Harness Weekly Update: Early fireworks with $33 top pick

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, June 30

This week’s Mohawk Miles selections featured only a place by Always B A Star ($2.70, $2.40) as the public choice. The other, Brace For Landing (6-1) broke but finished the race sixth-placed-fifth.

This week’s recommendations for the TwinSpires Hoosier Pick 4 were no help to anyone aiming at the pots. Our contenders were based on projected prices that would dowse the opposition’s emphasis on favorites. However, in leg one, Fox Valley Sampson was a favorite and finished seventh and Frontier Metis (4-1) took fourth. In leg two, Filthy McNasty (16-1) was sixth and Longwood Lolly ($2.20, $3.20 ok) was second. In leg three, Ms Parklane Power (6-1) finished fifth. In the last leg, Drivin Me Crazy (4-1) finished seventh and Tony N Rock (13-1) got fourth.

Friday, July 1

The top choices won each of the sires-stakes divisions for frosh-filly trotters at the Meadows. We were third with Lindys Irishcream ($2,80) in leg one, fifth with Cando Volo (6-1) in leg two and fifth (including a break) with Tipsy Moni (4-1).

The two soph finals at Yonkers were easily won by the race favorites. Our scenarios tanked. Nautical Hanover (8-1) made it into the superfecta finishing fourth in the Messenger. In the Yonkers Trot our scenario was given no chance to develop when Brave By Design (46-1) galloped when the starting gate wings opened.

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 48 H2W horses (25-percent win-hit rate and a 58-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit. Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Oberto, $33.80, $15.80, $7.00, Scioto
Rough Odds, $8.40, $3.80, $2.60, Pocono
Juniors Dew, $7.40, $3.60, $2.50, Monticello
Leaping Legend, $6.80, $3.60, $3.00, Buffalo
Sucretariat, $6.60, $4.40, $3.00, Meadows
A Fancy Face, $6.00, $3.00, $3.00 ok, Scioto
Sister Solange, $6.00, $2.60, $2.40, Meadows
Swan In Motion, $5.20, $3.00, $2.20, Philly
Paperback Thriller, $4.80, $3.20, $2.60, Scioto
Art It Is, $3.60, $2.20, $2.60 ok, Hoosier
Shoot The Odds, $3.00, $2.30, $2.20, Monticello
Publicity Seeker, $2.40, $2.10, $2.10, Pocono

Seconds

Do You See It, $5.60, $4.40, Georgian
Paymaq, $4.40, $3.80, Harrington
Justabitcrazy, $4.30, $2.80 (Exacta $17.40), Monticello
Wake N Bake, $4.20, $3.00, Northfield
Primo Giovanni, $3.60, $2.40 (Exacta $10.20), Hawthorne
Morrockin K, $3.40, $2.80 (Exacta $10.60), Philly
Rockinmydream, $2.80, $2.50, Grand River
Fashion Schooner, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Meadowlands
Illini Jetset, $2.10, $2.10 ok (Exacta $5.80), Hawthorne

Thirds

Swan Fine Lady, $5.40, Plainridge
Oneida Blue Chip, $4.80, Running Aces
Romantic Warrior, $3.80, Hawthorne
Sir Shadow, $2.50, Saratoga
Deli Dream, $2.40, Saratoga
How The Hell, $2.40, Philly
Sudden Change N, $2.40, Scioto

NEWS & NOTES

Where is Niki Hill? One of the top pacers of last year, Niki Hill was near a perfect rookie season, winning nine of 10 starts while earning more than $960,000. Niki Hill made only one sophomore start — a PASS start on May 29 at Philly where she made a break as the 1-5 choice and finished ninth. Trainer Chris Ryder said "Niki" was sidelined since that miscue and is healing well from a cut to an ankle. Niki is expected to return racing in the summer stakes season. She is by Always B Miki.

Where is Hammering Hank? Eligible yet absent from the Messenger Final was the Brett Pelling-trained colt. Brett decided to skip the final after “Hank” finished second in his elim but did not impress his trainer with the performance. Pelling said he is looking to get the colt in better shape and aims for such success to put him in the Meadowlands Pace elims on July 9

It’s time for us to begin our ranking for the 2022 Hambletonian winner. The following top-10 list will be updated in each of our Update editions until we cover the August classic.

1.         Joviality
2.         Fast As The Wind
3.         Pretender
4.         Branded By Lindy
5.         Justice
6.         King Of The North
7.         Rebuff
8.         Raised By Lindy
9.         Periculum
10        Temporal Hanover

Extraordinary Extras

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