Harness Weekly Update: Lucrative winners, 56% hit the board

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 8

Our Mohawk Miles contenders were scratched along with the night’s entire program due to extended effects of Canadian wild-fire smoke polluting the greater East Coast of North America.

Friday, June 9

Sires Stakes at Tioga were won by two top favorites and a second favorite. In the two filly divisions, we were third with On The House ($2.60) and Kayleigh S ($3.20). The colt division found us fourth with Tillio’s Action (5-2).

Mohawk Grand Circuit elims went well enough for our followers. In one Goodtimes elim we scored big with Warrawe Yang ($15.70, $5.30, $4.10). We were beaten by the favorite in the other elim, as Dowedealinandwhy (79-1) broke and galloped home seventh.

In the Roses Are Red elims, we won with Grace Hill ($3.00, $2.40, $2.10) and lost to the public choice in the second split with Voelz Delight (37-1) in sixth.

Saturday, June 10

North America Cup elims

It was chalk alley for the soph-colt pacers. In the first of the quartet, we finished seventh with Vici (36-1), beaten by the race favorite. In elim two we were second with Ammo ($4.00, $3.40), beaten by the race favorite and included in an exacta worth $16.00. In the third elim we finished second with Save America ($4.50, $2.70), and with the favorite winning, the exacta was worth $16.90. The last elim went to the favorite while our outsider, Ants Marching (10-1), finished sixth.

Rough Battle

The Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield was a rough mile. The race favorite broke at the start and was eliminated, causing alternate routes for some and judges’ replacing when it was all over. But we held on to third with Leonidas A ($5.00), who led the gang of nine until some late foot from longer shots than he.

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 32 active H2W horses (a 19% win hit rate and a 56% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Silver Maple, $35.00, $12.40, $6.40, Meadows
High Baller, $23.60, $8.00, $4.20, Plainridge
Arrive In Style, $13.40, $3.80, $3.30, Tioga
I’m Benicio A, $11.20, $6.00, $4.00, Pocono
Zig Zag, $8.40, $3.30, $2.70, Tioga
Wyoming Cowboy, $3.20, $2.50, $3.40 OK, Vernon

Seconds

Somebeachsomeday, $7.80, $6.20, Hoosier
Vel Mr Nice Guy, $3.90, $2.20 (Exacta $8.40), Yonkers
Gubner, $3.40, $2.70 (Exacta $15.00), Saratoga
Rockinattheryman, $2.60, $2.20 (Exacta $16.80), Northville

Thirds

Likely Blue Bayou, $6.90, Vernon
Frank’s Watching, $6.00, Buffalo
Swagasaurusrex, $4.80, Yonkers
Moosette, $4.40, Running Aces
Don’tmakeafoolofme, $3.80, Northville
Bet You, $3.40, Cumberland
Wish I Had Thyme, $3.40, Running Aces
Justasec, $2.30, Saratoga

NEWS & NOTES

Keeping your own H2W notes can be profitable. H2W horses have two chances to win before leaving the list. Our records continue to show a third and even fourth time can be the winning charm. Keeping your own H2W list on a spreadsheet file or some other means can deliver profitable plays, automatic, and are easier to keep than in the olden [sic] days.

Our contenders for The Meadowlands Pace, as of June 12, follow; though in order of our choice, final odds will ultimately define our win wager. Keep watching here for updates.

1. Ammo
2. Stockade Seelster
3. Fulton
4. Save America
5. Confederate

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.