Harness Weekly Update: 21% winners, 55% across-the-board hits

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, June 29

Our trio of Mohawk Miles contenders were given no mercy by crowd favorites. The two losing to main choices were Glenfidich ($2.20), finishing third, and Moonstruck (6-1), seventh. Our other was a favorite; Villefranche AS (6-5) finished eighth.

Friday, June 30

At Yonkers we nailed the longest shot in the stakes quartet. In the New York, New York Mile trot we delivered Secret Volo ($19.60, $11.80, $2.90). Contributing to the triple was Sadie Hanover ($2.10) while Emira Mil IT (11-1) finished sixth.

Otherwise, there was little luck on our side in the remaining trio. In the Yonkers Trot, Crown (9-1) broke early and was eliminated. In the Messenger Pace, Seven Colors (6-5) burned out with an overland journey, and in the MGM Pace, Turn On The Charm ($3.90) was third to the favorite while Lisa Lane (6-1) finished seventh.

Saturday, July 1

We won the Dave Brower Memorial with a stakes-record performance by Ruthless Hanover ($8.40, $3.40, $2.80).

In the Crawford Farms trot, we finished second with Venerate ($3.40, $2.60). We finished third in the Six Pack with Fashion Schooner (no show wagering). Finally, Boudoir Hanover (32-1) finished fifth to a 14-1 shot in the Perfect Sting.

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 47 active H2W horses (a 21% win hit rate and a 55% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Ladyyouaregorgeous, $19.80, $6.40, $4.10, Vernon
Plumb, $12.80, $5.40, $2.10, Meadowlands
Oh Boy, $9.00, $5.10, $3.40, Yonkers
Busboy Hanover, $5.80, $3.40, $2.40, Pocono
General Dolan, $5.20, $2.60, $2.60 OK, Hoosier
*No Way To Hide, $4.80, $2.80, $2.10, Running Aces
Mariner Seelster, $3.40, $2.10, $2.10 OK, Pocono
Hudson Phil, $3.20, $2.40, $2.10, Saratoga
Talent Scout, $2.84, $2.22, $2.10, Oak Grove
Syracuse Express, $2.40, $2.10, Vernon

Seconds

McKee Creek, $30.00, $14.40, Monticello
Fort El Said, $14.00, $7.20, Scioto
Little Jolena, $6.80, $3.20 (Exacta $31.40), Hoosier
Betting Fra, $5.80, $2.60 (Exacta $20.80), Meadows
Lepanto, $3.80, $2.80 (Exacta $10.20), Vernon
Tellittoella, $3.60, $2.20, Hoosier
Lorrie Sue, $3.50, $2.60 (Exacta $14.00), Vernon
Dealt A Winner, $2.80, $2.40, Philly
*Southwind Molly, $2.80, $2.10 (Exacta $9.60)
Joyce’s Secret, $2.20, $2.10, Philly

Thirds

Directing Traffic, $5.40, Running Aces
Glowing N The Dark, $3.80, Scioto
We’re Gonna Rock, $3.80, Cumberland
Ardent, $3.40, Monticello
Awesomeness, $3.40, Pocono
Pearl Harbor N, $3.10, Tioga

NEWS & NOTES

The second round of Canadian wildfire smoke hit racing hard in the U.S. Midwest as well as at home. Midweek, as the clouds blew in from the north, racetracks and fair meets canceled “out of an abundance of caution due to the declining air quality.” This eliminated some H2W horses. We are monitoring all such scratches; they will appear on the list for their next race.

Two-year-old (baby) races are in full flight. We are keeping an eye out for products of new crops, especially from first-time sires. When we have established some hot numbers, we will dig more into freshman races on both gaits in overnights as well as stakes so as to get a jump on good across-the-board prices before the public catches on.

Here are our top 10 rankings for the Meadowlands Pace as of July 3 (final odds will define our bet).

1. Ammo
2. Confederate
3. Stockade Seelster
4. Seven Colors
5. Christchurch
6. Fulton
7. Voukefalas
8. Save America
9. Cannibal
10. Hungry Angel Boy

Our Top 10 Hambletonian Trail contenders follow (final odds will define our win wager).

1.  Bond
2. Air Power
3. Sadie Hanover
4. Up Your Deo
5. Oh Well
6. Kilmister
7. Volume Eight
8. Walner Payton
9. Tactical Approach
10. Special Way

Extraordinary extras

Indulge in our new monthly column, Among Ourselves, at Harness Racing Update.