Harness Weekly Update: 50% in the money

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. 6

This week’s Mohawk Miles contenders were undependable. In Race 6, Ravishin Ruby (28-1) was ruined in traffic, broke and finished a fifth-placed-sixth to the race favorite. Then, in Race 7, we wound up with the 3-2 favorite, Zebs Watching, and were beaten by a public outsider.

At Freehold we approached a Pick 4 with aggression but were beaten by three public choices. Here’s the rundown:
Leg 1 – Frankandjoanne ($2.80, $2.40); Woodmere Ultimate (9-1) seventh. Winner was 12-1.
Leg 2 – Miss Popeye (34-1) sixth; Rhythmofthenight (2-1) eighth. Winner was the crowd favorite.
Leg 3 – Pedigree Blue Chip (17-1) fourth; Stakeout (9-1) sixth.
Leg 4 – Princess Holly N ($3.40, $2.60); Native Ideal scratched.

Friday, Jan. 7

In a sole feature at Mohawk, bettors measured the top contenders in Race 8 equally. A pair of 2-1 entries left the gate; one of them was our choice, Mach Impact. He was the favorite by pennies but was beaten by the other 2-1 shot. Mach Impact went first over at three-quarters and was passed late to finish fifth.

Saturday, Jan. 8

For the Pick 4 (races 6 through 9) at the Meadowlands, we suggested eight contenders to consider for your ticket, as well as for single-race exotics.
Race 6 – Walknafter Midnite (6-1) finished sixth; Mayhem Hanover (10-1) finished seventh. The race favorite won.
Race 7 – The favorite won. Hill Of A Horse ($4.60, $3.60; Exacta $13.80) was second, and Darlene Hanover (28-1) finished fourth in the superfecta.
Race 8 – JK Will Power (45-1) finished 10th; Pit To Right ($3.40, $2.60) placed. Public’s second choice won.
Race 9 – Typhoon Stride N (24-1) finished sixth; The Bird Dance N (5-2) finished fourth in the superfecta.

Note: Selected features and Power Plays race losers appear in the following week’s H2W or repeat as cast members of another selected feature.

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 32 H2W horses (a 13% win-hit rate and a 50% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Dance Traveler, $8.00, $4.60, $2.10, Cal Expo
Way To Close, $4.40, $3.00, $2.80, Meadowlands
Vector, $4.20, $3.40, $2.40, Meadows
Prescotts Hope, $4.00, $2.80, $2.10, Hawthorne

Seconds

Pay Later, $11.80, $6.20 (Exacta, $19.50), Monticello
Parkland Jet, $8.40, $5.00, Meadowlands
Greenhill Hanover, $8.20, $4.60, Meadowlands
Marced Magic, $4.20, $3.40, Cal Expo
Some Lucky Magic, $3.60, $2.20, Freehold
Rockin Airway, $2.80, $2.40, Miami
Snap Call, $2.20, $2.10, Meadows

Thirds

All About Lynx, $7.60, Miami
Douwantobldasnoman, $5.20, $2.10, Northfield
Fox Valley Gemini, $3.60, Hawthorne
More Than Many, $3.20, Northfield
Solosos Rockit, $2.20, Northfield

NEWS & NOTES

The 240-day 2022 meet at Yonkers Raceway begins Monday, Jan. 10, with an 11-race program. The first race post time is earlier this meet—6:55 p.m. (ET) from 7:15 p.m. in prior years. Yonkers’ stakes action in 2022 begins in March with the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares and the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for free-for-allers on Mar. 18 and 21, respectively. Preliminary round action in continues into April, with the finals set for Monday, Apr. 25.

An all-sources handle of $27,313,164 lifted Hollywood Dayton Raceway to its best season. The 2021 figure at the recently concluded 70-day meet represented a 14.6% increase over 2020. The Ohio track broke its all-time daily handle record on Dec. 23 when $850,522 was wagered on the program. Six of the top 12 handles in the eight-year history of Dayton were recorded in 2021.

When The Meadows opened its 2022 harness season on Jan. 5, it introduced an end to post-time lag. It was a source of frustration for players, so the Meadows eliminated it. Now, as soon as the clock changes from “1” to “0” the starting gate moves from its position on the backstretch and rolls through the turn, picking up horses in front of the toteboard and releasing them on the backstretch. The TV monitor shows the gate car as it moves from its position in front of the paddock so bettors know the race is about to begin.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet, at Harness Racing Update.