In the Money Harness Players Newsletter Vol. 4 presented by theStable.ca
March 15, 2024
Vol 4 of the Harness Players Newsletter launches with the Grand Circuit getting back in the mix with The Matchmaker and Borgata Series firing up at Yonkers and the older stars of the sport poised to entertain. Great pod last week with Ray’s tribute to Larry Lederman, Dawn Lupul’s expert handicapping of Fraser and Tim T.’s insider look at training for thestable.ca. I hope some took some time to watch The Stable’s training Friday on YouTube and I will post the Video here:
What an amazing operation and the insider access that everyone receives is second to none.
Spot plays cashed last week with Murray and John giving you winners and Kevin providing a nice Pocono longshot to round out a Tri. Check them out again below.
John Rallis introduces a new blog about how lucky he is to be involved with Harness Racing which everyone should love.
Harness Players Podcast features Mike and Edison looking at Fraser. Edison and Ray doing a Yonkers Matchmaker and Borgata overview.
Kevin Plowcha is back with some Week Ahead checking in on the big races.
Enjoy the weekend across racing, drop me a line with any and all thoughts, some people have reached out via X @nahumikeep and that is a great way to reach me.
I need some sort or Acronym like PTF has with his MYWAYP, I’ll think of something…..
~Mike Pribozie
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Harness Players Podcast Season 2 Episode 3
This week’s episode of the Harness Players Podcast features host Edison Hatter talking Fraser Downs and Yonkers Raceway happenings in the coming days.
First up, Edison is joined by Mike Pribozie to discuss a strong 9-race card this week out at Fraser Downs. In particular, they discuss the $1 Pick 5 wager and the $2 minimum late Daily Double. Post time for the Friday card is set for 10:00 pm (EDT).
Next, Edison is joined by Ray Cotolo to discuss a couple of Grand Circuit Stake series that begin this week at Yonkers: the Blue Chip Matchmaker and the Borgata Series. Both series will continue with preliminary legs for a while, leading up to the big money finals on Monday, April 22.
Don’t forget to check out NAHUPicks.com for daily harness racing content and sign up for the brand new weekly In The Money Media Harness Newsletter.
Lucky Rallis Blog
With John Rallis
Just a lucky kid from Ontario, living the dream…
As an avid horseplayer over three years, I’ve had my fair share of bad beats. I’ve countlessly labeled myself as being “unlucky” when it comes to this sport, for a multitude of reasons. – but to be honest, that couldn’t be less true.
In October of 2022, I got hired on by TROT Magazine to be their associate editor (where I’m still employed currently). It was my first real job, and with no real experience elsewhere, I was ecstatic about the opportunity. Your first real job working in an industry you love? Pretty damn lucky. But, wait… it gets better.
Fast forward several months later and I was hired on by Woodbine Entertainment Group to be a commentator/broadcaster at Mohawk. Once again, without any on-air experience, my passion, charisma and charm (that part is up for debate), secured me a six-month contract to live out my dream of being a sports broadcaster. As I mentioned earlier… pretty damn lucky!
The experience was a great one that came with a lot of ups and downs. I was a green colt who needed a lot of polishing in front of a camera, but with the help of my exceptional colleagues – who I now call friends – and a stellar production team, it was an unforgettable experience. From the trainers, owners, drivers and fans I’ve connected with across social media, the relationships I’ve been able to build throughout such a short period of time is gratifying. I’ve made a lot of new friends during that time and have a deeper appreciation for the job that people in this industry do. It’s demanding, but everyone does it because they love it.
In those six-months of broadcasting, I realized how much I enjoyed it. I wasn’t really sure how I’d be able to further my skills and be a more competent commentator, especially if it meant I was going to be on the sidelines throughout the winter. But then came a phone call in November from Jessica Otten of The Meadowlands, and that quickly changed.
Jess had invited me to New Jersey to be a part of their FanDuel/Final Four Championship broadcast at The Meadowlands. Listen, for a guy who’s only doing this for six months at the time, I was speechless. I know that I worked a handful of Grand Circuit events throughout that summer at Mohawk, but being contacted by a racetrack like The Meadowlands to work the final Grand Circuit night of the year – it felt like I was getting called up to the big leagues!
That night went pretty well and the experience was one I’ll never forget. Working alongside Jessica Otten and Dave Little that evening was awesome. Both of them are so good at what they do and they are consummate professionals. I saw first hand how early they show up before a broadcast, and the preparation they put forth leading up to it and it really motivated me. Most importantly, they’re terrific individuals and were extremely welcoming.
That night, I also got the chance to meet Jason Settelmoir, the COO/GM of The Meadowlands and I instantly saw someone who couldn’t be more proud to showcase his racetrack. Jason really takes pride in putting forth a good product every night. He cares about having a top-notch broadcast, about the well being of horse people, and he cares greatly about the horse players as well. It’s why they exceed the $3,000,000 mark in handle every card – all those things matter. It was my first time being there, so I don’t know what it was like before the integration of sports betting and the sports book, but holy smokes is it ever a nice facility/venue. There are A LOT of people at The Meadowlands, whether it be betting horses or watching/betting sports. They also have monthly events to try and attract more people to the races, which many people can take away from.
My first visit there was a memorable one, and I was hoping I’d be able to make a second visit. That second visit didn’t take long, as I got to work the last weekend in 2023 at The Meadowlands as well. Since my first visit in November, I’ve made three trips there to this day and I’ll be headed there for the fourth time at the end of this month. Just like here in Ontario, the horse people in New Jersey are incredible as well. And as for the driving colony, I think we know it’s the best in the world.
