Harness racing: Sharp Horses and Track Trends for March 19-25, 2012

BALMORAL

3/25: 4w, no bias, track a bit more kind to speed with the warmer weather, but playing fairly, and very fast

3/24: 5w, no bias

3/21: 1w, + closers

SHARP@BALMORAL

FOX VALLEY ISIS – Power-brushed to the lead at the half and had plenty left for the finish

BET ON HIM – Made a strong brush to the lead, yielded, finished in :27 1/5 for the 1:49 4/5 win

AL’S HAMMERED – Was 7th at the half, followed cover, angled wide on the final turn and finished powerfully to draw off with a :25 4/5 final panel

FIRSTCLASSALLTHWAY*** – Paced two :26 3/5 quarters on route to a breezy 1:49 3/5 romp; hard to see this one losing next if he stays on this circuit

BP GIANT FOOL – Was 4th over, had a lot to do turning for home but finished fast to get up

MAYWOOD

3/23: 5w, no bias

3/22: 5w, no bias

SHARP@MAYWOOD

NIGHT’S ALL NIGHT – Left from post 6 and was parked the mile without cover, held okay until excusably tiring through the final quarter

MOSES HANOVER*** – Loving the unseasonably warm weather, left from post 6 and was parked to the lead in :27 4/5, shook off a stiff bid at the half and drew off impressively to win by 9 lengths

DADE HALL*** – Had post 7 and was third over in a flow where the first over horse had no pace, followed cover wide, remained wide on the final turn and finished stoutly to draw clear

FREEHOLD

3/24: 6w, no bias

3/23: 3w, no bias

3/22: 5w, + speed

SHARP@FREEHOLD

RAY’S RAYZER – Left well from post 7 but could not clear a tough 4-5 shot, dueled for the lead while parked the mile and beat 4 horses home in a game effort

HIGHLY THOUGHT OF – Had post 7 and had to go first over a long way when none of the inside horses pulled, did a nice job to finish in :29 for the show

PRINCE POLARIS – Was first over pacing a quick middle-half and held well

WILDMOTION – Left sharply from post 8 and was parked to the lead in :27 4/5, yielded and was shuffled back behind a tiring horse

HURRIKANE ANTHONY – Left hard from the rail in :27 2/5, yielded, pulled the pocket and pushed the pace and held okay in a quick mile for the class

SHOOT FIRST – Had post 6 and terrible cover, stormed wide into and around the final turn, engaged the leader, wore him down and held off the pocket sitter for a game win

MONTICELLO

3/22: 7w, + speed

3/21: 7w, + speed

3/20: 6w, + speed

3/19: 4w, no bias

SHARP @ MONTICELLO

B MAJOR – Rallied wide around tiring cover and finished full of pace for the place

LADY ON THE ATTACK*** – Was outside a long way from post 7, paced a monstrous middle-half for the class level and drew off to win by 10 lengths

WESTERN DANCING – Had post 6, rallied wide from 4th over and finished sharply

LUCKY ANGEL*** – Unlucky Angel in this case, as the 1-5 favorite was parked past a vicious :55 4/5 half in a FM $4,000 claimer, only lost by 3 lengths

EARLY MORNING – Blasted to the early lead and refused to yield to the 1-5 favorite while putting up :27 2/5 and :28 2/5 early fractions, finally yielded into turn three and came back on late to win

GAME JOCKO – Had post 7 and made up a lot of ground from off the pace over a track that favored speed

MAY DAY JOJO – Was first over a long way into a fast last half, held okay

WONDERFUL RACE – Trotter made a nice first over move from post 6, broke in the lane while collaring the leader, but fortunately had the good hands of Billy "Zeke" Parker, Jr., recovered and won

WHATA HUSTLER – Had post 8, left and was parked the mile without cover and held gamely for the show

KAMWOOD JASPER N*** – Was third over from post 7, circled wide around the final bend as his cover weakened and finished strongly for the place

WINK AND NOD*** – Had post 8, made up a ton of ground on a long uncovered grind to reach the leader at the three quarters, took the lead but was nailed late by the pocket sitter in a game placing

NORTHFIELD PARK

3/24: 4w, no bias

3/23: 9w, + speed

3/20: 7w, + speed

3/19: 3w, no bias

SHARP @ NORTHFIELD

RD RUSTLER*** – Left from post 7 and was parked forcing a quick pace, couldn’t clear but held well

GIRLS’ GETAWAY – Left from post 6 and was parked in a speed duel through a quick pace

ROYAL CAM OSBORNE – Was parked the mile uncovered pressing the pace and held well for the place

DR JACKS SHACK – Was first over a long way and held well

DOVER

3/25: 7w, + speed

3/22: 8w +speed

3/21: 4w, no bias, much fairer track surface than Monday and Tuesday

3/20: 8w, ++ speed

3/19: 9w, ++ speed

SHARP@DOVER

ROMAN CONQUEROR N – Left and tucked, pacing a :27 1/5 opening quarter, went first over pacing a :27 1/5 third quarter and held okay to miss by 2 lengths

MAKE IT BRIEF*** – Classy 12-year-old claimer blasted to the lead in :26 2/5, yielded to the 7 and 8 leavers, was third at the half and pulled first over, paced a :27 3/5 third quarter to take control and drew clear impressively

LORD TERROR – Had post 8 and left as one of four leavers, was used hard to clear nearing a :54 4/5 half, yielded to strong pressure and held the place gamely

