Harness Weekly Update: Double-digit winners, 53% across the board hits

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, Feb. 16

This week’s quartet of Mohawk Miles (MM) contenders was productive across the board. Bella Cavalla ($6.20, $3.90) and Belvedere Bronx ($23.80, $8.40) finished second, while Bad Eye Bill ($8.60) finished third. Thelegendcontinues (50-1) broke at the start and was eliminated.

At Dover, our place-finishing Baba O’Riley ($7.60, $4.80) completed a $44.00 exacta with the race favorite.

At Miami, our Power Plays over two races split success. We won with Greystone Watchman ($4.60, $2.80, $2.80) in one event and lost with favorite Keep Score (fourth) and Lucky To Be Sweet (seventh at 6-1).

Friday, Feb. 17

At Yonkers, we were surprised Racine Bell ($2.40) did not go off the favorite and finished third. The favorite won. As well, Violets Rainbow (60-1) could not overcome the 8 hole and finished sixth.

Saturday, Feb. 18

Our feature on Pocono’s opening program brought home a winner with Crunch Hanover ($3.80, $2.10, $2.10). Stellar BB (14-1) finished fourth.

Reminder - Monday$Money for Feb. 20

Always check the new Monday$Money feature in our Harness Preview editions. It’s the last day and night of our previewed picks and starts the next week with viable contenders.

Dover Downs
Bionic R3; +Justasec N R10; Whata Foolbelieves R10

Saratoga
Odds On Brexit R2; Fire Flower R3

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 38 active H2W horses (a 24% win hit rate and a 53% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Fear The Shadow, $26.00, $12.20, $6.10, Monticello
Bestaluck, $23.20, $11.20, $10.40, Cal-Expo
Karma Seelster, $10.20, $3.40, $2.50, Yonkers
Natural Kemp, $9.40, $3.00, $2.20, Freehold
Jitterbug Flip, $6.80, $3.60, $2.79, Mohawk
Dash Of Danger, $6.00, $3.60, $2.40, Pocono
A Rocknroll Star, $5.80, $3.00, $2.70, Yonkers
*Always Beachy, $5.60, $2.80, $2.20, Meadowlands
Con Air Hall, $4.40, $3.00, $2.30, Batavia

Seconds

Tobins Diva, $6.00, $4.10, Batavia
Select Friday, $5.80, $3.40, Rosecroft
Headoverboots, $3.00, $2.40, Meadowlands
*Super Girl, $2.40, $2.40 (Exacta $14.20)
Worthy Opponent, $2.10, $2.10 OK, Cal-Expo

Thirds

Blue Speech, $16.60, Northfield
EY Cowboy, $6.10, Batavia
Scubadan, $3.40, Meadows
Oozies Beach Gal, $3.30, Batavia
Nightlife Seelster, $2.80, Mohawk
Coach Cal, $2.20, Monticello

NEWS & NOTES

Upstate New York harness racing shifts venues when Buffalo Raceway opens its 2023 race season on Saturday, Mar. 4. The track announced a new series created for the meet. In April, there will be a Trackmaster Series for ratings of 70 (fillies and mares 71.5) or less with a final of $20,000; 73.5 (fillies and mares 75) or less with a final of $25,000; and 77 (fillies and mares 78.5) or less with a final of $30,000.

New York harness racing north of Yonkers has made a comeback worth noting. In the 20th century, the spacious part of the Empire State was the home of a prolific pari-mutuel harness racing circuit—Batavia, Buffalo, Monticello, Saratoga, Vernon, Tioga, and Syracuse. Only the latter ceases to exist. It flourished in the ‘60s, where breeder Dr. Harry Zweig built the breeding industry. His namesake event survives Syracuse, as do Batavia, Buffalo, Monticello, Saratoga, Vernon, and Tioga.

Minnesota Harness Racing Inc. (MHRI) approved a revised purse schedule for Minnesota-sired races at Running Aces for the 2023 season. Improved casino performance and changes in a new contract prompt a 16% increase. State-sired funding increases from 30 to 32% in 2023, to 34% in 2024, and to 36% for 2025-2027. MHRI added two $15k races per sex/gait for older state-breds and increased the purse for Night of Champions from $60k to $65k.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our new monthly column, Among Ourselves, at Harness Racing Update.