Harness racing: Sharp Horses and Track Trends for March 12-18, 2012

BALMORAL

3/18: 3w, no bias

3/17: 5w, no bias, but unseasonably warm temperatures helped the speed hang on better than it did during the winter

3/14: 4w, no bias

SHARP@BALMORAL

GIBBS – Was 9th at the half, followed weak cover and finished sharply for the place

MR CASUAL – Was first over a long way and held okay for the place

POCO GRANNY – Slipped out with cover at the three quarters while 7th, made up ground sharply around the turn and continued full of pace to the wire to win going away

SHISWELL’S DELIGHT – Was 7th at the three quarters, moved third over and finished strongly in :26 4/5 for the win

RAGING CAM – Followed cover third over off a modest pace, finished stoutly in :26 3/5 for the win

ST ELMO HERO – Was first over and took the lead with a :26 4/5 third quarter, weakened late but should move forward off this effort

JUDY’S JET – Far back behind a slow opening quarter early, followed cover 4th over and finished well

MAYWOOD

3/16: 4w, no bias

3/15: 5w, no bias

SHARP@MAYWOOD

STAR GAZED – Was parked the mile without cover from post 7 and held gamely

BAUER’S Z TAM*** – Was 3rd over behind weak cover, rallied wide around the final turn and finished strongly for the win

CINNAMON SPIDER*** – Had post 8 and made up 7 lengths in the final quarter with a strong wide rally

FREEHOLD

3/17: 5w, no bias

3/16: 6w, + speed

3/15: 3w, no real bias but every winner but one either left the gate or went first over

SHARP@FREEHOLD

FANCY PANTS SANDY – Had post 8 and was a couple of tons the best, soared wide down the back and around the final bend and drew off impressively against the bias with a :29 flat final panel

ALL TRICKED OUT – Left from post 6 and tried hard to get the lead through a wicked speed duel but couldn’t and tucked past the half, held okay considering the brutal trip

ARISTIDE DE VIE*** – Had the rail and went down the road setting a vicious pace while parking out a horse in a speed duel, finally yielded to another rival on the final turn and held surprisingly well

PACIFIC OKEY DOKEY – Was parked the mile without cover from post 8 and only lost by 2 lengths

MY MASTERPIECE*** – Had post 8 in a race that had no outside flow to speak of, rallied wide around the final turn and somehow got up on the wire with a strong finish in a big effort

VIGOROUS – Had a tough parked-out trip from post 6 and was 2nd best to the 3-5 winner

MONTICELLO

3/15: 3w, no bias

3/14: 10w, ++ speed

3/13: 6w, + speed

3/12: 7w, + speed

SHARP @ MONTICELLO

YES WE DID – Hustled out from post 7 and was parked to the lead in :28 2/5, set a solid pace under pressure from the winner and was 2nd best

BLISS FALCON – Left from post 8 and was parked the mile without cover pushing a fast pace against the 4-5 favorite, didn’t tire that badly

GONE BABY GONE – Had post 6 and poor cover, made a nice brush to clear cover and went up after the 3-5 favorite, weakened in the lane in a deceptively good effort

STONEBRIDGE DECO – Left aggressively from post 8 and was parked to the lead in :28 4/5, yielded to the odds-on winner’s retake, chased a quick pace and held okay

ART GLASS*** – Had post 8 and was parked the mile without cover pushing the 6-5 winner, held well

NORTHFIELD PARK

3/17: 4w, no bias, much faster final times due to the warmer weather

3/16: 7w, + speed

3/13: 8w, + speed

3/12: 8w, + speed, wet track

SHARP @ NORTHFIELD

TOOTER LANE – Made 2 moves to the lead setting a torrid pace and held okay

CONNIE’S MARTI – Had post 7, had to go wide around a breaker, remained wide and finished gamely

JENNA’S DREAM – Had terrible cover, rallied wide and held okay in a quick mile

DOVER

3/18: 10w, ++ speed

3/15: 4w, no bias

3/14: 7w, + speed

3/13: 9w, ++ speed

3/12: 10w, ++ speed

SHARP@DOVER

SMOKE EM UP – Followed cover from post 8 and finished strongly against a severe speed bias

FEETS OF MAGIC – Had post 7, followed weak cover 4th over and finished fastest of all

WAMBAM SAM – Left from post 7 and tucked, went first over pushing a :27 1/5 third quarter, wore down the leader on the final turn, was out-kicked by the closers but held the show well

CAMCO KYLE – Was first over against the favorite and paced a :27 1/5 third quarter, held gamely

HILLCREST SUITES – The 4th over behind a dull flow of cover, finished strongly against the bias to just miss

TE’S CAMMIE – Went first over against the even money favorite, paced a :27 3/5 third quarter and held well to finish a close-up third

I’M SO STRIKING – Had post 8 and finished strongly to miss by a narrow margin

WAINUI TABMAN N*** – Had post 7, left, tucked, moved uncovered making up good ground during the second quarter, picked up cover but powered past that one on the final turn, drew off sharply

