Value Picks Score In Canada Following Drab Jug; Top Win Price $39

Thursday, Sept. 19 Indiana Sires Stakes (INSS) continued at Hooser. There were two soph-colt trots. We nailed the one everyone nailed with Martini Show ($3.00, $2.40, $2.40). In the other split we tried to beat Swandre The Giant but failed with DG’s Caviar (9-1), who finished fourth. Our assessment of the Little Brown Jug was near perfect, in that all betting value came from an elim heat, and the lack of talented entries allowed the obvious favorite to render the final event a veritable betting bore. We did not deliver the best price (an 11-1 shot) of the two elims. We were third in that race, the second elim, with Arties Ideal ($3.00). In the first elim we finished third with Stag Party ($3.00), while our main upset contender, US Captain (28-1), put in an awful mile, finishing sixth to the Jug-champion Southwind Ozzi. Considering the obvious domination of the touted winner, we still feel our betting hearts were in the right place. Friday, Sept. 20 The Hoosier night of stakes was not all that obvious. Our contenders were prominent in all but one of the four lucrative events. We begin with the loss, a terrible effort from Sisters Promise (32-1), who finished sixth of six in the Moni Maker. The favorite won it, anyway. Our “triple” mission in the Caesar’s Trot Classic produced only one but the best of the combo producing a cashable ticket. A 5-1 mild upset took the win spot and we were second with Mission Accepted ($24.20, $9.60). Our suggested contenders were Crystal Fashion (3-1) and Six Pack (13-1). They finished ninth and fourth, respectively. Clearly, the place finisher dictated the $96 exacta and $330 trifecta, while the fourth element contributed to the $403.54 (10 cent) superfecta. A reasonable offering from us was This Is The Plan ($9.60, $4.80, $4.20) who we paired with McWicked (6-5) as the probable first-second choices to win and who offered the best play per price. McWicked finished sixth from a tough trip. We lost to the favorite in the Jenna’s Beach Boy, finishing third with longshot Rockie Got Framed ($4.40). Saturday, Sept. 21 Woodbine/Mohawk (WoMo)’s frosh-final double header presented a major surprise and a valuable, low-priced overlay. The surprise was Capt Midnight (3-5) losing the Metro Pace, finishing third and in the same race YS Mathis (14-1) finishing off the board. Last week’s other elim winner won the race as the second choice to Capt Midnight. The fillies were left in the dust in the She’s A Great Lady final by Lyons Sentinel ($3.40, $2.30, $2.10). Our exotic-partner suggestion, Sneaky Peaky (65-1), finished sixth. BREEDERS CROWN COUNTDOWN On Sept. 18,  Jugette day in Ohio, we covered Breeders Crown-eligible fields; two heats of the Jugette and a single mile of the Buckette. Two of three in our triple finished on the board in elim one of the Jugette. Treacherous Reign ($$2.40, $2.10, $2.10 ok) won and Bestseller Hanover ($2.60) was third. Our third contender, Edge Of Eternity (17-1) finished fifth. In the second heat, Under The Hood (78-1) was no match for the crowd favorite, finishing fourth and Jugette champion, Warrawee Ubeaut. Somehow, French Café ($2.10, 2.10 ok) finished second in the Buckette to the public’s second choice. 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 38 active horses (a 11-percent win hit rate and a 39-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 Here Comes Harlee, $39.00, $13.00, $6.60, Northfield Millwood Bonnie N, $9.40, $5.30, $4.80, Yonkers Sherry Lyns Lady, $6.40, $3.80, $2.80, Hoosier Cult Icon, $2.10, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Delaware, Ohio Seconds Rockin Kasbah, $4.80, $3.20 (Exacta $25.00), Northfield Heidi High, $3.40, $2.60 (Exacta $5.60), Hawthorne Jetomatt, $2.80, $2.10, Northfield Calm As Can Bee, $2.40, $2.20, Northville Thirds Manhattan Beach, $4.00, Dayton I Am Will, $3.80, Dayton Big Turn On, $3.40, Yonkers Massive Lightning, $3.40, Plainridge JK Pearls Delight, $2.80, Monticello Sandnista, $2.60, Monticello Maximus, $2.20, Hawthorne News & Notes On Sept. 19, the “Jug” 20-race program at the Ohio fairgrounds offered its usual dominance of public choices, while also presenting a few shockers. All in all, the public’s first choices won 40 percent of the time. Their second choices won 30 percent of the time, giving the two top choices a winning percentage of 70. Only one third choice took a won, a 5-percent rate. Five races went to horses going to post at 6-1, 11-1, 14-1, 19-1 and 42-1. Those public outsiders were 25-percent winners. Yonkers Raceway announced the field for the $1-million International Trot, set for Saturday afternoon, Oct. 12). The list to date, alphabetically, is: Atlanta (USA), Bahia Quesnot (France), Cruzado Dela Noche (Sweden), Guardian Angel AS (USA), Lionel (Norway), Marion Marauder (Canada), Norton Commander (Germany), Slide So Easy (Denmark), Uza Josellyn (Switzerland) and Zacon Gio (Italy). A year ago, 30-1 Cruzado Dela Noche won the 1 ¼-mile event. This is the 41st International Trot and fifth since it returned after a two-decade hiatus. The matinee program also features a pair of $250,000 Invitationals, the Harry Harvey Trot and Dan Rooney Pace. After a three-year hiatus from pari-mutuel race in three years, 2015 Little Brown Jug winner Wiggle It Jiggleit returned to what was arguably his greatest triumph—the Delaware, Ohio Fairgrounds. “Wiggle” had been prepping for a return to the races by qualifying four times in recent weeks. He lined up on Sept. 19 in a conditioned event and left well, getting a spot in second. In the backstretch he took the lead and cut the quarter in :27.4 and continued on top to the :56.4 half. Then, Celestial Arden N came first-up to challenge. Wiggle held the top through the 1:24.2 three-quarters, until Celestial Arden N passed him, winning in 1:51.2. Extraordinary Extras Indulge in our monthly columns, Alternative Actions and Bettors Banquet at Harness Racing Update