Northfield Pacer Tops Winners At $32; Freshman Fires At $29 In Pocono Fray

Although the top-dollar scores were on the H2W list, we were competitive with the weekend’s top features.

The Meadowlands Pace elims are in the book and the first five finishers from each $50,000 elimination on July 11 are going to the final.

Round one was crafted by In The Arsenal and our choice, also the 2-5 public choice, Artspeak, didn’t challenge the soft half but made the final, finishing fourth. Dealt A Winner and Dudes The Man also made the final.

The second elim presented another dimension to Wiggle It Jiggleit ($2.60, $2.10, $2.10) as he dawdled in the back of the seven-horse field and shot up wide around the second turn to win. Our other choice, Badiou Hanover (22-1), made the final, as did Rock N’ Roll World, Wakizashi Hanover and Lyons Levi Lewis.

We were third in the Mistletoe Shalee elim with Divine Caroline ($3.60). In the final but not in elims were byes from The Show Returns, Sassa Hanover, Bettor Be Steppin.

In the trotting Graduate, reigning four-year-old JL Cruze walked away with the race as the dead-on choice. Our top choice, Gural Hanover (34-1) was fourth. For you speed freaks, “Cruze” finished in a world-record 1:49.4 (for a mile track). A surprise second in that event was the mare Shake It Cerry (10-1) with trainer Jimmy Takter driving.

The two-year-old “Sheppard” elims at Yonkers, also on July 11, presented only one third for us with Autotune Hanover ($2.90). Our choice in the second elim, Fly With The Best, was a remarkable 115-1, finishing fifth.

The Hambletonian Trail blog included only three races, as we get closer to the second week in August and the big racing program at The Meadowlands (we’ll be there live with updates, inside info and more). Reynolds Stakes for fillies produced one winner for us with Magic Marker ($10.40, $4.00, $2.60). Cocoacabana (21-1) finished fourth in the first filly split. In the single colt division, our choice, Soboro Hanover, broke and finished galloping up the track.

As the frosh season picks up, we put our usual sharp eyes to work for the green boys and girls. Our second highest price of the week, from the H2W list, was a two-year-old. See the list below for Hudsonandbernard. Another frosh winning was Angel Or Dali. Stay with us on these freshmen while the season is young.

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 50 active horses (a 18-percent win hit rate and a 38-percent in-the-money hit rate).

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

Tashia, $32.00, $10.00, $6.00, Northfield
Hudsonandbernard, $29.20, $7.60, $14.80 ok, Pocono
Cobble Beach, $21.80, $10.80, $4.10, Buffalo
Sing Of A Diamond, $9.80, $5.20, $3.40, Scioto
Smiley Bayama, $7.90, $3.30, $2.60, Charlottetown
War Cry Hall, $7.60, $3.20, $3.80, Northfield
Angel Or Dali, $6.60, $4.20, $2.40, Hoosier
Bettor Think Twice, $5.00, $3.60, $2.80, Scioto
Financial Effort, $4.20, $2.80, $2.80 ok, Maywood

Seconds

Marion Marauder, $10.40, $11.00 ok, Meadowlands
Too Ideal, $8.60, $4.90, Century
Chip Again, $4.80, $3.20 (Exacta $15.20), Hoosier
Its Chocolate Time, $6.20, $6.60 ok, Philadelphia
Dapper Don, $2.40, $2.10, Philadelphia

Thirds

Glorious Winner, $7.50, Vernon
Energy Bar, $4.40, Meadowlands
I Got The Life, $4.10, Saratoga
Too Tall Tamarac, $4.00, Maywood
Winning Line, $2.80, Meadowlands

News & Notes

The $433,000 (estimated) Hambletonian Maturity’s second edition is a part of the Meadowlands Pace program on Saturday, July 18 at the Meadowlands. The event is for four-year-old trotter, some of which may have participated at three in a Hambletonian. Graduate Trot winner and current scourge of the four-year-olds Jl Cruze will enter.

The Hambletonian Maturity allows for 16 starters and is raced at 1 1/8 miles. All starters will receive money, and – like the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks – no race-day medication is permitted. A complete list of eligibles and conditions for the Hambletonian Maturity are available on the Hambletonian Society website.

Along with the “Maturity,”the July 18 Meadowlands Pace program will include finals for the Mistletoe Shalee, WR Haughton FFA, the Stanley Dancer, Delvin Miller Memorials for three-year-old trotters, the Golden Girls and Miss Versatility for older mares of both gaits.

Interest around the globe ensues for Yonkers Raceway’s International Trot, due to its $1 million purse. Reports from the track’s race office indicate there has been contact with the connections of top New Zealand trotter Stent. The altered son by Dream Vacation (U.S.) has 28 wins and 17 seconds in 61 starts with earnings of more than $1.1 million. Stent has raced at distances ranging from 1,609 meters to 2,800 meters in Grade 1 and Grade 2 races in New Zealand. The International Trot, at 1 1/4 miles on the Yonkers half mile oval, equates in Australasian math to approximately 2,000 meters.

Stent may not be the only trotter from another country chasing the big bucks. From Europe are rumors of “star” participants for the International and/or the Breeders Crown, since there is still time for them to be in America and return home to prep for the Prix d’Amerique in Paris in January, 2016.

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 ~