Bits and Pieces, The Joe F Edition

Courtesy of Joe F, here is the latest edition of Bits and Pieces:

Warrawee Needy executed the first open stakes win of his career in the Mohawk Gold Cup. He came from seventh at the three-quarter mark. Favorite, Fred And Ginger, finally came back to earth. Needy is eligible to the Franklin.

Dynamic Youth, another Franklin eligible, beat NW10 in :49.1, with ease, at Pocono.

Heston Blue Chip got his first win of the year for Tetrick, holding off Tobago Cays and Brian Sears in a soft open at Tioga. Owner, Ken Jacobs, told Justin Horowitz the horse is only 80%. His blood profile is apparently off. Regardless, he goes in the Franklin elimination round next week.

While Needy and HBC won their starts, two other members of the vaunted four-year-old pacing class fell short. Mark MacDonald guided 3/5 favorite, Bolt The Duer, to a second place finish behind Abelard Hanover in an A-1/FFA at M1. The Rocknroll gelding won from the outside post for the third time in a row, as he closed in :26; he’s on a five win streak. His dam is half to All Speed Hanover as well as the dam of Foreign Officer. Abelard’s second dam, American Cool, is half to Eternal Camnation.

Kingcole also finished second. Bet On The Law beat him in a 48.4 mile at Pocono. It was the fifth loss in five 2013 starts for Kingcole. Both Duer and Kingcole are staked to the Franklin.

Eliminations for the Beal are also Saturday. Division kingpin, Wheeling N Dealin, is not eligible. Goodtimes winner, Flanagan Memory, is, as are Smilin Eli and Historic Cup winner, Corky.

Nominees to the Hempt include: Captaintreacherous, Wake Up Peter, Lonewolf Currier, Dedi’s Dragon, Vegas Vacation, Martini Hanover, Twilight Bonfire and Sunshine Beach. Apparently The Captain may wait for the Pace, which would mean three weeks off.

Maybe we’ll have a showdown between Nitelife and Rainbow—both Lynch eligibles. L Dees Lioness and Jerseylicious are also staked to that one.

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Nitelife crushed the field in the Fan for Tetrick. Where was Somwherovrarainbow? She was staked to the Fan Hanover. Four days prior to last week’s elimination, Rainbow beat up on a soft field in the $78,000 Adios Betty (PASS) at The Meadows. Nitelife won the O’Brien last year while Rainbow won the Dan Patch.

And where was Wheeling N Dealin? He wasn’t nominated to the Goodtimes. WND qualified on Wednesday. He could have beaten this field trotting backwards wearing ice skates. The Goodtimes and the Gold Cup both featured weak fields, bereft of genuine players.

To Dream On is the biggest disappointment of 2013. She’s a shell of what she was in the fall.

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Kudos to the trainers and connections of the horses made available for the Historic races at Tioga.

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Last year on Cup night Brian Sears upset China Pearls and Cedar Dove with 9/2 shot, Pembroke Heat Wave, in the Armbro Flight; finished third with Win Missy B in the Elegantimage; finished out in the Goodtimes with Lindy’s Jersey Boy; finished out in the Fan with 3/1 second choice, Economy Terror; finished out with 2/1 second choice, Golden Receiver, in the Gold Cup; and finished out in the NA Cup with 49/1 shot, Pet Rock.

He only drove Golden Receiver once after that night. That one started from the outside post and trailed the field throughout in his Franklin elimination. Sears hasn’t driven him since.

Last night at Yonkers Sears won two, had two seconds and a third, and finished last four times. George Brennan had three winners and a second. He finished last twice. And expatriate, Mark MacDonald, who drove Mohawk’s guest of honor, Sportswriter, to victory in the 2010 Cup, had a second and third at Yonkers before heading for the Meadowlands.

Dash leader, Corey Callahan, had one drive at Mohawk, a third place finish with Jerseylicious.

Ron Pierce had a second and a third in six starts. He finished sixth with favorite Fred And Ginger in the Gold Cup and seventh with another favorite, All Speed Hanover, in a high end conditioned pace.

