Maywood Scores $24 Top Winner; Meadowlands Pace To Wiggle It Jiggleit

The Meadowlands Pace was just as we said for the win. Wiggle It Jiggleit could have beaten a better field, so at 1:47.4 he was able to easily take this bunch, paying $2.80, $2.20, $2.10). “Wiggle” took the lead at the quarter and was only mildly challenged by Wakazashi Hanover at the half and down the stretch. That one was nipped for the place spot by Dude’s The Man, who passed tired ones to get second.

The Mistletoe Shalee Final was another in a string of off-the-pace good-trippers and we were nipped at the wire with Divine Caroline ($6.80, $4.20).

In the Golden Girls Final, we were beaten in the final length, getting third with Sandbetweenurtoes ($3.80).

Jk Endofanera (6-1) was fourth in the William Haughton Final, which was also won by a longshot who had a perfect trip off of fiery fractions.

At Yonkers the L.B. Sheppard was won by one of our losing elim choices last week, while our upset choice in the final, Artmagic, was sixth at 57.1.

The second edition of the Hambletonian Maturity went to the supplemented JL Cruze, this year’s top older trotter and giant favorite. Father Patrick, our choice, was in the mix early but had nothing in the stretch and faded at 5-2; an embarrassing mile.

The Hambletonian Trail blog was close to the upset with Habitat ($3.40, $2.20) who raced a big one but just couldn’t catch huge favorite Pinkman, combining for a paltry exacta of $6.80. In the second “Dancer” split for the colts Donatomite (23-1) finished fourth as Jimmy Takter trotters took both Dancers. The Del Miller had a bomb winner while we were fifth with Magic Marker (6-1).

In between published harness blogs, follow @FrankCotolo and @TwinSpires on Twitter.

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 the 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 32 active horses (a 19-percent win hit rate and a 31 percent in-the-money hit rate). One note: the list included three horses at Batavia that at the time we thought would be betting races; they turned out to be non-betting races.

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place and/or show results occurring after press time and that it is up to you to follow those horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

R Duneshine, $24.20, $9.40, $7.20, Maywood
Excelerated Speed, $10.00, $12.20 ok, $5.80, Maywood
Jazebel De Vie, $9.60, $5.00, $2.80, Meadowlands
Skade, $9.40, $5.30, $2.40, Century
No Speed Limit, $5.50, $2.90, $2.10, Vernon
Special Package, $3.80, $2.20. $2.10, Philadelphia

Seconds

Mic Mac Beau $5.20, $3.60 (Exacta $17.60), Ocean
Western Slammer, $2.20, $2.10, Maywood

Thirds

Marion Marauder, $6.80, Meadowlands
Winning Linc, n/s

News & Notes

Park Avenue Joe is dead at age 29. He was the first Hambletonian winner I witnessed live as a racing journalist. It was 1989 and it was an historic Hambletonian win because Park Avenue Joe shared it in a dead heat with Probe. “Joe” was euthanized in Italy, where he has been at stud near Venice since 1990. Joe was sold to the Toniatti family in Italy in 1989. He has been a productive sire with 1.629 foals between 1990 and 2011. He never produced an outstanding trotter but his offspring were good gaited and easy to handle. Joe had much more success as a broodmare-sire. He was a son of the great trotter Speedy Somolli.

From Sweden comes the news that Sebastian K is being retired from racing. The decision to leave action is due to a pair of ultrasound examinations that discovered “a significant tear in the left hind suspensory ligament.” The cause of the injury, according to reports, “is impossible to determine. Nicknamed “Seabass” by his Swedish connections, the trotter who came to North America in2014  to compete and recorded an all-age world record mile of 1:49 at Pocono that June, finished his career with a record of 77-34-15-2 and lifetime earnings of more than $2..9 million. He retires as the fastest trotter of all time.

Frosh-trotting sires have again changed positions in the average-earnings standing, which is the source we encourage handicappers to use, as we do in our horses-to-watch (H2W) list while the early season frosh races adorn programs and offer little to no information. Justice Hall has taken first place, followed by Muscle Hill, Yankee Glide, Trainforthefuture, Explosive Matter, RC Royalty, Here Comes Herbie, Triumphant Caviar and Conway Hall. On the pacing front, Somebeachsomewhere has already taken the top spot, leaving no room for a bettor’s edge. Roll With Joe is next, followed by Rocknroll Hanover, Big Bad John, Western Ideal, Sportswriter, McArdle, Art Major, American Ideal and Well Said. That list indicates the pacing frosh edge may already have disappeared.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in many standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

For Thom Pye cartoons, informative harness history and more, click here ~