Harness Weekly Update: 43% 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, Jan. 19

This week’s three contenders for our Mohawk Miles (MM) feature were reduced to one when fog canceled most of the races. The only contender, Furiosa (5-2), stepped poorly to finish 10th. All three will appear in another MM, selected features, or the H2W in their next race entries.

At Rosecroft, two of our three contenders counted for 50% of the $230.60 superfecta. Maurice ($3.40, $2.40) was second, and La Savane (14-1) was fourth. Beachhead (41-1) was fifth.

Friday, Jan. 20

Our Yonkers feature wound up with a winner, though a favorite - Morning Has Broken ($3.50, $2.80, $2.20). We looked for a longshot to complete an exacta but went with Newsy N (46-1), who finished fifth. The plan was correct since a 35-1 shot was second, boosting the exacta price.

Saturday, Jan. 21

At the Meadowlands, our Power Plays included three contenders, one of which contributed to single-race exotics. I'm J Bee N ($11.20, $6.80) was second. Sharky Bear (10-1) finished sixth, and Bionic (4-1) finished eighth.

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 35 active H2W horses (a 20% win hit rate and a 43% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Inquiring Mind, $20.00, $4.90, $3.50, Batavia
Heckraiser Hanover, $7.00, $3.10, $2.40, Yonkers
Pocahontas, $6.20, $2.90, $2.30, Yonkers
Lazin On The Beach, $4.40, $2.80, $2.10, Freehold
Big Sky Ex, $6.60, $4.60, $2.60, Freehold
Dreaming Of Lou, $4.00, $2.80, $2.40, Dover
Sin Machqueen, $2.80, $2.20, $2.10, Freehold

Seconds

Tell The Dream, $23.20, $10.80, Miami
Got The Mojo, $6.00, $4.80, Dover
Marvelous Kiss, $5.80, $2.60, Northfield
Sea Rose, $4.00, $3.00 (Exacta $8.00), Northfield
CM Savewill GL, $3.30, $2.40 (Exacta $8.20), Flamboro
Catch The Wave, $2.70, $2.20, Batavia

Thirds

Bobcat Bay, $5.20, Meadowlands
Kenrick N, $2.80, Yonkers

NEWS & NOTES

The $500k Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial for three-year-old trotters races on Saturday, July 8, at Vernon Downs. The “Zweig” has been an important event for the trotting elite. Temporal Hanover and Jiggy Jog S scored wins in last year's edition. The Zweig card is part of a matinee program with a 12:15 p.m. (ET) start over the New York oval.

Sophomore colt and filly trotters go to New Jersey next when The Stanley Dancer and Del Miller Memorials are at The Meadowlands. Those stakes launch the classic breed into the 98th Hambletonian, with eliminations scheduled for July 29 and the $1 million open and $500k Oaks for fillies on Aug. 5.

Wagering at The Meadowlands is robust. Last week’s programs exceeded the $3 million mark for a second straight week. The Big M’s average nightly handle was $2.75 million, tops in the sport. Officials feel that business could return to the level of two years ago when the average per card was $3 million. Some of 2023’s resurgent play is attributed to the high number of average starters per race and the time between races. Racing fans have made it clear that big fields create more play in the pools.

Extraordinary Extras

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