Harness Weekly Update: Northfield Bomb $81; Pace Finals Set

The TwinSpires Harness Blog Weekly Update covers our results from the remaining legs of the older pacing series at Yonkers, which took place on Mondays and Fridays, as well as our selected features and returns from our exclusive horses-to-watch list (H2W).

Monday, April 5

Three divisions of the Borgata older pacing series at Yonkers further cleared the major contenders picture. We scored a big second with the favorite (This Is The Plan) in division one with Raukapuka Ruler N ($14.00, $5.20), which completed a $51.50 exacta.

The public’s second choice won division two while we finished sixth with None Bettor N (7-1).

Then we backed the final’s most likely favorite, Leonidas A ($2.30, $2.10, $2.10 OK) and picked up the exacta partner, Lyons Steel ($5.00, $2.90), a duo worth $7.90 on the dollar. Semi Tough (10-1) ended the mile fourth.

Friday, April 9

The Blue Chip Matchmaker Pacing Series at Yonkers offered a pair of divisions with the top contender to sweep the series, Alexa Skye ($2.40, $2.10, $2.10), winning again. Our exotic probable, Soho Burning A ($2.10), took third.

Also, at Miami we were sixth to the winning favorite with Rocking Zoe (43-1).

Saturday, April 10

At the Meadowlands, an 18-1 shot won our selected feature. It was one of those tough losses for us, as our choices were Cliffhanger (13-1) and Stonedust (11-1), finishing sixth and fourth, respectively.

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 27 active horses, resulting in a 15% win hit rate and a 30% ATB (across-the-board) hit. Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Astra, $81.80, $24.60, $11.00, Northfield
BJs Rocket, $20.20, $7.20, $5.20, Northfield
Im A Gift, $18.20, $10.60, $2.90, Monticello
Skyway Bebop, $3.60, $3.80, $2.40 ok, Northville

Seconds

Waves Of Fire A, $6.10, $2.80 (Exacta $12.60), Yonkers
Bugger Bruiser, $3.00, $2.60 (Exacta $19.20), Meadows

Thirds

Stratosphere, $5.30, Buffalo
Gravelsinmytravels, $3.80, Cal-Expo

NEWS & NOTES

This past weekend the Stan Bergstein Free-For-All Trot was presented again at Cal-Expo and some of us in the business still wonder why a race named after one of the sport’s largest public figures is stranded on the West Coast. Kudos to Cal-Expo for the remembrance, since Mr. Bergstein was as pertinent on the left coast as anywhere, but how is it that where harness racing is most prevalent there is no sign of his name anymore? Outside of the Hall of Fame there is not a whiff of his legacy. I was Stan’s editor in print for a number of years and I am sure he would be writing gratefully about Cal-Expo’s recognition, while he and I wondered why there is not more.

As a prep for the upcoming Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks-related sophomore trots, The Dexter Cup and Lady Suffolk, respectively, at Freehold, the raceway has scheduled a stakes prep race for three-year-olds to be presented on Saturday, April 17. The race carries a purse of $7,500 and is open to fillies, colts and geldings. The race will be split by gender if there are enough entries. All three-year-old trotters are eligible, although Dexter and Lady Suffolk nominees will have preference.

The 138th season of harness racing at Bangor Raceway in Maine got underway with a nine-race card on Sunday, April 11, with a 12:15 p.m. (ET) post. Racing is programmed for Wednesdays and Sundays through July 21 with dark days on May 9 and 12. Post time for the Wednesday race cards is 3 p.m. Independence Day (July 4) features a special 6 p.m. card culminating with Bangor’s famous fireworks display. The fall racing season starts on Sept. 7 and continues through Oct. 30 with racing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

The first week of the 2021 harness racing season at Hoosier Park recorded the largest Thursday night handle in the 27-year history of the track. Bolstered by full fields and competitive racing, the 13-race card produced all-sources handle of $1,151,829.

Make a note that the TwinSpires Edge now presents a special weekly Hoosier harness racing blog concentrated on tips for wagering on trotters and pacers selected by this department.

Extraordinary Extras

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