Harness Weekly Update: Cold $47 exacta, $32 winner in the spotlight

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, July 28

This week’s Mohawk Miles selections both lost. Breaking badly at 53-1, Winoosky finished 10th. We Shall Sea (27-1) raced better than his odds, finishing fourth.

Friday, July 29

Our contenders in the Hawthorne stakes duo both went off at 61-1 and finished seventh. Mister Sleaze’s field was beaten by the second choice of bettors, and Judge Me Not lost to a 7-1 shot and suffered a break along the way.

The saving wager in features for the evening was our top contender in the Doherty elim. Una Madonna ($32.00, $14.00, $8.40) was much the best. In the Haughton elim, we finished sixth with Paramount Legend N, who made the final field next week.

Saturday, July 30

In The Adios our perfect scenario came to pass, and we beat the two big favorites with Bythemissal ($18.20, $5.60, $2.40).

In the Hambo elims we only hit one show spot—Cool Papa Bell ($3.80), beaten by the race favorite. In the other Open elim we were fifth with Keg Stand (22-1).

The Oaks left us with Misswalner Fashion (13-1) breaking and finishing eighth and Baptism (8-1) making the final with a fifth-place finish.

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 43 H2W horses (14% win-hit rate and a 40% ATB [across-the-board] hit. Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Hall Of Duty, $13.20, $4.50, $3.50, Vernon
*Mcard Attack, $10.20, $5.30, $2.30, Monticello
Down It, $10.00, $3.20, $2,40, Running Aces
Marquis Lafayette, $7.40, $2.20, n/s, Plainridge
What Should I Goo, $4.60, $3.20, $2.40, Philly
Gucci Girl, $3.00, $2.10, $2.10 OK, Philly

Seconds

*Statement, $6.40, $2.70 (Exacta $47.40) Monticello
Rockin Megan, $5.60, $3.00, Northfield
Cheese So Pretty, $4.90, $3.30, Mohawk
Machbook Pro, $4.80, $3.60, Scioto
Bestaluck, $3.80, $2.10 (Exacta $8.00), Running Aces
Mike Mike, $3.60, $2.80, Hawthorne
Gemologist, $2.70, $2.10, Yonkers

Thirds

Mugshot Man, $5.40, Scioto
Morairtime, $3.60, Northfield
Samson J, $2.80, Vernon
Ghostly Casper, $2.20, Mohawk

NEWS & NOTES

H2W followers need note that in certain racing areas, horses may race for a second time without showing on the list the next week if they did not win. This is because there are fair meets, especially in the U.S. Midwest, where horses race for purse money but there is no wagering allowed, so we consider the raceline moot. When such horses race again at a pari-mutuel venue they reappear on the list only if TwinSpires carries the track.

We monitor the win percentages of trainers at their various home tracks and keep an eye on stable activity of the season’s standings for trainers at Grand Circuit racing events and all of North America. This week making news in the totals for trainers per earnings we pass on trainers whose stock is on the precipice of breaking the $1 million mark. They include a less familiar handful: Cory Kreiser, Melissa Beckwith, Jared Bako, Scott Di Domenico, James King Jr. and Brian Brown.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our column Alternative Actions at Harness Racing Update.