Two-Year-Old Matron Stakes Featured At Dover; More Freshmen In Garden State Splits At Meadowlands

 

The remaining stakes for 2018 trail through November and end with the traditional Matron Series, which has been presented at Dover since moving north years ago. For the two-year-olds there will only be a trio of Matrons available for betting. The fourth division’s race is set for the same day as the betting Matrons, Thursday, Nov. 8.

More frosh events are covered from the Meadowlands on Saturday, Nov. 10.

There are always horses-to-watch and the list (H2W) displaying them weekly,, with our great wagering choices, is included as usual. Explore any and all horses we post for use in wagers of your discretion. Do your own handicapping and then consider any and all our H2W and frosh selections.


THE FROSH MATRONS

FILLY TROTTERS

Two-year-old filly trotters go for $177,800 at Dover on Nov. 8. Returning from the Breeders Crown are a few horses with the coveted edge. However, only one of them made the final and she will be the obvious contender with the special edge from “Crown” competition. That filly is When Dovescry.

Simon Allard’s daughter of Muscle Hill won’t be a wonderful first choice from the “Crown” alumni, however, so we will go for a price from one of the season’s better fillies that did not make the final—Starita. Joe Holloway’s daughter of Trixton should be a force at three and here may be a mild but not surprising upset.

FILLY PACERS

The pacing gals are up for $179,100. Two fillies return from the Crown final and two more from the elims only. St Somewhere and Queen Of The Pride should get the public’s best attention, coming out of the final. Prices, however, may not be worth it as low as they may be presented.

The best outsider did not make it into the Crown final but certainly fits in the class of the ones that did make it. Renaissance Lady K has a very good shot to upset the top two and should most certainly be worth the price offered.

COLT PACERS

Next season’s glamour boys’ Matron is worth $213.000. Three Crown finalists are here but not the winner. The trio is Blood Money, Love Me Some Lou and No Mas Amor.

Jimmy Takter’s Blood Money raced well in the elim to get to the final, though he finished fifth against the best of the best. He was 18-1 in the final and may not be the public choice in this affair. That status will go to Ron Burke’s Semi Tough, who did not make the final, either. Takter’s final entries are decreasing with only a few weeks left before he retires as a U.S. conditioner, so be sure all of them will be on their best behavior as going-away presents.


GARDEN VARIETY

A pair of late-season minor stakes for two-year-olds is the features at the Meadowlands on Saturday, Nov. 10. The Garden State colt trotters go for $50,000 and the filly trotters for $55,000.

There are six colts on board for their event, led by probable favorite Hudson River. The Jimmy Takter Father Patrick colt is the big earner here, as well as he was up against Breeders Crown champ Gimpanzee in the division’s final. His second-string colt in this event is Gerris Trix, who has the cheapest bankroll. Also expected to get attention from bettors is Nifty Norman’s Reign Of Honor, also a Father Patrick and the second-highest earner of the sextet.

Last week we went with Brett Pelling’s Divine Spirit in the Kindergarten Classic won by Reign Of Honor. Pelling’s colt, also a Father Patrick product, was burned early on the outside until he got the lead by three-quarters but failed in the stretch. Divine Spirit was 10-1 and with a better trip he could have lived up to our expectations. He may do that in this event and perhaps at as good a price since the other two are so prominent. We will stick with Divine Spirit.

Seven go in the filly trot, led by Special Honor, who disappointed in the Crown for the Millers. However, she is the only filly in this field to make the final. Princess Deo is the only other in the field that raced in a Crown elim.

Taylor Swiftly will also get some action, as will Evident Beauty, making the odds possibly spread thin among those four. We would hope that Evident Beauty may offer better odds than her chances based on the fact that the three aforementioned fillies would get the strongest support. As a third or fourth choice, Evident Beauty looks like a play.


H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

H2W LIST


Bangor
11/9/18, Royal Engagement R5

Batavia
11/9/18, +Dwntwnskeeterbrown R2; OK Galahad R8; Gwally R9

Cal-Expo
11/10/18, Twin B Delightful R3; Johnny Gun R4; Centela Dragster R7; Capitol Hill R10

Dayton
11/10/18, +Hard Cold Cash R7

Dover
11/8/18, Always The Sun R9; JJ Flyn R12; +Emeritus Maximus R12

Flamboro
11/10/18, +Lady Orb R7

Freehold
11/10/18, +Ideal Deal R7; +Piece Of The Rock R7

Hoosier
11/8/18, +Voom Or Bang R9

Meadows
11/10/18, +Brooklyn Flight R6

Meadowlands
11/9/18, +Pure Country R6
11/10/18, Magnum Mike R10; +Fcee N R12

Monticello
11/8/18, Five Star Stud R1

Plainridge
11/8/18, Tag Up And Go R4; Annie OK R5; Atlantic Crest R8

Pocono
11/10/18, Bunkndrunk R7; Archangel Three R10; Limelight Beach R12

Saratoga
11/8/18, +Bonnamassa R4; My Mother Theresa R5

Scarborough
11/10/18, Philanthropist R1; Kinnderuntouchable R6
11/11/18, American Fighter R2

Yonkers
11/9/18, Freakonomics R5; Call Me Queen Be R6; Don’t Think Twice R11
11/10/18, +Border Control A R2; +Gratian Hanover R3; Blood Line R4; +Pacing Major N R8
11/12/18, +Lord Of Miscule R9