BATTLESHIP KELLY – Left and was parked the mile without cover, pushed a :27 3/5 third quarter against the tough 1-5 winner and didn’t tire that badly

MY CIVIL DOLLAR – Third over from post 7, finished sharply to be 2nd best behind the 1-5 winner

REIGNING DRAGON – Left from post 8 and was parked to the lead in :27 3/5, set the pace under constant pressure and held well for the place

SANDEROSA*** – Had a tough trip parked the mile uncovered against a sharp favorite and held gamely

SPEAKER PELOSI – Left and was parked forcing a fast pace against the post 1 winner over a speed biased track, held well until excusably tiring on the final turn

WINDEMERE ROYAL – Blasted to the lead in :26 4/5, rated the half then paced a :27 1/5 third quarter under pressure from the sharp 4-5 winner, held okay

HEADBUTT HARLEY*** – Three-star pick from last week drew post 7 and was 10 lengths behind early, circled wide around the final bend and finished powerfully against the bias to get up at $15.40

POMPANO

3/17: 4w, no bias

3/14: 2w, no bias

3/13: 4w, no bias

3/12: 2w, no bias

SHARP@POMPANO

DOC’S BONANZA*** – Quarter-moved and got hung out forcing a quick pace, held well

CHESTER

3/18: 4w, no bias

3/16: 9w, + speed

3/15: 5w, + speed

3/14: 2w, no bias

SHARP@CHESTER

REXASAURIS – Left from post 6 and was parked to a quick opener, set the pace under second half pressure and held the place gamely

ENEE WEENIE AND ME – Left from post 8 and was parked to the lead in :27 3/5, set a quick pace and was 2nd best

ABELARD HANOVER – Had a tough spot from post 7 trying to close over a track that favored front runners, followed cover third over and finished well for the show

MARKET FORCE – Had post 7, left, tucked, went first over and won sharply

ALL STAR DRAGON – Left alertly from post 7, yielded and was shuffled with pace

HAROUN HANOVER – Had a tough parked out uncovered trip from post 7, held okay

MEADOWS

3/16: 5w, no bias

3/14: 3w, no bias

3/13: 6w, + speed, leavers did very well, more speed favoring than usual

3/12: 7w, + speed, sloppy track was more speed favoring than usual as inside lane seemed much better than the outside

SHARP@MEADOWS

DEBI’S SIGN – Third over behind weak cover and a slow pace, finished fast in the stretch

ARCTIC ESCAPE – Left sharply from post 8 and was parked to the lead in :27 1/5 over a sloppy track, set the pace and drew off impressively

SWEET JOE – Left from post 6 and was parked to the lead in :27 2/5, yielded and was shuffled out of contention behind a tiring horse, finished well belatedly

CHASE’S LEGACY*** – Was parked the mile without cover from post 8 and held gamely

YONKERS

3/17: 4w, no bias

3/16: 7w, + speed

3/15: 5w, + speed

3/13: 6w, + speed

3/12: 6w, + speed

SHARP@YONKERS

CRAZYBOUTDADRUMMER – Was 6th at the half, made a strong move to reach the leader, took command in the lane and held off the closers gamely

UP FRONT JERRY*** – Left from post 6 and was cooked forcing a hot pace in a speed duel, never cleared and finished in :29 2/5, which is solid considering the trip, still in sharp form

CIGAR HALL*** – Was parked the mile without cover from post 7, paced a :56 4/5 middle-half and came home in :28 4/5 to just miss in a big effort

LONG STORY SHORT*** – In a race that looked like a throwback to the glory days of half mile harness racing, trotter Long Story Short unleashed a bold 4 wide brush approaching the three quarters, engaged the leader on the final bend and drew clear impressively under confident handling

CHINA KING – Had a tough first over grind into a quick last half and finished strong for the place

LISTOWEL*** – Left and tucked off the first turn, pulled first over approaching the half and rushed up to duel with the 2-5 winner, gave him everything he had and actually took a half length lead on the outside but could not clear and was 2nd best in a sharp effort

TRACK MY DESIRE – Had post 7, moved off the second turn and was pushed three wide briefly, made a strong brush to engage the leader, ducked in on the final turn and finished gamely for the place

MIXED MEDIA – Had post 8, left, tucked, angled clear and finished fast to miss narrowly

MYSTICAL MJ – Didn’t really leave but floated out and tucked around a breaker on the first turn, went first over into a stepped-up final half and held well to be 2nd best behind the 6-5 favorite

MOJARRA HANOVER – Had post 8, angled out in a blindswitch in the lane and cleared late with strong pace

HULA’S Z TAM – Had post 8, moved out 4th over on the final turn, roared wide late on the turn and finished fast to get up on the wire

TY’S A BIG STAR – Was used hard to get the lead in :27, set a fast pace and held okay for the show

*** = extra-sharp preferred plays