Harness Weekly Update: Roundup of stakes finals

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, Sept. 7

Two of our Mohawk Miles trio fell to favorites. Mass Money (21-1) finished fifth; Great Bet (9-1) finished seventh. The other, Sinatra Hanover (9-1), finished fifth to a 7-1 winner.

Friday, Sept. 8

Of the four New Jersey Classic finals at The Meadowlands, we had a single winner, Air Power ($4.20, $3,00, $2.60). In two others the favorites beat our bets for Mr Grant ($3.00), finishing third, and Caviart Justice, in a no-show-betting situation.

Four Northville Michigan Sires Stakes finals produced one winner for us, Krystals Jewel ($6.60, $4.20, $3.20); two thirds, Sonofaseecook ($3.40) and Smash The Rail ($2.80); and one fifth, Smashin’classy (24-1).

Saturday, Sept. 9

New York Sires Stakes finals delivered some heavy longshots. Two of the five divisions we chose presented mild winners, Senorita Palema ($6.20, $4.40, $3.10) and Instagram Model ($2.30, $2.10, $2.10 OK). Kierkegaard K (9-1) finished fifth, Bronx Barista (9-1) fourth, and Hurrikane Hunter (40-1) fourth-placed-eighth.

H2W LIST RESULTS

This week, there were 31 active H2W horses (a 13% win hit rate and a 32% across-the-board hit rate).

Exactas listed in H2W results reflect an H2W horse finishing second to a race favorite, or if the first two finishers were on the list, when an asterisk appears for cold exactas. The note “OK” determines prices are correct when a show price exceeds the place price or all three prices are identical.

Winners

Shamrock, $10.40, $4.00, $2.40, Scioto
Knight Angel, $3.60, $3.00, $2.50, Tioga
St Lads Bijou, $3.50, $2.70, $2.20, Tioga
Racin Hungry, $3.00, $3.00, $2.80 OK, Meadows

Seconds

PL Pork Chop, $3.70, $2.70, Tioga
Crazy Cute, $3.20, $3.80 (Exacta $21.30), Running Aces
Peggy J, $3.00, $2.20 (Exacta $5.30), Vernon
Pattycake Mooss, $3.80, $2,40, Meadowlands

Thirds

Full Of Sharks, $6.80, Northville
I Choose You, $6.40, Northville

NEWS & NOTES

The Raceway at Western Fair District is kicking off its fall season on Monday, Oct. 2. Several special events are planned, including the Donnie McElroy Memorial race on Oct. 13, the London Classic Yearling Sale on Oct. 17, and the annual Holiday Drivers Challenge in support of Toys For Tots on Dec. 10.

Our 2023 Top 10 for The Little Brown Jug (note that some soph-colt pacers on our list have not confirmed inclusion but may be considering entering):

1. Confederate
2. Seven Colors
3. Stockade Seelster
4. It’s My Show
5. Cannibal
6. Christchurch
7. El Rey
8. Voukefalas
9. Hurrikane Hunter
10. Fulton

The “official” top 10 from the “Jug” PR office has caught up with our early picks. This week its top three of 10 fully acknowledge, in order, Seven Colors, Stockade Seelster, and It’s My Show.

Extraordinary extras

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