Harness Weekly Update: $110 winner lights up toteboard

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, May 5

This week’s Mohawk Miles selections were rifled by favorites. First One (33-1) galloped furiously to eliminate himself. Hershey Speedster (9-1) finished seventh to one of last week’s Mohawk Miles choices, Tie One On (see H2W).

Friday, May 6

The Reynolds splits at Yonkers were not complementary to our choices. The second favorite won the filly pace while we finished sixth with the longest shot on the board, Sake Bomb (59-1), who raced as well as her odds. Sire Betting Line deserves better representation and should get it from gals like this soon enough.

The colt pace was a mild upset with a 6-1 winner, while some traffic had the judges re-placing our contestant, Letmecallyouback ($5.10), from fourth to a good show pay.

Saturday, May 7

The Dexter Cup had a field of eight but only four raced into the stretch as the others jumped and galloped on the sloppy surface. A 7-1 won with our contenders - Justice ($7.00, $3.40), Pour Mea Double ($9.00), and T Rex Blue Chip (35-1) - second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Later in the Meadowlands Graduates divisions, we won the male trot with Sonofamistery ($7.40, $4.80, $3.80), with Swingforthefences (15-1) fifth.

In the Graduates pace we finished fifth with Chase H Hanover (7-1), beaten by the second choice.

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 (a 22% win-hit rate and a 49% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Yes Double Down, $110.00, $41.00, $16.00, Pocono
Come On Over, $17.60, $6.40, $3.60, Northville
Swan Fine Lady, $7.40, $4.20, $2.80, Plainridge
*Voracity, $6.40, $3.40, $2.80, Hoosier
So So De Vie, $4.40, $2.60, $2.40, Meadows
Roll With Dom, $4.00, $2.80, $2.50, Saratoga
Tie One On, $4.00, $3.40, $2.80, Mohawk
Boogiewoogiebevis, $3.00, $2.40, $2.10), Meadows

Seconds

English Rose N, $12.00, $4.40, Freehold
Lady Newton, $4.80, $3.00 (Exacta $11.80), Meadows
Magic Shark, $4.20, $2.80, Northville
What Should I Goo, $2.80, $2.40, Freehold

Thirds

Traffic Jam, $7.00, Pocono
Gaelihill, $4.00, Meadowlands
*Surreal Art, $4.00, (Trifecta $110.20), Hoosier
Thunder Some Where, $3.70, Monticello
Trip Hammer, $2.60, Philly
Dirge, $2.20, Miami

NEWS & NOTES

The contest for TwinSpires Players’ 2022 Horse of the Year is blazing as Yes Double Down won at Pocono on May 1 and paid $110 to win. The pacing mare, trained by Rob Krenitsky Jr., takes a handsome lead over the early candidates, including Gatsby ($45.80), Cool Blues Man ($41.40), and Carlos Mittano ($30.00).

Monte Miki, the top frosh-pacing colt of 2021, has been retired, according to trainer Mark Evers. “Monte” has a tear on the side of his tendon and will go to stud. Evers and connections were “devastated.” Evers was looking forward to a big three-year-old campaign for the son of Always B Miki, who won six of seven starts at two and $665,276. He won the $650,960 Metro at Mohawk in 1:52.2 and the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands in 1:53.2.

No matter how well or badly you did over the past “Derby” weekend playing the runners or the trotters, TwinSpires veteran horseplayer/racecaller Jason Beem recently reminded readers we the betting public sink and swim constantly. “Learning to be OK with being wrong has been one of the best skills I’ve learned in regards to horse racing and life. It’s difficult not to let short-term results get you down … How we react to losses or times we have been wrong will have a bigger affect on our bottom line than the original losses we fuss over.”

Vernon was missing on the calendar because the barn area was closed and all stabled horses were under quarantine until further notice due to two equine deaths. Out of an abundance of caution, live racing for May 6 and May 7 and this week's qualifiers have been canceled, pending regulatory approval.

Extraordinary Extras

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