When I made that second trip to Jersey the last weekend of 2023, I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with Daryl Thiessen, a driver who is based in Ontario, who also came over to NJ where he had some drives scheduled. I remember asking him what he thought about driving at The Meadowlands. I’ll never forget his response about what it was like coming out of the paddock before a race, being in the race bike and seeing MetLife Stadium and the New York Skyline while you’re out there during post-parade. The aura is special, and it’s why it’s considered as ‘The Mecca’ of harness-racing. And for me, I’m just pretty damn lucky that I get to experience it all from time to time.
*Editors Note- We may get to experience John’s writings from time to time here also..MP
The Week Ahead from Kevin Plowcha
What a difference a week makes! The weather is getting warmer and the purses are getting higher! Here's a preview of the featured harness racing action taking place over the next week.
Our first stop is Yonkers Raceway for what is a loaded slate this week as both the Blue Chip Matchmaker and MGM Borgata Pacing Series kick off.
Three divisions of the Matchmaker (races 2, 4, and 9) take place on Friday, March 15, featuring the mares. All three races will be contested for $40,000. Race 2 sees morning line favoritism towards (#4) Mikala, who is 2-for-2 this year and most recently posted a dominant qualifier win. She'll look to remain unbeaten in 2024 against five other foes.
Race 4 has (#1) Tony's Mom, who hasn't been worse than second in her five starts this year, listed as the 8-5 favorite. She'll have the inside draw to her advantage but so will (#2) Treacherous Penny who will challenge despite only making her second start of 2024 this week.
Race 9's star of the show is (#1) Racine Bell who made over $200,000 last season and was a main contender in last year's BCMM. (#7) Dougs Babe A was 4-5 in last year's final but drew the worst post.
The Borgata, featuring older male pacers, sees four first leg divisions take place on Monday, March 18th. 24 horses split into fields of six, (races 3, 4, 6, and 8) all going for $50,000.
(#2) Sumomentsomwhere A will be a tough customer in race 3, as he comes off a gutsy 1:50.4 win at The Meadows. He paced a :54.4 back half while first over and has a solid body of work since shipping in. ML favoritism goes to (#5) Desperate Man who makes his 2024 debut.
Race 4 sees (#4) Hellabalou make his return. He shocked everyone last year winning the Borgata Final at 47-1. He draws post four and is the 2-1 second choice.
Race 6 has a likely big favorite, as (#5) Covered Bridge, winner of two legs last year and the third place finisher in the final, is set as the 6-5 ML choice. He has not missed the board this year in six starts, including four wins.
Finally, race 8 sees the return of (#2) Linedrive Hanover, who was a winner in his qualifier (1:50.4) on March 9th. (#1) Idealsomemagic A was also a multiple time winner in the Borgata last season.
Next up is Woodbine Mohawk Park, who adds the New Holland Pacing Series this week with their ongoing New Holland Trotting Series.
Leg one of the trotting series saw 15-1 shot Southwind Oncore upset the big 2-5 favorite Pemberton. Leg two will take place on Monday, March 18th.
The pacers will contest two divisions (races 2 & 3) for leg one, both held for $30,000 on Saturday, March 16th. Race 2 sees local Preferred contender (#7) Poseidon Seelster as the 5-2 favorite having to contend with Indiana shipper (#5) Frankie Frankie, who makes his Canadian debut after two qualifiers.
Race 3's contenders include (#3) Powertrain who has raced well since his return but will have to take down the speedy (#2) Whichwaytothebeach. The X-Factor in this race is (#1) Uncle Shank A, who makes his return to action after three months off.
Finally, The Meadows and Miami Valley continue their memorial series races, with finals being held throughout the week (Miami Valley = March 17th, 18th, & 19th --- Meadows = 20th, 21st, & 22nd).
That's all for this week's edition of "The Week Ahead". A lot more featured harness racing action to look forward to and it's only been a week!
Make sure to save and follow the ITM blog for daily picks from your favorite tracks and more racing coverage!
SPOT PLAYS FOR THE WEEKEND of March 15th and 16th
Friday, March 15th - Woodbine Mohawk Park
Race 10. Number 5. Blumea Kiss. Nick Boyd.
~Brad A. live from Chicago (@BradA53472906 on X)
Friday, March 15th - Meadowlands
Race 9: #2 Chevrons Bypass (10-1). 2nd start back off 1.5 month layoff. Racing here against better in January and kicking strong on the end. Win & boxing with the 4 in Exacta. Burke horse coming off flashy Q and has big miles last year at YR
~Chris Cuoozzo (@killccdie on X)
Saturday, March 16th - Woodbine Mohawk Park
RACE 1: (6) CABOT BEACH:
Visually, it was incredibly difficult to see just how good Cabot Beach was in the stretch drive, but his back-half is indicative of exactly that. If you watch the replay and wait out the final moments before the wire, you could see him along the rail raging with pace. He is James MacDonald’s choice in this contest over another rival and he seems to be trending in the right direction. He’s my best bet this evening and will be a single for me to kick off this p5 sequence
~John Rallis
Race 3: #1 Uncle Shank A-makes his return to the races after two solid qualifiers. When he was at his best last year, he was a top pacer on the grounds. Let's see if he's ready to roll off the bench in this short field.
~Kevin Plowcha
Saturday, March 16th - Meadowlands
Race 2 (3) Over The Horizon- (6-1 ML) 1st try over the big track, finds a very soft spot. He has stakes wins last year and his big class edge will translate well against these.
~Rod Allums, Jr
Go to Nahupicks.com for picks for Mohawk, Meadowlands, Rosecroft, Meadows, Fraser. This week Century Downs! Coming soon Rideau!
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