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If Captaintreacherous continues on his current course and becomes the next great pacer, it goes without saying that seeing him race beyond his sophomore campaign will represent a shot in the arm for the sport. Losing his daddy to the stud barn after his three-year-old campaign was a real downer. But now we have the Gural rule. I’m sure Team Treacherous will enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to take on the FFA field in the TVG final in November, if he tops his class. This will take us back forty or fifty years to the days when the best sophomores made the annual year-end trek to California to take on their elders. Mr Gural has to be thrilled about that possibility. And it’s also a sure bet that The Captain’s connections are virtually wetting their pants in anticipation of the prospect of him being integrated into the FFA class next year; I’m sure words cannot express how thrilled they are about that. You won’t hear any phony excuses about why he deserves a medical waiver and needs to be retired, for his own sake, and blah, blah, blah—no way. Jeff Gural’s new stallion policy was brought to fruition just in time.

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Friday’s Hugh Grand sire stakes pace at Yonkers was originally scheduled for last Monday but was pushed back due to the EHV-1 quarantine at Vernon. There were four $88,000 divisions. The 27 starters were, for the most part, a dismal bunch. Doctor Butch, the number three sophomore pacer according to the lunatics who put together the Trackmaster Experimental Rankings, had won the Rooney, and Hail The Taxi won last year’s Sheppard. Beyond that there were a couple of Landmark split winners. The Rooney is tottering between grade 2 and grade three stakes race status, while the Sheppard is a glorified NYSS race. Six of the eight starters in last year’s edition were by New York stallions and 60% of those staked to this year’s race are the same.

There were four New York breds in the NA Cup but they probably wouldn’t have started in the Grant anyway. Vegas Vacation and Captive Audience have never raced outside of Canada. Fool Me Once made just about all his starts in Canada; he did race at The Red Mile. And Odds On Equuleus raced in one NYSS race in 2012—his first lifetime start. Last year the Grant was held on a foggy night in the third week of May, long before the Cup, while in 2011 it was held six days after that race. Heston Blue Chip, who didn’t race in the Cup, was last year’s star with a mile in :52 as the 1/9 favorite.

Saturday night Doctor Butch, the 2/5 choice in the fourth division, was carried at the start but Morrill was able to back down the middle half—second quarter in :29. Still, he dropped anchor late in the mile and finished third. Hail The Taxi, the 18^th fastest sophomore according to the Predictive Rankings, finished second at 1/5 in the third division. All four divisions were won by NYSS regulars.

Three divisions featured :29.4 second quarters while the fourth went in :29. In three of them the field was in single file formation to the half or close to it. The mares in the $46,000 F&M open went the second quarter in a somnambulistic thirty seconds. I don’t claim to have a solution, but putting aside arguments about sanctioning drivers for backing down the second quarter or middle half and the obligation of the field to go after the leader, the insufferably dull and essentially unbettable brand of racing being offered up at Yonkers will kill the sport faster than meddling politicians, integrity issues or usurious take-out rates. Why would anyone in their right mind switch from betting the flats, pulling on the arm of a slot machine or playing the lottery to playing these trotters.

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Friday’s three $79,000 divisions of the PASS at Harrah’s featured the same sort of wildly uneven talent field we got later on in the Hugh Grant. However, the first division, won by the longest shot on the board, Net Ten EOM (SBSW), driven by TT, was very competitive as there were five across at the finish. And the second quarter of the :51.4 mile went in :27.4, not :29.4.

In the second division, odds on winner, Lonewolf Currier, and second place finisher, Some Kinda Beach, gapped the rest of the field by ten lengths to the three quarters.

In the third division even money shot, Dedi’s Dragon, just held off his paternal brother, Our Dragon King, in :51.2. Gingras drove for Burke.

