Harness Weekly Update: Exactas fire up profits, 54% in the money

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, June 15

Our Mohawk Miles contenders produced a winning favorite, The Ideal Huntress ($2.80, $2.40, $2.50), while in the same race Sports Duchess (17-1) finished seventh. And then, Sister Twister (26-1) finished fourth to a 6-1 shot.

The latest TwinSpires Pick 4 offer was a disappointment for those adding our contenders to the stream, as well as to any of the single-race exotics. In the order of their finishes, here is a rundown of their under-performing miles: Walkin On Sunshine (4-1), fourth; Firstofanera (7-2), fifth; Talent Scout (9-2), fifth; Bluebird Alibi (70-1), seventh; and Quik And Shady (29-1), seventh.

Friday, June 16

The Empire Breeders stakes for soph trotters at Tioga ignored our defiance of favorites. Kayleigh S ($2.50) finished third to the favorite and our colt contender, Country Dagger (31-1), finished a respectable fourth.

Saturday, June 17

Grand Circuit - Mohawk

North America Cup
Ammo (36-1), the highest money-earner in the field, could not pave a winning mile from post 10, finishing ninth of 10. We’ll be getting back to him as the glamour-boy pacer stakes season ensues.

Armbro Flight
The upset was not for us, but it was there while our choice, Warrawee Xenia ($4.60) was third at 15-1, finishing behind the big favorite and a 7-1 shot.

Goodtimes
We passed when our contender, Challenger, scratched.

Roses Are Red
We continue to finish exactas with strong contenders; we did so here with Silver Label ($6.20, $3.90). She was best of the rest against the huge favorite for a $17.00 exacta.

Fan Hanover
Another exacta partner made profit in this affair as the favorite won in a gigantic mile and our contender, Charleston ($3.60, $2.80), had fast late pace to nail second for an $8.60 exacta payoff.

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 48 active H2W horses (a 10% win hit rate and a 54% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

I Wish I Had Thyme, $37.20, $10.80, $4.80, Running Aces
Forky, $5.20, $3.40, $2.40, Scioto
Outwit Outrun, $4.60, $3.00, $2.80, Pocono
The Hazelton, $4.20, $2.90, $2.50, Mohawk
Dance Monkey, $3.56, $2.42, $2.30, Oak Grove

Seconds

Shadowrage, $20.20, $12.00 (Exacta $95.80), Hoosier
Myartblongstorock, $10.40, $5.60 (Exacta $75.80) Running Aces
Star Speaker, $6.80, $4.60, Plainridge
Ideally Sweet, $5.10, $4.60, Vernon
Pacing Major N, $4.80, $3.60, Saratoga
Jessies Outlawed, $4.20, $3.20 (Exacta $8.60), Pocono
Always A Vavoom, $3.60, $2.60, Scioto
Some Kinda Night, $3.60, $2.30 (Exacta $19.20), Tioga
Manone, $2.90, $2.50, Monticello
Delightful Summer, $2.80, $2.60, Northville
Woody’s Cash Crop, $2.80, $2.20, Plainridge
Catch My Shadow, $2.40, $2.10, Northfield
Tempura Hanover, $2.40, Running Aces

Thirds

Macintosh N, $4.60, Yonkers
Millard Bonnie N, $4.20, Yonkers
Royalty Again, $3.40, Plainridge
Blogmaster, $3.00, Meadowlands
Airspinder, $2.60, Cumberland
Miss Rockadali, $2.20, Buffalo
Ponda Luck, $2.20, Meadows
Daley Rep, $2.10, Vernon

NEWS & NOTES

If eliminations are needed for the Yonkers Trot—soph-trotters—or the Messenger Stakes (soph-pacers)—they will be held on June 23 at Yonkers Raceway. The same arrangement applies to the filly versions, the New York New York Mile (trotters) and Park MGM (pacers). Friday, June 30 presents the finals.

Our Top 10 Hambletonian Trail contenders follow; though in order of our choice, final odds will ultimately define our win wager. Keep watching here for updates. 

1. Bond
2. Air Power 
3. Special Way
4. Volume Eight
5. Oh Well
6. Kilmister     
7. Walner Payton
8. Up Your Deo
9. Tactical Approach
10. Sadie Hanover—f

Extraordinary extras

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