Harness Weekly Update: 30% win rate

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

Thursday, June 23

This week’s Mohawk Miles selections features a second with Cheese So Pretty ($6.40, $3.30), beaten by a 15-1 shot. Contender Mo Power Baby finished fifth to a 13-1 shot.

Our recommendations for the TwinSpires Hoosier Pick 4 resulted in one winner, Street Boy ($4.60, $2.80, $3.00 ok) in leg four. Don’t Say Goodbye (12-1) finished fifth. We were competitive in leg one with Longwood Dolly ($9.80, $6.00), with Philly Card (4-1), fourth. The favorite won leg four, while we were third with Tony N Rock ($6.60), and we were fifth in leg three with She's Magical (14-1).

Friday, June 24

The Messenger elims crowd followed our choices. Gulf Shores ($3.60, $2.10, $2.20 ok) won the first, and Hammering Hank ($2.70, $2.10) was the favorite beaten by a 4-1 shot.

The Yonkers Trot elims were both won by favorites. We had one, Joviality S ($2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok) but finished second in the other with Double Deceiver ($2.60, $2.10).

The Hoosier Cup elims also pleased the crowd with a pair of 2-1 winners. We finished second with The Longest Yard ($2.40, $2.20) and third with Sure Thing Herman ($2.80).

Saturday, June 25

The Graduates’ third leg had some minor upsets affecting our contenders. The public’s second choice beat Cuatro De Julio ($2.10, $2.10 ok). Test Of Faith ($2.10, $2.10 ok) was beaten but not by our proposed upset contender Fire Start Hanover (18-1), who finished fifth.

Take All Comers ($4.40) came in third to the favorite. A fourth finish for Billy Clyde (75-1) was better than most expected. Bella Bellini ($2.60, $2.10, $2.10) scored easily.

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 form a cold exotic combo; most base prices are $2). 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 37 H2W horses (30% win-hit rate and a 38% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Meadowbrook Lady, $20.00, $11.20, $3.80, Northville
*Valottalove, $12.60, $4.20, $3.40, Oak Grove
Sea Rose, $10.60, $4.60, $3.80, Northfield
Rose Run Wilson, $4.60, $4.00, $2.80, Meadows
Pembroke Regal, $4.00, $2.60, $2.10, Plainridge
Ravishin Ruby, $3.90, $2.50, $2.20, Monticello
Mercutio, $3.80, $2.80, $2.40, Mohawk
Cloudbreak, $3.40, $2.80, $2.30, Vernon
Swipe Right, $3.40, $2.40, $2.20, Meadows
Origin Story, $3.00, $2.20, $2.20 ok, Plainridge
*PD's Gabriel, $3.00, $3.00, $2.60 ok Oak Grove (Daily Double $19.20)

Seconds

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Thirds

Letsdoit S, $5.40, Meadowlands
Fashion Winner, $3.00, Philly
Better Moonon Over, $2.60, Saratoga

News & notes

Northville Downs closed its spring meet in style. A total of $469,900 in purses was on the line for horse people competing at the metro Detroit half-mile oval. Northville resumes live racing on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022 with the regular Friday and Saturday nights schedule and a post time at 7:30 p.m. each race night through Dec. 17.

Northville is the surviving harness venue in a state with a standardbred circuit that once flourished. How many harness tracks can you name associated with Michigan? Time’s up. There were Hazel Park, Jackson Raceway, Swartz Creek Raceway and Saginaw Valley Downs. According to TwinSpires harness sources, the future of Northville is in question after 2024. The racetrack land is under contract to be sold after the next three seasons.

It’s time for us to begin our ranking for the 2022 Hambletonian winner. The following top-10 list will be updated in each of our Update editions until we cover the August classic.

1.            Fast As The Wind
2.            Joviality S
3.            King Of The North
4.            Pretender
5.            Branded By Lindy
6.            Periculum
7.            Raised By Lindy
8.            Justice
9.            Temporal Hanover
10.          Rebuff