Harness Weekly Update: $31 winner, 47% in the money

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 following week’s Update.

Thursday, Sept. 22

This week’s pair of Mohawk Miles hit the board once with Ciel Bleu ($2.80) beaten by the race favorite and Sayonara Royalty (49-1) galloping the mile.

The Old Oaken Bucket at the Delaware County Fair on "Jug" day had only four racing. The one we mildly endorsed, Fiftyfour K, broke badly, still finishing third but not paying anything due to an absence of the show pool.

The Little Brown Jug elims offered no value; the favorites won both, and the better of them won the final. We tried with Greatest Ending (12-1), who finished fourth, and with Gulf Shores ($3.20) who finished third.

Friday, Sept. 23

Grand Circuit Reynolds stakes at Tioga were good to us. Here are our results from the six races in order of our success:
Sparkling Tile S, $31.80, $14.80, $15.40 OK
Light And Tight, $6.10, $3.90, $3.10
Met Your Request, $16.20, $5.80 (Exacta $29.60)
American Wisdom, $2.70
Kaleun (6-1), fourth
Tipsy Moni (16-1), seventh (broke)

Saturday, Sept. 24

Luck was not with our contenders on the big card at Mohawk. Three of our five choices broke: Winners Bet (8-5) finished ninth; Ants Marching (53-1) also finished ninth; and Duly Resolved (90-1) finished 10th but was placed ninth. Peyton Hanover (10-1) finished fourth and Bellisima Hanover scratched.

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 38 H2W horses (21% win-hit rate and a 47% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Sidd Finch, $18.60, $7.60, $3.20, Plainridge
The Boss Man, $7.90, $3.90, $2.80, Yonkers
B Cool Fool, $7.10, $4.10, $2.30, Monticello
Coxcomb, $4.20, $2.60, $2.40, Pocono
American Vision, $3.70, $2.40, $2.10, Monticello
Cantkeepmeasecret, $3.70, $2.60, $2.10, Yonkers
Princess Rockette, $3.20, $2.20, $2.80 OK, Northville
Island Of The Sea, $2.40, $2.40, $2.10 OK, Rosecroft

Seconds

Adios Muchachos, $5.60, $3.80, Rosecroft
Apple Valley Art, $5.00, $4.00, Hoosier
Cunning Connie, $4.20, $3.00, Mohawk
Ehrmantraut, $2.70, $2.50, Yonkers

Thirds

Gigfy, $5.60, Saratoga
Springbridge Duel, $4.00, Yonkers
Royal Assassin, $3.40, Northville
Odds On Pick Six, $3.20, Hoosier
Brookletts Desire, $2.40, Hoosier
Umberto, $2.10, Saratoga

NEWS & NOTES

In the past decade or so, we shied away from trying to make a decent betting investment on The Little Brown Jug elims because the event no longer attracts the division’s top horses. This year it hardly attracted the next best. As a favorite, Bythemissal won his elim and the final. When we backed him in The Adios he paid $19 beating the top sophs. They did not show up in Ohio. Many reasons have been given for the exodus; none matter. As far as betting goes, unless something changes, The Little Brown Jug is defunct.

The Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile starts Thursday, Sept. 29, and runs through Oct. 9 – six race dates in total. Bluegrass Stakes events for freshmen and sophomores flourish the first week. Two-year-olds – with the second week beginning Oct. 7 – take center stage for the first two days in International Stallion Stakes. The meet’s closing day card is Oct. 9, which includes the Tattersalls Pace and the trotting-classic Kentucky Futurity.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our column Alternative Actions at Harness Racing Update.