Harness Weekly Update: 15% win rate for H2W list

The TwinSpires Harness Blog Weekly Update covers our successes and failures from selected features and the H2W (horses-to-watch list). H2W horses through the following Monday appear in the next Update’s results. 

Thursday, Sept. 21

Our Mohawk Miles trio was highlighted by Abikadabra ($7.60, $4.10) coming in second to the favorite for an exacta worth $21.00. Otherwise, Sinatra Hanover (9-1) ended the mile in seventh, and Jayport Anna May (56-1) finished fifth. 

The Little Brown Jug elims were disappointing for us, mostly because our main choice to win an elim, Stockade Seelster, scratched from the event. In the two remaining elims, we were fourth with Ervin Hanover (31-1) and sixth with Ants Marching (5-1). 

Friday, Sept. 22

At Hoosier there were three top choices beating us in the program’s line of stakes and one longshot, resulting in a single contender hitting the board. Ponda Title ($5.00, $3.40) finished second. Two fourths, Yo Beth D (14-1) and Lou Vuitton (27-1), and sixth Frankie Frankie (11-1) remained.

Saturday, Sept. 23

The quartet of Mohawk million-plus stakes we backed were huge longshots that raced some of the worst miles we ever supported. All of them were beaten by the first or second choice in the wagering. Chain Gang (33-1) finished 10th; Rocket Deo (51-1) ninth; Challenger (73-1) eighth; and Emoji Hanover (24-1) did not finish, having galloped most of all four quarters.

H2W LIST RESULTS

This week, there were 27 active H2W horses (a 15% win hit rate and a 37% across-the-board hit rate).

Exactas listed in H2W results reflect an H2W horse finishing second to a race favorite, or if the first two finishers were on the list, when an asterisk appears for cold exactas. The note “OK” determines prices are correct when a show price exceeds the place price or all three prices are identical.  

Winners 

Dream On A Roll, $10.80, $4.60, $3.20, Vernon
I Got The Tab, $7.30, $3.20, $3.00, Yonkers
Almost Karen, $4.20, $2.60, $2.10, Freehold
A Good Chardonnay, $3.60, $2.40, $2.10, Freehold

Seconds

Admit, $3.60, $2.10, Hawthorne
White Claw, $3.00, $2.20 (Exacta $5.00), Rosecroft
De Havilland, $2.80, $2.60, Northville
Rocktavius, $2.40, $2.20, Rosecroft

Thirds

Flyin Fitz, $3.60, Delaware Fair
Danikova, $2.40, Northville

NEWS & NOTES 

The Little Brown Jug may have been a million-dollar event, but the star of the glamour-boy division did not show. Confederate, the Brett Pelling-trained fireball, was last seen scorching speed records at The Red Mile and like a lot of pacers over the past two decades eluded the half-mile track in Delaware, Ohio. There are unconfirmed rumors about the colt not racing at all at four, but the Breeders Crown awaits until connections provide any plans for 2024.

With the Ohio “Jug” fair meet concluded, Ohio harness racing returns to Dayton Raceway. Races kick off Sept. 26 and the meet continues through Dec. 30. TwinSpires harness department will be following the track’s signature stakes, and the H2W includes contenders coming from the Scioto meet and Delaware Ohio Fair. 

Again, Northville Downs, in conjunction with the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association and the Michigan Gaming Control Board, is extending the current harness racing meet through Nov. 25.
 
Indulge in our new monthly column, Among Ourselves, at Harness Racing Update.