Final Stops On The ‘Trail’ Include Tompkins-Geers

With three weeks until the first Saturday in August, some colts and fillies will be making their final preparations for the Hambletonian in their respective splits of the Arthur Tompkins Memorial.

The $49,870 filly dash of the Arthur Tompkins Memorial serves as a rematch between lone “Oaks”-hopefuls Feed Your Head and Overdraft Volo. Hopefully, off her pocket-sitting victory, Overdraft Volo will take a majority of the play so that Feed Your Head could be value as the second choice. They are the main contenders in this event on the win end but if neither is a suitable price then perhaps try Leet Hanover, who, with the right set up, could be pouncing on a tiring leader late.

The $59,370 colt split of the Arthur Tompkins Memorial attracts eligibles Wutan, Perfect Spirit, Dover Dan, Southwind Cobra, Southwind Woody, Earl Variera, Fly On, Southwind Hydro and Catch The Game. Of the nine hopefuls, play should largely be centralized towards Dover Dan and Fly On, both of whom appear to be at their top form approaching this event.

Yet, value in this race could exist outside of the two obvious contenders, such as in Southwind Cobra, who exits a good effort in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial. He appears to have improved since his lackluster performances in the Goodtimes stakes and could receive the setup necessary to score his first win of the season.

Alongside the Tompkins-Geers stakes, the Meadowlands will host Open events for both sophomore colts and fillies, which also attracted hopefuls looking to spar before the August classic.

The colt Open includes eligibles Thisguyisonfire, International Moni, Giveitgasandgo, Muscles Jared, Sir John F, Di Oggi and Enterprise. Most likely, International Moni should be sent off the public choice. If not, though, he would be a value play.

Assuming the public declares him the favorite, Sir John F should also offer value as he improves into this event. Catalyzing the conditions that allowed Thisguyisonfire to upset at Pocono, the amount of speed he demonstrated in that effort perhaps captured the current sharpness of his form. If harnessed correctly, he could be explosive in the stretch drive

Onda Su, Cool Cates, Fine Tuned Lady, Dream Together, Broadway Idole, Princess Aurora and Crann Tara are the Oaks-eligibles in the filly Open. Public play here should be directed mainly to Princess Aurora, off of two fast qualifiers, and Fine Tuned Lady, who has portrayed herself as a factor against some of the division’s top fillies.

But Cool Cates, who stood out early on the Hambletonian Trail with a 31-1 upset in a division of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes, should not be dismissed, especially moving to a bigger track, which should suit her preferred racing style.

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The racing of classic divisions—soph-colt-and-filly trotters—on their quest to the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks finals continues its exclusive, extended coverage from TwinSpires and the Hambletonian Society. Recaps of races covered in this blog can be found at the archive section of the web’s home for the Hambletonian Society.