A Sign of Support is Nice

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Mohawk Racetrack for North America Cup night offering support for an industry decimated by her now departed predecessor.  Granted, her attaining of the Premiership has not resulted in a reversal of the policies implemented by those before her, but there she was offering support; after all, she has ordered the OLG to fit racing into its gaming strategy.  Will harness racing in Ontario ever be the same?  Probably not.  Will it recover and become a stable industry once again?  There is a good chance it may be the case.



Inquiring minds want to know if Premier Wynne can show her face at Mohawk last night, why can't Governor Christie show up at the Meadowlands and offer some token of support for a beleaguered industry?  No he doesn't need to make a speech like Wynne did last night; showing up to present the trophy in the winners circle would be sufficient.  Christie has not been to the Meadowlands since his election.  If he can't make time during his re-election campaign, what kind of sign is it for the racing industry?


Yes, I am aware last night was North America Cup night.  You can read about it at Harness Racing Update (why haven't your subscribed yet?) or by going to Standardbred Canada's website where you can see the replay of the North America Cup and of the other races as well.


Gural has reportedly indicated he is not looking for having Instant racing machines at the Meadowlands; he is sure he can get a full casino once the five year window declared by Christie ends.  Only at that point if a casino is not forthcoming would he be interested in Instant Racing.


The streak is snapped with a thud.  Tracys Song took to Tioga Downs last night looking to extend her 18 win consecutive streak that she put together at Monticello.  Well, it came to an end last night with a thud; finishing last after racing third the whole way to the top of the stretch after attempting a first over attempt at the half where she stalled.  The speedster was used to her own way at Monticello consistently wiring the field where last night she got outgunned at the start and forced to race a style she wasn't used to.  We'll have to see if her connections try another start away from Monticello or head back to the Mighty M.

Treating the Customer Badly

If you ever thought the customer was treated badly in harness racing, then you probably don't want to read Dean Tower's column in HRU today; it will boil your blood.  I know with respect to the Fair Start Rule it got mine going.  Good thing he lives in Canada, at least there they have a Fair Start Pole.  His friends would have really been shaking their heads if they watched the races from an American track and a horse broke stride as soon as the car started moving and there was no refund; how would Towers have explained that?

The next time track operators bemoan the lack of customers, they should remember how badly they treat their customers.  What makes it worse is they abuse them with the permission of the regulators. 


Could instant racing becoming to New Jersey?  It would be if State Assemblyman Ronald Dancer gets his way.  Assembly Bill A-4312 would allow instant racing at racetracks, OTW locations, and casinos (provided they give racing a share of the revenue). The legislation would dictate that instant racing machines is pari-mutuel machine and not to be considered slots and limit the retention rate to a maximum of 20% with 16% of the retention rate going to purses.  An interesting portion of the bill would permit instant racing to be simulcasted out of state with wagers being co-mingled.  Whether this bill gets anywhere remains to be seen.


The Hambletonian will be raced at the Meadowlands under a contract extension with New Meadowlands Racing LLC and the Hambletonian Society.  The contract keeps the Hambletonian in New Jersey through the year 2018.

Now in the Real World....

The Harness Racing Press is really excited and promoting North America Cup night heavily.  Many gamblers are whetting their chops getting ready to wager on those races.  After all, big pools and stakes horse assembling for one night doesn't happen often.

But to some degree, this is a fantasy world.  In general terms, the horses tend to be six figure horses, owners or more typically ownership groups made up of high income individuals, and the horses trained by the crème de la crème of standardbred trainers.  There is nothing wrong with this, but it's not reality for harness racing is more pedestrian than a night full of high class horses.

For while the industry dignitaries and well-to-do will be converging on Mohawk Racetrack for the evening, a more realistic scene is playing out at your local raceway.  Horses racing in claiming races for more pedestrian if not pauper-like purses; owners of modest means; trainers and drivers looking to make ends meet, driving old used trucks instead of brand new vehicles and trailers hoping to come out ahead at the end of the month.  People who love the sport; have it in their blood.  For them, North America Cup night is a dream, something they most likely will never achieve.  Yet they persevere.

