Harness Weekly Update: Plentiful winners, big exotic hits with 57% in the money

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 following week’s Update.

Thursday, Dec. 8

This week’s Mohawk Miles delivered mixed results. Lilys Lass ($7.90, $4.00) raced better than her odds for an across-the-board profit finishing second. Bet-back Thankyaverymuch ($2.50) took third to the favorite. Chief Corleone (17-1) was an awful eighth to the public’s choice in his field. Move Out Milly (36-1) finished 10th to a 22-1 shocker.

Friday, Dec. 9

Our Power Play at Northville began as we wanted. Boogie Shoes (26-1) left strongly from post 8 but while in third aiming for a rail spot or the lead, he broke stride and was eliminated. Meanwhile, Starlitblackdragon ($3.60, $2.60) took second as the race favorite won, completing a $21.60 exacta. Our other contender, Hardt To Handle (24-1), made two moves but could only capture fifth by the end of the mile.

Saturday, Dec. 10

We offered four contenders in our Power Plays for Race 5 at Charlottetown. We decided each would be an element in the single-race exotics offered. The winner and favorite, Tell Me Why, was not one of our choices, but as we always establish in our handicapping, the public choice is a “given.”

In post position order, here is how three of our four choices played into the results:

Jays Little Spark ($4.70, $4.20) was second, completing a $20.20 exacta with the favorite.
La Vie En Rose ($2.90) was third, completing a $166.20 triactor.
Miss Sangria (7-2) finished seventh.
Jordies Hope (17-1) finished fifth, contributing to the $315.85 Hi 5 along with the favorite and a 4-1 shot.

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 44 H2W horses (a 25% win-hit rate and a 57% ATB [across-the-board] rate). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Solid Gold N, $9.60, $4.20, $3.20, Meadowlands
National Sport, $9.40, $4.20, $3.40, Hoosier
A Major Omen, $8.60, $3.80, $2.20, Cal-Expo
Record Year, $8.40, $3.50, $2.30, Saratoga
Plzdontlietome N, $5.60, $4.20, $2.80, Northfield
Dance On The Beach, $4.80, $2.80, $2.80 OK, Rosecroft
Refined, $4.80, $3.60, $2.60, Yonkers
State Senator, $4.40, $2.60, $2.50, Yonkers
Madelynn Sophia, $3.30, $2.30, $2.10, Monticello
Aerosmith Hanover, $2.40, $2.30, $2.10, Saratoga
Ehrmantraut, $2.30, $2.10, $2.10 OK, Yonkers

Seconds

Knives Out, $7.40, $3.60 (Exacta $38.20), Hoosier
Hi Sir, $6.80, $3.20, Rosecroft
Aberdeen Hanover, $2.60, $2.10 (Exacta $32.60), Dover
Control Tower, $2.60, $2.30, Saratoga
Johnny Badlands, $2.20, $2.10 (Exacta $7.40), Dover

Thirds

Harambe Deo, $8.00, Dover
Jagged Little Pill, $4.60, Meadowlands
Air Force Grad, $4.40, Cumberland
Shock Wave, $4.20, Hoosier
Swan By Land, $4.20, Dover
Picard A, $2.90, Yonkers
Downill Skiing, $2.60, Northfield
Molly Kool, $2.60, Northfield
Capozzo, $2.20, Meadowlands

NEWS & NOTES

Although the Cal-Expo meet is young, Quentin Schneider is sending his stock out en masse and doing well, winning at a 33% rate. With over 30 starts, Schneider leads the pack in earnings, a stat that is becoming an important handicapping element. Nathalie Tremblay and Gerald Longo are also having top figures early. The newcomers have yet to display major impacts among the regular crew of horsemen.

Northfield Park’s remarkable ability to race in inclement weather is amazing. At simulcast stations it is well known when weather cancels many track feeds, bettors can count on action at Northfield. So it was odd to us all when following the sixth race on Dec. 7, Northfield surrendered the remainder of the program when the Flying Turns were nowhere to be found amid the harrowing haze. Safety first; intrepidness in a close photo.

Multiple stakes-winning trotter Back Of The Neck stands stud for the 2023 breeding season at Blue Chip Farms. The $1.5-million winner, strongly present in numerous stakes performances including a Hambletonian elimination and a Breeders Crown Open, at three, was second in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot—parked almost the entire mile. In 2022 he was the fifth-leading money-winning son of Ready Cash. Sons of Ready Cash demanded great respect for their success at stud in Europe. Back Of The Neck offers that bloodline opportunity to North America.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our column Alternative Actions at Harness Racing Update.