Harness Players Newsletter Vol. 31 presented by contestjockey.com
September 27, 2024
Calm after the storm….
Last week was madness on the network and in the sport with Fantastic Racing all week. Jugette, Jug, Caesars Trotting Classic, Metro/Mohawk Million, all right after the other. We had wall-to-wall coverage with Livestreams, writeups, articles, interviews, podcasts, crossover with HorsePlayers Happy Hour, and this newsletter. Here’s KP for some thoughts and a few Pics of the winners.
~Mikee P.
Kevin Plowcha is here for this week’s newsletter opening. It’s hard to state how fun harness racing can be when some of the best are in action. I don’t know how to describe it. A mix of adrenaline, excitement, and thrill all come together for a perfect blend. It’s what made Roger Huston’s calls so memorable for years and years. He made an 8000-claimer sound like the Adios Pace. Hell, he still does, and it drew me in when I was 12 and watching harness racing for the first time. Like many Dave Palone winners, I have never looked back. These days, though, there is no doubt it can get monotonous. Post time drag seems to take longer and longer, races turn into merry go rounds, and sharp money appears more prevalent.
However, you get a weekend like last weekend that allows everyone to see what truly matters in this game and what makes it great. The top horses and drivers face off with large purses and large crowds. What could be better? I’ll say from experience that it certainly helps when some of your bets hit (shoutout to French Champagne).
Speaking of French Champagne, she was one of many memorable winners on last weekend’s Mohawk Million card and the first of three for Dexter Dunn, who continues to show dominance. He is a world class driver and shows it yearly during the Grand Circuit season. He won with French Champagne in the ElegantImage, Amazing Catch (from post ten, guys seem to be doing that more and more somehow) in the Canadian Trotting Classic, and finished with a crush job courtesy of Maryland in the Mohawk Million. In between, you had a win from Fallout and Tim Tetrick in the Metro Pace. If you didn’t get goosebumps from Chantilly’s win in the She’s A Great Lady, you may want to check your pulse—just a breathtaking filly covering ground incredibly quickly. James Macdonald barely has to move. She headlines a 2YO filly pace division that I’ve had a blast keeping up with this year. Elsewhere at Hoosier, you had Little Rocket Man defend his home turf in the Hoosier Pacing Derby, and Winner’s Bet (Dexter Dunn again) came through in the Caesars Trotting Classic. Somehow, all those races were only a week ago, but it feels like an eternity.
Does that mean time is moving fast or slow? I have no idea. I know last weekend was fantastic, and despite the stakes season winding down, there’s still plenty more to enjoy. Grassroots Finals are this weekend at Mohawk. Ensure you catch this week’s pod and the written analysis we’re pumping out. The Dayton Derby is this weekend, too, if you need your Ohio fix. But I guess it’s Red Mile time, then the Breeders Crown!
This sport is the best. Let’s enjoy it every day. Oh, and fix your posture or something. Deuces!
-KP
~Winners Bet winning the Caesars Trotting Classic
~This is Captain Albano after winning the Adios earlier this year and coming back from the winner’s circle. He backed up this win with a crush in this years Little Brown Jug.
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Spot Plays for the Weekend of 9/27-9/28
The Meadows Friday Race 11 (3) Marching Fourth (6/1 ML) - (Please Note 2 handicappers like this one)
-Shipped in from The Red Mile last week and closed from the back for a decent 4th. Has a much better post this week and is capable of leaving to be much closer to the action.
~Matt Presto
-Was 4th in his Meadows and new barn debut but looked strong on the end of his mile. Post makes a huge difference. Expecting him to take a step forward.
~Kevin Plowcha
Fraser Downs Friday Race 6 (6) Key Dragon - Won for me last week right here as my Value play returning $17. Looked so good, he’s my most likely pick on the card again.
~Doug Henwood
Woodbine Mohawk Saturday Race 2 (5) Core Resolve has had some recent quirks but was flat in her qualifier and finally gets away from the rail. Wouldn’t shock me if she pounced after sitting up close. An interesting alternative to the favorites.
~Kevin Plowcha
Woodbine Mohawk Saturday Race 3 (2) Stellrmanipulation was conservatively driven last week and she was flying late, but it was too late. She can get a more aggressive steer in this Grassroots Final and Prevail.
~Garnet Barnsdale
Northside Downs Saturday Race 9 (3) Hugh Heff - The winningest horse on the continent this year once again is handicapped to the miserable post 6. Hasn’t stopped him yet and I don’t think it will stop him from going 6/6 since arriving on Cape Breton Island.
~Peter McGuigan
Harness Players’ Podcast | 9/26/24 | Fraser, Good Posture & Mohawk Grassroots
This week on the Harness Players’ Podcast, host Edison Hatter is joined by Garnet Barnsdale to discuss the Friday (Sept. 27) card at Fraser Downs to kick off the show. The duo discuss and give out Late Pick 4 tickets (Races 6-9), while also discussing the weekly Top 10 Poll, NFL action, and the upcoming Contest Jockey contests at Fraser Downs.
On the second half, Ray Cotolo is joined by Kevin Plowcha to look at the eight $75,000 finals of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots, for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits, on the Saturday (Sept. 28) program at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Swedish Horse Racing
www.swedishhorseracing.comis the place for replays, odds, news and much much more for all tracks in Sweden More podcasts coming this year for all the major races with Edison Hatter, Mike Pribozie and Thomas Svensen!
The ITM YouTube Channel has a Harness Racing Section that archives all our video podcasts.
Check out thestable.ca YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/@TheStableCanada
Thanks for reading In the Money Media Harness Players Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.