Harness Weekly Update: Cold exactas among highlights

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.

The update for the next leg of the Borgata series at Yonkers is included in the next Preview edition, along with our decisions on the previous leg.

Thursday, April 7

At Mohawk, the favorite defeated our first of two contenders, Maple Leaf Bound (17-1), while our second contender, Baywatching ($2.20), became the favorite and finished third to a 39-1 shot.
At Hoosier, we nailed the cold $15.40 exacta with Hugs And Kisses ($6.20, $3.00, $2.60) and Always Sugary ($3.20, $2.40).

Friday, April 8

This week’s leg of the Matchmaker series at Yonkers we began with another cold exacta, this one worth $22.40 with Lit De Rose ($9.60, $4.10, $2.30) the winner and Easy To Please ($2.70, $2.10) finishing second.

In the second division, we completed a triple with the winning favorite by adding Best Head West ($2.20, $2.10) in the place spot and Mystical Carrie ($2.10) third. The exacta was a paltry $4.20 and the triple paid $8.40.

In the last division of the leg we were second with Gias Surreal ($3.20, $2.30), beaten by a perfect-trip 17-1 shot.

Saturday, April 9

The Pick 4 at Pocono, Races 1 through 4, put some change into wins, places, and shows, but we only went 2-for-4, both public-strong winners. In leg 3, we had All Or Nothing ($5.20, $2.40, $2,10) with War Of Will (28-1) sixth. In leg 4, we won with Backstreet Player ($5.00, $2.60, $2.10) with Paymaq seventh, galloping all the way home.

In leg 1, the favorite beat Major Betts (6-1), that one finishing fifth, but we contributed a longshot for second with Friskie All Nite ($7.80, $3.60). In leg 2, a 12-1 beat us all as Papi Hanover (4-1) finished fourth and Mushana (17-1) fifth.

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; most prices are for $2 exactas). 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 42 H2W horses (a 14% 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

Beachesbeckonme, $10.80, $3.20, $2.40, Meadows
Oh My Heart, $6.40, $3.80, $2.80, Northville
Memo, $3.60, $2.40, $2.20, Meadowlands
Sportsbook Hanover, $3.20, $2.20, $2.40 OK, Meadows
Cold Hearted Gypsy, $2.60, $2.10, $2.10 OK, Northfield
Marilyns Jo, $2.20, $2.10, $2.10 OK, Freehold

Seconds

Gatsby, $7.80, $5.80 (Exacta $59.00), Philly
Manny, $6.40, $3.20 (Exacta $14.20), Hoosier
Myskillspaythebills, $5.60, $2.80, Cal Expo
ER Rocky, $4.00, $3.00 (Exacta $15.20), Hoosier
Bank Breaks, $3.00, $3.00 OK, Philly
Gorgeous Ranay, $2.40, $2.10, Freehold
Ill Drink To That, $2.20, $2.10, Meadowlands

Thirds

Edge Of Eternity, $4.90, Yonkers
Blenheim, $3.40, $2.40, Pocono
Filet Mignon, $2.80, $2.40, Northville

NEWS & NOTES

If you have not already read Jason Beem’s April 7 column, head on over there and meet my son, Ray Cotolo, who talks about his artistic and horse racing legacy.

It happened. Pompano Park—like Buffalo Bill—is defunct. State Rep. Dan Daley led the charge to block a provision allowing Isle Casino Pompano Park to drop live racing and continue to offer other slots and poker. The bulldozers are coming to level the area so a massive redevelopment project gets started. The 233-acre property has been home to harness racing since 1964 and is the state’s last harness racing track. Pompano Park was known as the Winter Capital of Harness Racing. R.I.P.

Walter Case Jr. drove in four pari-mutuel races in Maine on April 9 and took one to the winner’s circle, paying $16.60. The controversial driver surfaced after returning to action briefly in 2021 after a three-year hiatus. Case has little to prove with over 11,000 wins to his resume from the 1980s through the 2000s.

Extraordinary Extras

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