Harness Weekly Update: Super winner pays $33

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.

Sunday, Oct. 9

Cool Papa Bell ($6.30) closed well in the stretch of the Kentucky Futurity to finish third at 7-1 and, the title went to 10-1 Rebuff.

The Filly Futurity was all ours – cold, an overlay even as crowd choices. Jiggy Jog S ($4.30, $2.40, $2.20) was first and Joviality S completed the $7.40 exacta.

Thursday, Oct. 13

In this week’s pair of Mohawk Miles, bet-back Mats MVP ($13.80, $5.10) finished second to the second favorite, while Kenogami Rebel (11-1) took fourth.

At Rosecroft, the four two-year-old sires stakes found three of our contenders finishing fourth; they were Excuse My Beauty (14-1), Lloyds Loves (16-1), and Nicki's All In (29-1). A 16-1 beat our other contender, How Doo You Goo (8-5), who finished fifth.

Friday, Oct. 14

Hoosier’s Super Finals for Indiana-breds were the features. Though we only hit one of the four two-year-old battles, it was the biggest price of the night for Fortunada ($33.00, $13.20, $4.60). The other contenders included race-favorite Bourbon Courage, sixth; Art It Is (5-1), fifth; and Helpineedsomebody (22-1), who broke and finished eighth.

Three-year-old Super winners are listed in the H2W.

Saturday, Oct. 15

We focused upon the quartet of freshmen trotters and pacers in the Super Finals for Ontario at Mohawk.

Favorites beat our promises for prices with Winooski (83-1), finishing eighth, and Momentary Control (40-1), finishing seventh. We received a refund on Tuscan Prince for interference breaks at the start, even though he regained his stride and finished sixth to a 4-1 shot.

Our only winner was the knock-down best bet of the night with Stockade Seelster ($2.30, $2.10 n/s).

The Courageous Lady at Northfield found our main contender, 4-1 Valar Dohaeris ($6.40, $4.40), second with a 5-1 winner while the favorite broke at the start and was never engaged, finishing last.

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 40 H2W horses (12% win-hit rate and a 35% ATB [across-the-board] hit). Horses with asterisks before their names were tweets @FrankCotolo. Follow for late choices.

Winners

Dr Bravestone, $15.80, $4.20, $3.20, Dayton
Always A Charmer, $8.80, $4.00, $2.80, Saratoga
Adamsville Road, $7.00, $3.20, $2.40, Hoosier
Need To Breathe, $6.20, $4.80, $4.20, Hoosier
The Funk, $4.20, $3.00, $2.40, Meadows

Seconds

Dravo, $5.80, $3.40, Northfield
Dazzling Lindy, $5.60, $4.00, Plainridge
Mad Max Hanover, $5.20, $2.70, Red Mile
Oberto, $2.40, $2.20, Meadows
Brazen Brazilian, $2.30, $2.10, Monticello
Wolftrax, $2.10, $2.10, Saratoga

Thirds

Wal Finest, $3.40, Monticello
Bo Breeze, $3.20, Rosecroft
Always A Panther, $2.40, Meadows

NEWS & NOTES

The big dog looked small. Bulldog Hanover, the fastest Standardbred of all time, ran out of time in a bid to break his own speed record. It happened last week at The Red Mile. After a record three-quarters, cutting each panel, “Bulldog” stopped barking, giving way to Allywag Hanover. Brett Pelling’s stud took the catbird seat from the start and was full of lung power when he moved to the outside and drew away to win in 1:46.

During the third quarter (July 1-Sept. 30), U.S. harness racing bets increased slightly by 0.61%. So far, $396,589,531 went through the “windows,” compared to $394,175,658 in the corresponding period in 2021. Purses increased 13.46% with an increase of $22,329,416. The 17 more racing days represented an increase of 1.44 percent, while field size decreased by 0.94%, from 7.48 to to 7.41.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in our column Alternative Actions at Harness Racing Update.