for frosh filly trotters and a pair of $119k contests for frosh-filly pacers. In the first INTS for filly trotters, Love A Good Story will be buzzing for Julie Miller as the dead-on favorite. From the 7 hole, though, Sorella has to be given a good shot here, though we hope her odds do not reflect it. Staffan Lind’s filly could be rightly placed early and scoop up the stretch path and compromise the efforts of Miller’s gal. Next, bettors will inject lots of dough for Sister Sledge, looking for her eighth win in nine starts. We look deeper and choose to back Sweet Shirley Mae off of her Bluegrass appearance and promising improvement having won two of three starts; and because of a good price expected. The third INTS filly episode marks the return of Common Sense S for Svanstedt. Winning the Bluegrass last week was an impressive event, one we cashed on, and perhaps leaving from post 8 will turn enough bettors away from her here to offer a good repeat-win price? The last INTS filly test has arguments for a few in the field, though Sherry Lyns Lady is, most likely, in top shape to repeat a win going into the BC. We will support Senorita Rita, a late blooming filly with the kind of record asking for a leap of faith from courageous bettors like you and I. The pair of INTS miles for the filly pacers may rest upon the strength of Looksgoodinaromper. The crowd will not ignore Merga Hanover (another Burke gal) or Reflect With Me, spreading out the win money. This is good for us because a smart price could be the reason to back Looksgoodinaromper, even though her name is abominable. Let’s take a bet-back filly in the other pace. Gai Waterhouse could offer the best price as well as the best mile, since this looks like a contesting field and trainer Dom Cecere won’t get the kind of attention he should get with a filly like this. The majority of bettors will lean on entries from Burke’s trio and a few others. TWO BY TWO STAKES Oct. 5 at The Red Mile offers frosh-colt pacers $68k in each of four INTS splits, featuring some of the top boys en route to the BC. We pass round one, for lack of price or purpose. Seven go in round two, where Cattlewash looks to repeat his Bluegrass win. For sure, Major Betts will be winging for an upset to boost his October chances and he has the resume to do it—mild improvement does it for him. Six of the next seven colts go to the gate to defeat Tall Dark Stranger, who holds all the traditional cards—speed, earnings, no losses, etcetera. The best chaser may be Captain Barbossa, in a great spot to weave an upset as “Stranger” most likely attempts to take the top and pace away with it. The fourth episode also calls for a chase, as six pace to catch undefeated Elver Hanover. Burke’s Gingras Beach won handily last week and goes here in only his fifth race. Such improvement must be noted and can certain meet with upset requirements here. ALLERAGE AGEDS Opens for the older groups bring the usual suspects to The Red Mile on Oct. 5. For $186k, nine pacers travel from last week’s concerts in Ohio, with a few other characters. The fresh meat, so to speak, is Geez Joe. Only six efforts this season, three of them wins and a speed badge on the seven-eighths that may be in his favor among some very tired older ones. The possible blowout I see in my head makes sense. I mean, geeze, Joey. The Allerage Trot Open offers $145k and looks as behooving as all of this division’s top events. A few new characters from the division show up here and we really like one of them—Julie Miller’s Eurobond. Six for 12 is every bit as good an average as the well-known entries own and he is not tired of the others’ faces as they are of one another this late in the season. Seriously, Eurobond is fast enough to beat these and his unfamiliar presence should be a plus on the price side. TATTERSALLS SISTERS For the soph filly pacers, the $216,000 Tattersalls/Glen Garnsey looks much like the BC final, all things being equal. These gals have been competitive all season and what factors will benefit each are unforeseen by them and those betting them. We will stray from three most recognizable in the division and look for an overlay price on Queen Of The Pride. We were with her early on for both of her seasons and she has been a worker, a good earner and always raced better than her odds. H2W Legend Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires. H2W LIST Batavia 10/4/19, +Southwind Onyx R1; +Dream Field R6 Dayton 10/3/19, Passionate Deo R8; +Blacklist Z Tam R10 10/4/19, +Star Guitar R13 Freehold 10/4/19, Dr Grinch R3; Lookout Stokk Zone R5; Hanks Tank R9 10/5/19, +Ameriman R2; Hurrikanesky R6; B’s Weddie R12 Hoosier 10/3/19, +General Simba R4; +Phine By Me R7 Meadows 10/5/19, Bambino Joe R14 10/7/19, +IC Caviar R13 Monticello 10/3/19, +Mr Pearl R6 Northfield 10/5/19, +Rockin Kasbah R1; +Myeyesadoreya N R6; +St Lads Maggie Mae R13 Northville 10/4/19, Lily Grace R2; Ballerina Rosa R3; Northern Matador R5; Crystal Rei R10 10/5/19, +Sugarcreek Storm R2; +Disel D R2; +Pikachu Hanover R2 Philly 10/3/19, +Kredit Karma ae R6 ae R13; Tyson R7; Lothario R9 10/4/19, Bosch R2 Plainridge 10/3/19, +Bestfillyntown R2; +Massive Lightning R4 10/4/19, Southern Swan R6; Midnite Craze R7; Awaken The Shadow R9 Pocono 10/5/19, Reiki R4; Control Tower R9 Saratoga 10/3/19, +Leap Year Lucky R9 Vernon 10/4/19, +A Wish For Wings R7 10/5/19, +Quid Pro Quo R1; Hands Off Frank R11; The Saint R11 Yonkers 10/3/19, +With Out A Doubt R4 10/4/19, +Tipp City R9 10/7/19, +Yacht Week R10