FEARLESS DIABLO*** – Dropped in class and had post 6, uncorked a powerful first over brush and drew off to an easy win while pacing his last half in a sparkling :53 3/5

WESMOKEMPEACEPIPE – Had post 7 and flushed out a second over trip, finished strongly for the upset win

ART GRAM – Left and forced tucks with a snappy :25 4/5 opener, yielded, pulled in the final quarter and came on gamely to miss by a neck

RACING NAKED – Left well from post 7 and was parked to the lead in :27 1/5, set the pace under stiff second half pressure and held sway gamely

CHESTER

3/25: 7w, + speed

3/23: 7w, + speed

3/22: 3w, no bias

3/21: 4w, no bias

SHARP@CHESTER

PALM’S BEACH – Was 8th at the half and 10 lengths back, unleashed a bold three wide brush to reach contention and continued on gamely to miss by a nose

LEANBACK COCO –

Had post 8, left, tucked, went first over pacing a :27 2/5 third quarter and held okay

RAJI’S BLUE LINE – Far back early from post 8, followed weakening cover third over and finished sharply

CITY IMAGE – Was 8th at the half while 4th over behind a dull flow, finished strongly for the show

VINCENT FRA – Was parked to a quick half before finding a tuck, held okay

MEDOLAND BIG CAM – Had a tough parked-out, long first over trip, paced a :27 3/5 third quarter, held gamely

MEADOWS

3/23: 4w, no bias

3/21: 3w, no bias

3/20: 6w, no bias

3/19: 3w, no bias

SHARP@MEADOWS

ARTOMATIC PILOT – Left from post 8 directly outside off the post 7 leaver and was used hard to get the lead, set a fast pace until yielding at the three quarters and didn’t tire that badly

SAYWHATUNEEDTOSAY – Brushed and crushed, an easy winner in first start for new barn

ALL GOT IN – Left and was stung to a :27 opener for the lead, set a quick pace under second half pressure and didn’t tire that badly

SHE CAN DANCE – Paced a :27 1/5 third quarter first over to pressure the winner and held okay

NIABUNNY – Left well and was parked to the quarter for the lead, yielded, chased the pace and weakened in the final quarter; may be worth a price with a drop in class now

SARATOGA

3/21: 7w, + speed

SHARP@SARATOGA

MYSTICAL TERROR – Had post 8, left, tucked, went up on a long first over journey and held okay

YONKERS

3/24: 7w, + speed, two closers did win off cover, but certainly a much different track than Friday night

3/23: 1w, ++ closers, dead rail, completely different track than prior nights, which worked out well since the top mares in the country were competing in the Bluechip Matchmaker Series, it made the races much more competitive and exciting

3/22: 6w, + speed, inside lane dominated, no outside closers, 10 of the 11 winners left the gate, one went first over, posts 1 and 2 won 8 of the 11 races

3/20: 5w, + speed, 11 of 12 winners either left the gate or went first over

3/19: 5w, + speed, slight edge to speed

SHARP@YONKERS

SOUTHWIND TRINI*** – Didn’t have much of a chance off a long first over trip from post 7 into a stepped-up final half but kept on coming gamely to the wire

LONESOME CRUISER*** – Had post 7, left, tucked, was first over on a long grind, paced a big :27 4/5 third quarter and wore down the 1-2 favorite in a big effort

CRUZNWITHDABIGDOG*** – Left and was parked the mile forcing a fast pace, held gamely

CLASSIC CALL*** – Left and tucked, went first over and paced a big last half to wear down a tough front runner gamely on the wire in a sharp effort

MOBILE – Had post 6, left, tucked, went first over into a stepped-up final half over a track that heavily favored inside speed and held well

WINTER RETREAT A – Was up against it over a track that heavily favored the horse that had the inside lane, had post 7, was 4th over and finished sharply in :28

YES HANOVER – Left from post 7 and was parked the mile pushing a fast pace, tough trip, but held well until the three quarters before excusably tiring

ROCKLAMATION – Followed cover second over from post 7, roared wide late on the final turn and finished strongly to win with a :55 1/5 last half

SEE YOU AT PEELERS – Showed a new dimension in her 4yo debut tracking cover second over, angled three wide for the drive, appeared to bear in a bit and had to steady and alter course in midstretch to avoid locking wheels, but straightened out and finished quickly to dead heat for the win, a nice drive by Sears considering that the track was heavily favoring closers Friday night

FARIFANT – Classy trotter gunned to the lead from post 6, set a pressured pace and dug in gamely to win by a nose under strong Brennan handling as the lone wire to wire winner Friday night

FOUR STARZ ROE – Popped out mid-third turn, uncorked a wicked Shady Daisy-like brush to take the lead down the backstretch and drew off sharply while pacing a :54 3/5 last half

SPENCER B – Left strongly in :27 2/5 and set a fast pace on a dead rail against the bias under constant pressure until yielding at three quarters and actually held okay to beat 4 horses home

STRAND HANOVER – Third over, rallied three wide off cover around the final turn and finished strongly to win

GIDDY UP DELIGHT – Had post 7, angled wide for the drive and was moving quickly late

ONE MORE LAUGH – Left and was three wide part of the first turn and parked most of the quarter for the lead, yielded and held okay in an improved effort that is better than it looks on paper

JOLTIN’ COLT – Left and got caught in a torrid speed duel with the favorite, finally gave up and took back into a tuck midway through the third turn, held okay considering the brutal trip

SEA VENTURE – Left and set a fast pace under hounding pressure but drew off to win by 4 lengths

*** = extra-sharp preferred plays