For the average Joe in harness racing, there will be no glory at Mohawk Saturday night and likely never will.  They too have achievements, smaller in the grand scheme of things.  You won't be reading about their achievement in the industry's journals for they tend to be local stories but to them, it is as big as winning the North America Cup.  One such achievement is Tracys Song; a claiming mare who has broken the consecutive win streak record at Monticello Raceway with eighteen consecutive victories.

Tracys Song picking up win #18 at MR.  Photo by Geri Schwarz

Tracys Song has been racing out of the sight of most harness racing fans as she has been plying her trade at Monticello Raceway.  What is special about her?  How many owners would love to have a horse that won eighteen races straight?

While all the focus of the industry will be at Mohawk, trainer Bob Lounsbury and owner Nancy Fugere will be taking their $7,500 claimer on the road to do battle at Tioga Downs in a Miracle Mile 2 tilt for fillies and mares anxiously wondering if the streak moves on to nineteen wins or comes to an end.  After all, there are some question marks.  After all, Tracys Song has never raced on 5/8ths oval and while she has been dominating the claiming ranks at Monticello, having risen to the highest claiming tag for fillies and mares, taking on classified horses is a new experience for her.

A win at Tioga not only means the streak goes to nineteen, it also means a significant raise as this race goes for a relatively huge $7,200; a $3,000 increase over the purses she was competing for at Monticello.  A victory here may be as good as it gets for Tracys Shadow and her connections.

This is the real story of harness racing, one that goes on daily at North America's raceways; not what will transpire Saturday night north of the border.  Rest assured while I will be paying attention to the action at Mohawk, I will also be looking in at the fourth race at Tioga.  So should you.

North America Cup Night Analysis

Making this brief, here are my selections for the big five races Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.  The Pepsi North America Cup has the potential of being one hum-dinger.  Even if you don't bet the race, it is a must watch event; possibly one of the top five races of 2013 when the year is over.

Who do I like in the NA Cup?  The top contenders are pretty equal and there are a couple of questions to be answered.  To me, the race is worth a shot at an upset.  Take a look for yourself as to who I like.


2 -- Trot, purse $271,470; ARMBRO FLIGHT - FINAL - FILLIES & MARES.
   1 Intense America (Filion, 10-1) - Should be overtaken early on in race; won't wire.               
   2 Personal Style (Miller, 3-1) -  Won his elim in bold style.  A factor here.                 
   3 Maven (Gingras, 1-1) - Another one who won in bold style last race.  The one to beat but odds poor.              
   4 Smarty Pants  (Zeronm 40-1) - Needs to be up front early to contend; doubt it.
   5 Cedar Dove (Pierce, 5-1) - Should be tighter.  Consider for minor upset.                   
   6 China Pearls (Waples, 10-1) - Likely faltering late.                  
   7 Daylon Miracle (Wall, 40-1) -Yes it would be if she wins.                  
   8 Unefoisdansmavie (Tetrick, 8-1)  - Will try to leave but may be outgunned at the start.                 
   9 Mystical Starlight (Jamieson, 15-1) - Not from out here.                  
  10 Bax Of Life (Christoforou, 40-1) - May land share with a trip.
Selections: 5-2-3-10               
                   
3 -- Trot, purse $364,266; ELEGANTIMAGE - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLD FILLIES.
   1 Mistery Woman (Miller, 30-1) -Tough spot to race from; will get trapped.                
   2 Bee A Magician (Zeron, 1-1) - Going for fifth in a row; one to beat..                  
   3 Angies Lucky Star (Filion, 4-1) Will be going early to take this race.                
   4 Seeuinthespring (Macdonald, 25-1) - Expect her to head for the pylons and take a chance late.                
   5 To Dream On (Gingras, 9-2) -  Should be ready to fire.  Upset chance.                  
   6 Handover Belle (Lachance, 12-1) - Needs a trip to get involved.            
   7 Princess Lilly (Baillargeon, 8-1) - Second last two starts out.  Minor share likely.                   
   8 Rockin With Dewey (Waples, 25-1) - Jumped off in last; never a good sign.                
   9 Shared Past (Tetrick, 8-1)  - NJSS champion finished second in local debut.  Post hurts chances.
  10 Charmed Life (Macdonell, 40-1) - Will be praying for a speed duel up front as only chance. 
Selections: 3-9-7-5          

