Hawthorne Hit Hard With $60Winner; Woodbine Series Strike; Exotic Additions At Yonkers Serve $50 And $99 Returns

One big horses-to-watch (H2W) list winner was the standout this weekend and our highest paying winner so far in 2018. From Hawthorne, we delivered Fox Valley Eli paying $60.60 (see H2W list below).

Here are the features in chronological order:

Thursday, Jan. 25 our Partners For Picks (PFP) races at Freehold offered four races with a Pick 4 and an inner Pick 3. A favorite won three of four, with our best result coming from Big Sky Glide ($5.60, $3.20) in leg four. Our choice for the first leg, Elle’s Boy (38-1) finished fifth, while our second-leg choice, Pan Grad, was scratched. Our third-leg first choice, Black Hammer (7-1) was beaten by a 36-1 shot, who also defeated our second-choice, Some Power (3-1) ended up fifth.

That night at Flamboro we went for Power Plays (PPS), presenting four possibilities for the exotics, win, place and show pools. The favorite, not on our list, won the race. We came closest with the place horse, Angels Kid ($12.60, $6.10), which created an exacta worth $50.50. Otherwise, Hetties Commander (16-1) was fourth to assist the superfecta; Tenor Duharas (2-1) broke but still finished fifth; and Leonardo Da Lindy (45-1) came in sixth.
 
Also in Canada that night, we nailed one of the Blizzard Series’ leg two winners at Woodbine with Bettin Jackie ($9.70, $5.90, $4.40), while in the other division we were third with Big Chute ($2.60).

Two of our features’ contenders at Miami on Friday, Jan. 26, were in the money. Second was Love To Roll ($5.20, $3.20) and third was Cas Art Apparel ($5.20), who, along with the top two public choices returned a paltry trifecta worth $12.35. ME Radar Girl (16-1) raced far behind Love To Roll to be ninth.

At Woodbine Friday we added to only one result in three divisions of the second leg of the Snowshoe Series. That was Gerardo ($4.50, $2.50), second to a 3-1 winner. In division two we flunked badly with My Teen Idol (31-1) seventh, along with Lyons William (5-1), getting sixth to a 4-1 winner. Then, we had the favorite, Snagnwiththedragon, who finished a disappointing fifth to the public’s second choice.

Saturday, Jan. 27 we jammed a PFP and a PPS into three races at Yonkers. In the first event we were second with Franco Rayner ($2.80, $2.20) as a 10-1 shot won, leaving our others to finish off the exotics grid. Oh Jonny B Good (10-1) was fourth; Toatsmygoats (7-1) was fifth and Burning Shore (94-1) ended up sixth.

Next, we won with a huge choice, Soto ($2.70, $2.30, $2.10), with Blood Brother (4-1) fourth and All Down The Line (67-1) seventh.

The best results came in the third event, where the favorite (not on our list) won and our choices contributed to a pair of exotics. We were second with Bettor Rock On N ($7.10, $3.70) for an exacta with the favorite paying $50.50. We also contributed to the trifecta with the show horse, Do Over Hanover ($2.50), which paid $99.50. Rock N Roll Legacy (13-1) finished fifth and Gypsy Leather (16-1) ended up sixth.

All losers in our selected features appear the following week in the H2W list.


H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas listed are included when a H2W horse finishes second with a race favorite or the first two finishers making up the exacta are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices published are correct even when a show price exceeds a place price or any or all of the prices are the same. This week, there were 58 active horses (a 14-percent win hit rate and a 36-percent ATB [across-the-board] hit rate).

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place, show and exotic results occurring by press time but some horses race after the blog is posted (we list them the following week) It is up to you to follow horses that have not performed before this weekly review

Winners

Fox Valley Eli, $60.60, $19.40, $7.60, Hawthorne
Hello Sevens, $10.60, $3.80, $2.80, Cal-Expo
Upvote Hanover, $5.70, $3.40, $3.30, Woodbine
Senseless Beauty, $5.50, $3.50, $2.90, Northlands
Cobble Beach, $3.80, $2.50, $2.10, Buffalo
Garlandsandpearls, $3.40, $2.20, $2.10, Pompano

Seconds

Jolt Of Whiskey, $4.60, $3.60 (Exacta $9.00), Buffalo
Art Genta, $3.80, $3.00 (Exacta $7.80), Cal-Expo
Reys NA Rocket, $2.70, $2.60 (Exacta $8.70), Woodbine
Wartech, $2.70, $2.60 (Exacta $6.60), Buffalo

Thirds

Hot Shot Hill, $6.80, Freehold
Midnight Zette, $5.20, Freehold
Appellate, $4.90, Northlands
Granite State, $3.40, Monticello
Cougar Gal, $2.10, Charlottetown
Littlebitaclass, $2.10, Buffalo


News & Notes

Woodbine Entertainment today revealed its full $10 million-plus harness stakes lineup for 2018. The 2018 stakes schedule is highlighted by the $1 million North America Cup on June 16. This year’s “Cup” will be the 12th edition held at the newly renamed Woodbine, Mohawk Park (formerly Woodbine at Mohawk Park). The Cup undercard will also feature the Fan Hanover, Roses Are Red, Armbro Flight, Goodtimes and Mohawk Gold Cup.

The Maple Leaf Trot has been moved from mid-September to Labor Day weekend, joining the Canadian Pacing Derby, on Sept. 1. The “Derby” and Maple Leaf Trot kick off the richest month of the season, with $5.7 million up for grabs during September. Also in September come the Canadian Trotting Classic, Elegantimage, William Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful Way, as well the Metro Pace and Shes A Great Lady.

More horses are finding a home in the new Brett Pelling barn. Pelling, as we announced some months ago, has returned to North America after leaving the sport to live in his native New Zealand in 2006. Brett returned to the U.S. and has slowly been assembling a stable, racing a few mid-level types over the summer and then showing up to get stock at yearling purchases—those additions are currently in early training lessons with an eye toward the 2018 Grand Circuit stakes.

Racing officials blame a horse shortage for cancellation of three programs, the first which was scheduled for last Friday, Jan. 26. Buffalo officials announced that they were forced to cancel the Jan. 26 program due to a shortage of entries. The track has also been approved for the cancellation of racing on Friday, Feb. 2, and Friday, Feb. 9 due to the same problem. Buffalo’s next scheduled program is on Feb. 16, and that will be contingent on a draw conducted on Feb. 13. Racing at Buffalo will continue with a Wednesday, Saturday race schedule until that time.


Extraordinary Extras

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