Form-Friendly Stakes Winners; Ramona Hill Queen Of Both Divisions
TwinSpires Harness Preview blog feature results are below, along with in-the-money finishers from our horses-to-watch list (H2W), and of course, our News & Notes section, which reports and remarks on the states of our sport.
Friday, Sept. 18
At the Meadows, the Keystone Classics quartet went 100-percent public, with each win going to the favorite. We completed exactas with two place finishers in the colt-trot division—Harley K ($3.60, $3.60 ok, exacta $12.40) and Town Victor ($2.60, $240, exacta $8.20). In both colt-pace races we finished fourth with Tito Rocks (14-1) and Tell Them Lou (10-1).
Favorites shone in the freshmen Maryland Sires Stakes at Ocean. We scored with three of the four finals. Our choices Trents A Lock ($7.60, $2.80 n/s) and Funnyfunnyriddle ($2.40, n/s) created a $14.40 exacta; Pride Of Windswept ($3.40, $3.00, n/s) beating favorite Andovermiwinner (6-5, finishing fourth); and Wowie Zowie ($2.10, $2.10, n/s) beating Intercoastal (45-1), finishing fourth. In the other event, Ko Master (15-1) finished fourth to a 22-1 winner.
Saturday, Sept. 19
The Metro elims at Woodbine/Mohawk (WoMo) began with a 14-1 winner, while our choice, Bettor Sun ($3.20) finished third. In the second elim we supported Abuckabett Hanover ($2.30, $2.10 n/s), the frosh colt that became the favorite and won.
Gliding home first with no challenge in the WoMo Canadian Trotting Classic, Ready For Moni broke into an uncharacteristic gallop and finished off the board. Our choice, Play Trix On Me ($8.50, $9.50 ok) finished second to 60-1 Chestnut Hill, that one taking advantage of the break and the clear path on the inside to close.
The second favorite won the WoMo Elegant Image; we were third with Treacherous Reign ($3.00).
The Milton elims found us third in both. We had Treacherous Reign ($3.00) to the second favorite and Caviart Ally ($2.20) to a 4-1 winner.
The Elegant Image? Two words: Ramona Hill ($3.10, $2.20, $2.10)
We addressed nine of the stakes on the Illinois super night at Hawthorne. Here are our results:
Molero—Fox Valley Gemini ($2.20, $2.10, $2.10 ok)
Incredible Tille—Connie On The Go (14-1), broke, 8th.
Fox Valley Flan—Myonly Sin ($3.20, $2.20), exacta $5.40
B. Dygert—Fox Valley Extacy (3-1), broke, 9th.
E, Dygert—Crooked Creek $2.40, $2.10
Incredible Finale—Frontier Charley, $2.80, $2.40, exacta $8.40
R. Carey, Jr.—He’zzz A Wise Sky, $2.20, $2.10, $2.10; Hello Rooster (105-1), 8th
Plum Peachy—Fox Valley Exploit, $4.00, $2,60, $2.20
Maurello—Skeeter Machine, $3.20
H2W LIST RESULTS
The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Exactas listed include a H2W horse finishing second to a race-favorite or if the first two finishers are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses are listed—a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices are correct (even when a show price exceeds a place price or all prices are the same).
Please note that some results reflect horses racing after the blog posts (they appear the following week).
This week, there were 36 active horses (a 19-percent win hit rate and a 44-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate).
Winners
Whiskey Wizzard, $24.00, $6.00, $6.20 ok, Hoosier
Custom Cantab, $7.20, 5.40, $3.60, Dayton
US Captain, $6.00, $4.00, $3.00, Meadowlands
Red Foot Ernie Ray, $4.00, $2.20, $2.10, Dayton
That’s Incredible, $3.60, $2.40, $2.10, Plainridge
Scarlett Hanover, $3.50, $2.30, $2.10, WoMo
Premier Desirey, $3.00, $2.40, $2.20, Hawthorne
Seconds
American Music, $10.40, $9.80, Dayton
Thespywholovedme, $5.80, $3.60 (Exacta $26.00), Freehold
Fox Valley B Gump, $4.60, $2.60, Running Aces
Majestic Sunset, $2.60, $2.20, Vernon
Catch My Shadow, $2.40, $2.20, Philly
Major Crocker A, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Freehold
Thirds
Aftermeyourfirst, $2.80, Meadows
Good Living, $2.60, Dayton
Time To Imagine, $2.10, Hoosier
NEWS & NOTES
A few blogs back we ran a story on Australian expatriate Andrew McCarthy, who has made a name for himself in North American harness racing. Another McCarthy, Todd McCarthy, is following in Andy’s sulky tracks, setting up tacks in New Jersey and currently driving at the Meadowlands. Todd was a leading driver at Sydney’s Menangle Park for five straight years. What’s more, Todd is not the last McCarthy we may see from Down Under. Luke McCarthy is a top driver on the Queensland circuit; can we expect to see him stateside?
The TwinSpires harness blog posted on Wednesday night, Sept. 23 will cover Little Brown Jug day’s main features for Thursday, Sept. 24. Included on the card is The Old Oaken Bucket, the trotting version of the “Jug,” the trio of Ohio Breeders Championships, the Ms Versatility Final for mare trotters and the Jug.
Fraser Downs has a date for a return to harness racing. The British Columbia oval announced pari-mutuel racing starts Wednesday, Sept. 30 with a 5:00 p.m. (PST) post. Fraser's next card will be on Friday, Oct. 2, with first post of 8:00 p.m. (PST). Racing will continue through to Dec. 18, with two cards per week; Wednesdays will continue to feature a 5:00 p.m. (PST) first post with Fridays scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. (PST). In addition, there will be a special Boxing Day card on Dec. 26 with a 1:00 p.m. (PST) first post.
Bettors Wish won’t race in 2021, he will go to stud at Pennsylvania’s Diamond Creek Farm. Readers of this blog know that early in his sophomore career we took an unpopular view that he would be the divisional leader. He went on to win Three-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year in 2019. At four he came out powerfully against older horses. He won the Sam McKee Memorial on Hambletonian day in a personal best of 1:47.3 and raised his earnings to $2.1 million.
Extraordinary Extras
Indulge in our columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update
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