     
 5 -- Pace, purse $391,882; FAN HANOVER - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLD FILLIES.
   1 Love Canal (Mcnair, 15-1) -  May land share with move inside.                  
   2 Parlee Beach (Gingras, 15-1) - Has not shown she belongs with these.                 
   3 Pertty Music (Zeron, 25-1) - Pertty sure she won't be around at the end.                 
   4 I Luv The Nitelife (Tetrick, 4-5) - Clearly the one to beat but willing to accept 4-5?                   
   5 Wherethegirlsare (Palone, 20-1) - No chance in last, but will take a big effort to factor at all.                 
   6 Beach Of A Time (Miller, 25-1) - Pass here.                    
   7 Jettin Jamie (Waples, 15-1) - If looking for a bomb, this may be the one.  Consider.                   
   8 Jerseylicious (Callahan, 5-2) - NJSS runner-up should land in the exotics.               
   9 Belle Boyd  (Jamieson, 7-1) - Move outside will be a test of class here.  Not out of it.                  
  10 Nikki Beach ( Pierce, 15-1) - Post eliminates.
Selections: 7-4-1-8              

 
 7 -- Pace, purse $1,000,000; PEPSI NORTH AMERICA CUP XXX - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLDS.
   1 Apprentice Hanover (Jamieson, 20-1) - Showed he belongs here, but still a tough spot.  Consideer in exotics.               
   2 Vegas Vacation (Zeron, 5-2) - Elimination winner figures to be roughed up a little here.                
   3 Fool Me Once (Filion, 4-1) - Elimination winner has come into his own.  Could take it all.                   
   4 Captaintreacherous (Tetrick, 2-1) - Here is where it counts.  Repeat of Breeders Crown?                   
   5 Twilight Bonfire (Miller, 30-1) - Nothing to recommend.                  
   6 Wake Up Peter (Pierce, 8-1) - Winless this year but could this be time to wake up?  Maybe.                
   7 Sunshine Beach (Christoforou, 15-1) - If he gets a trip can get in exotics.                   
   8 Odds On Equuleus (Campbell, 8-1) - May be ready to fire at attractive odds.                   
   9 Captive Audience (Waples, 8-1) - A lot of speed inside.  Would need a suicide duel to get involved.                
  10 Martini Hanover(Palone, 25-1) - Shows a closing kick.  Not likely unless top picks do each other in.
Selections: 6-3-8-4                 

  
9 -- Trot, purse $225,276; GOODTIMES - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLDS.
   1 Rossini (Campbell, 9-2) - Tested for class here.  I'll pass.              
   2 Gotta Secret (Filion, 5-1) - Elimination winner must be respected.                 
   3 Denver (Gingras, 4-1) - Could take it with a faster pace; don't ignore.                  
   4 Bwt Taj (Henriksen, 20-1) - Qualified; a moral victory.  Pass.                  
   5 Toocool Forschool (Saftic, 7-2) - Winner of fastest elimination; the one to beat.                  
   6 Brewmaster  (Macdonald, 20-1) - Don't see but could land minor spoils.                  
   7 Hamdalla  (Miller, 9-2) - Got the lead late last week but couldn't hold it.  Lands share.
   8 Rolls Blue Chip (Waples, 20-1) - Could land minor spoils at best.                  
   9 Flanagan Memory (Christoforou, 5-1) - Finished second to Toocool.  Repeats?                  
  10 Caveat Emptor (Schnittker, 12-1 ) - Buyer beware but believe you can pass on this one.              
Selections: 5-9-2-3


Pick-5 comes to Yonkers Raceway:  Starting tomorrow night, Yonkers introduces the Pick-5.  The wager is a must hit wager in that there is no consolation payoff.  On Mondays and Tuesdays, the Pick-5 has a guaranteed $10,000 pool.