Soph Winners Light On Prices; H-Trail Launch Favors Public; Big-Board Place Prices; $20 Score Top Win

This is the rundown for our weekend features: Friday, May 3 At Philly in the afternoon, we scored lightly in one of two Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) for soph-colt pacers with Philly Hanover ($3.20, $2.10, $2.10 ok). The big favorite won the other PASS split, while we finished fifth with Louphoria (70-1). At night, Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS) found us on the board for three of four soph-filly pace and trot events. We won one of them with Aunt Rose ($5.00, $3.80, $3.20). We finished second to the public’s second choice with Stone In Love ($7.00, $3.40) and third to the favorite in another OHSS split that barred show betting with High Reward. Another favorite beat our choice, Final Offer (12-1), in the fourth OHSS event. Saturday, May 4 A trio of PASS events for sophs highlighted the afternoon Meadows program. In one we had the favorite, Captain Victorious ($2.20), who finished third to the race’s third choice. A favorite beat our choice in the second round, where we had Yacht Week (16-1) who finished fifth. In the third split a 6-1 won. We finished sixth with Loutenant (30-1). One feature at Pocono brought us a winner. The Van Rose Memorial went to our pick, Highalator ($6.80, $3.80, $4.20 ok). At the Meadowlands we were nowhere neaar the board in the “Cutler” trot. Getting off to a bad start near a breaker, Top Flight Angel (11-1) finished ninth-placed-eighth to the 8-1 winner. In the two Graduate splits, we were third with The Downtown Bus ($10.40) and fourth with Heavenly Sound (28-1), as Lather Up won his first start at four. The second split went to the favorite while our choice, I’m A Big Deal (57-1) gained little to naught from start to finish. HAMBLETONIAN TRAIL Our exclusive blog began with stakes at Freehold on Saturday, May 4. Favored Osteric led the glamour-boy trotters in the Dexter Cup to win easily. Our two offerings resulted in a third with Skyway Kon Man ($4.60), while Jason’s Camden (4-1) finished fifth. In the filly stakes, the favorite won and we completed the $31.40 exacta with Cardinale ($9.00, $4.00) 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 83 active horses (an 8-percent win hit rate and a 41-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 Sin For Credit, $20.70, $6.50, $2.60, Flamboro Johnny G’s Star, $7.40, $4.40, $3.00, Northfield Artful Way, $5.40, $3.20, $2.70, Yonkers Calm As Can Be, $3.60, $2.80, $2.20, Northville Donttellmeagain, $3.20, $2.20, $2.10, Meadowlands Love Forbidden, $2.40, $2.20, $2.10, Northfield Better Earl, $2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Flamboro Seconds Mikes Powerhouse, $14.00, $6.20, Freehold Somkinda Hanover, $13.40, $6.00, Monticello Elite Awards, $9.60, $5.40, Hoosier Chip Or Cash, $9.20, $6.80, Miami Reggie Raider, $8.80, $3.20, Meadows Fox Valley Hijinx, $6.40, $4.60, Hawthorne ER Sam, $5.20, $2.80, Hoosier Manhattan Express, $4.40, $3.80, Scarborough Blue On Black, $3.80, $2.80 (Exacta $9.20), Harrington Donna Victoria, $3.40, $2.40 (Exacta $6.40), Yonkers Jimtastic, $3.20, $3.00, Miami Eataams Trauma, $2.90, $2.30 (Exacta $4.90), Western Fair Miss Defiance, $2.80, $2.20 (Exacta $7.80), Northfield Burning Midnight, $2.60, $2.30 (Exacta $13.20), Yonkers Thirds Pier Ho Exotic, $8.00, Pocono Back To Motown, $4.90, Buffalo Mister’s Daughter, $4.20, Scarborough Frisky Joe, $3.80, Vernon Puddin Pye, $3.70, Western Fair Just N Ace, $3.60, Hoosier Apple Bottom Jeans, $3.40, Philly Tease Hanover, $3.40, Plainridge Southwind Rex, $2.60, Scarborough BJs Rowdy, $2.40, Plainridge Doctor Jimmy, $2.20, Meadows Kickin Cowgirl, $2.20, Mohawk Sauble Delightful, $2.20, Mohawk News & Notes H2W followers are happy to see another track addition as the 2019 harness season blossoms because Illinois harness is back in play. On May 3, Hawthorne Race Course, which hosts Chicago’s surviving harness meet, launched standardbred programs. The meet goes from May 3 through Sept. 22. Post time nightly is 7:20 p.m. (Central Time). Familiar faces return to Hawthorne, including leading driver Casey Leonard and cohorts Kyle Wilfong and Kyle Husted. Top Illinois trainers Terry Leonard and Nelson Willis return, as Roshun Trigg, Brett Wilfong, Mike Brink and Angela Coleman lead a group of trainers looking to make their marks. The latest update of horses eligible for the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup lists 68 three-year-old pacers. Canada’s richest harness race this year headlines the sophomore-stakes campaigns of last year’s frosh-favorites Stag Party and Captain Crunch. The latter, a son of Captaintreacherous, won six of 10 starts and made $628,642 at two, which included victories in the Breeders Crown and Governor’s Cup. He is among a herd of progeny from the great pacer whose first crop hit the track in 2018 with aplomb. Stag Party also has rich blood, being a son of the productive sire Bettors Delight. Women train both of the main characters in the “Cup.” Casie Coleman handles Stag Party; Nancy Johnasson conditions Captain Crunch. Speaking of which—Stag Party made a a successful sophomore debut on May 3. The high-profile colt was the most notable of horses entered to qualify on a soggy session at Woodbine Mohawk Park, assessing a three-second allowance from judges. The “sloppy” conditions prompted some scratches from the qualifying fields but Stag Party-trainer Coleman said she was not concerned with the weather; she sent the sophomore to score in 1:56.3. What about Captain Crunch’s stakes campaign? Dave Little, who is ranking the competition for the 2019 edition of The Meadowlands Pace, has ranked Captain Crunch the number-one contender. The ‘Big M's marquee event for glamour-boy pacers takes place July on 13. Little’s top 10 in the first week of his rankings includes, in descending order, PASS-champ Proof, Blood Money, Bronx Seelster, Semi Tough, Bettors Wish, Reigning Deo, Hurrikane Emporer, Melodies Major and Workin Ona Mystery. Johansson also trains Blood Money. Extraordinary Extras Indulge in my monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update