Shartin N, Western Fame Favorites In Yonkers Finals; Pace Series Scores Pay Well; Seven Seconds Earn Exactas

We were “the prince of place” this week in the horses-to-watch list and sharp with the local series action. Here’s how it all wound up. Friday, April 19, At Hoosier there were two local-series finals for Open pacers on tap. We were alive and cashing in each. In the Jammin Joshua we beat the public choice and nabbed the winner with Keystone Tenacious ($10.60, $5.60, $3.60). The Roy Kautz Final, also for Open pacers, found us with the public’s second favorite and finishing second. That was Just N Ace ($2.80, $2.60). The top choice won for a puny exacta paying $4.20. Miami Valley offered the conclusion of the James Hackett series for soph-filly pacers. We stayed with the obvious choice and public choice but were beaten when finishing second with Queen Of The Pride (2.20, $2.20 ok). A 6-1 shot won by sucking along behind our choice and just nipping her at the wire. The Meadowlands presented two more Wiggle It Jiggleit divisions in that series for glamour-boy pacers. We caught division one with Respect Our Flag ($11.20, $3.60, $2.80). In the second division the crowd went along with us, making Rollwithpapajoe the favorite. However, an 8-1 shot got the score while we finished fourth. Saturday, April 20 The big evening at Yonkers included six big events. In the Matchmaker Final it was no contest, as expected, for most everyone’s choice., including us, Shartin N ($ A surprise for us was finding our pick in the Matchmaker Consolation the huge public choice. It was a win for Newborn Sassy ($3.50, $2.60, $2.30). The Levy final was a walk in the cake, so to speak, for Western Fame at 1-5. The duels and shuffles we hoped could benefit our upset contender, Anythingforlove A (36-1) did not surface. The Levy Consolation went to a high-price winner, just not our choice. We took a shot at a hot pace and fast-closing Imarocnrollegend (70-1) and although it was a hot pace, we finished seventh to an 8-1 overlay. There was a pair of Levy-eligible miles (LEM) before the main event. In both of them we finished second. In the first of the pair we had Rock The Nite ($6.60, $3.90) and it was a bitter loss since we were beaten by our leg-three Levy division contender, Luciano N. He won this by a hair at 50-1. In leg three he was fifth at 88-1. In the second LEM we were beaten by the public choice, getting second with Bellows Binge ($3.30, $2.50) with a surprisingly high exacta return of $17.20. 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 72 active horses (an 11-percent win hit rate and a 40-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 weeks) It is up to you to follow horses that have not performed before this weekly review. Winners Brookletsjustified, $17.80, $5.60, $3.20, Pompano Legio X Equestris, $14.40, $5.40, $3.80, Cal-Expo Rootin Tootin, $9.20, $9.60, $4.60 ok, Pocono Marthas Star, $6.70, $3.40, $3.00, Saratoga Misspanderosajones, $6.20, $4.20, $2.80, Cal-Expo Cams Candy Girl, $5.60, $3.60, $2.60, Plainridge This Baby Rocks, $2.80, $2.50, $2.40, Vernon Chiplosive, $2.20, $2.10, $2.10, Philly Seconds Hudsonandbernard, $20.60, $10.80 (Exacta $93.80), Meadowlands Gran San, $8.60, $4.40, Cal-Expo Muscle Ave, $8.20, $6.30 (Exacta $30.80), Yonkers Ironbarbassy, $7.70, $5.00 (Exacta $21.80), Monticello Normans Madeline, $5.80, $4.80 (Exacta $18.20), Hoosier Belles Delight, $5.60, $3.20, Northfield Black Dan, $4.80, $2.80 (Exacta $11.80), Freehold Manhattan Express, $4.80, $3.60, Scarborough Madelines Craycray, $4.60, $2.60 (Exacta $12.60), Hoosier Tiki Taka, $4.80, $3.00, Buffalo Don Domingo N, $3.90, $3.00, Yonkers Lickcreek Speedway, $3.60, $3.20, Cal-Expo Rockin Kasbah, $3.40, $2.20, Northfield Lakeisha Hall, $3.00, $2.80 (Exacta $12.20), Yonkers Godiva Seelster, $2.60, $2.10, Northfield Gran San, $2.40, $2.10 (Exacta $4.20), Cal-Expo Sortie Hanover, $2.40, $2.20 (Exacta $7.40), Plainridge Mach It So, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Philly Thirds Bourdain, $4.40, Northville Frost Free Hanover, $2.80, Scarborough Times Are Tight, $2.20, Northville News & Notes After an impressive qualifying win in his first appearance on track as a four-year-old, Courtly Choice did it again at Woodbine Mohawk (WoMo), on April 18 at the morning’s prep session. Courtly Choice, the 2018 Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug winner (supported at TwinSpires harness blogs), won his second qualifier in 1:50.4. Connections say the plan is to have Courtly Choice make a seasonal pari-mutuel debut in the first Graduate leg on May 4 at the Meadowlands. Four Pepsi North America Cup (NAC) eligibles, three from the Brian Brown barn, led a 13-race qualifying session on April 17 at Miami Valley. One of Brown’s students, Proof, is an NAC possible that qualified in 1:53.1 in his first appearance since finishing second to Captain Crunch in the frosh Breeders Crown. Another Brown trainee, Workin Ona Mystery, won his qualifier in 1:53. He is one of a few promising sons of Captaintreacherous. Browns third NAC hopeful, Air Force Hanover, finished second. At Philly, more familiar horses prepped for action in qualifiers. Lather Up, 2018 NAC winner who placed to Dorsoduro Hanover in the Breeders Crown, led a star-studded qualifying card on April 16 with a 1:53.4 win. Millionaire Crystal Fashion scored in 1:57.1 by 8 ¼ lengths over Signal Hill for trainer Jim Campbell. Bettors Wish rolled to a 3 ¼-lengths win in 1:53.3 for trainer Chris Ryder. Sophomore pacing filly Zero Tolerance made her first appearance this season a win in 1:55.1. for trainer Joe Holloway. For reasons far more important than his talent as a harness driver, we congratulate Corey Callahan on winning his 6,000^th race. He accomplished the mark with a score on April 17) at Philly. Corey, 40, has won over 350 races and in excess of $5 million every year since 2009. His best season came in 2015 when he finished the season fifth in driver victories across North America with 636. His purse earnings of $9.8 million were stellar. Career-wise, the trotters and pacers Callahan has guided to victories have bankrolled $86.7 million. Extraordinary Extras Indulge in my monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update