Yonkers Trot elims, Grand Circuit events ensue

There were enough horses this year to provoke two elims in The Yonkers Trot. Each elim is worth $40,000. All but three of the colts in the duo of miles are eligible for the big race, though the top dogs have steered clear of the four-turned event. 

 

In the first of the two elims, Deweycolorintheline will get attention off of his Stanley Dancer Memorial finish, third to the favorite Royalty For Free who took that status in the confusion of Smilin Eli’s scratch. This “Dewey” could be coming around now and is in a good spot here, with two non-eligibles leaving to his left and three others with questionable soph histories thus far. 

 

The second elim features eligibles from post 1 to post 6 of eight, the most available for heavy betting being Dontyouforgetit. After disappointing missteps, Dontyouforgetit came back and surprised the public with double-digit-paying wins. Jimmy Takter’s colt had only the breaking problem to solve but there was no mercy at the betting windows early in the season. Now he is back and shows up here, where Takter has said the colt thrives—on the half-mile. There is doubt he will be overlooked in this field, where the other eligibles are not first-tier candidates for the Hambo.  

 

But in the mix should come Explosive Action and Fico. If the tides of popular opinion turn against Dontyouforgetit, these two will have the best chances to upset. 

 

At Tioga, the Grand Circuit (GC) Tompkins-Geers events present two editions for soph fillies and one large field for the colts on July 20.  

 

Only four eligibles go in the $62,766 division of colts in a field of 10. The quartet presents three intriguing possibilities. First, Caveat Emptor, who could be a monster if his gait problems are solved, may not be peaking for the Hambo but is showing signs of improvement. A surprise win at a big price could be looming boldly. As well, Banco Solo’s disappointments over the past few weeks may still represent a tune-up he needs to get on the right earning path. He may do better with this bunch. Finally6, Modest Prince has been competitive since his 50-1 win in May. This is a softer field than he has taken on recently and he could have some fire for the finish. 

 

The fillies’ splits go for $35,383 each and in the first we are treated to a daughter of champion Varenne, Richesse Oblige S. She is among four eligibles in the eight-horse field and could be worth a shot for her class and breeding edge among this group. In round two, another quartet of eligibles are favored among the eight involved. Southwind Cocoa has not been as sharp as we thought and it is getting late in the game. We want to take a shot on Alston Hall, a Deweycheatumnhowe gal that could make a bunch on the GC though she will probably not be around to test Bee A Magician in the “Oaks.” If we are right about her, she should pay the most for backers over the next few weeks.

 

Keep watching this blog for updates and races involving eligibles through July and for live coverage from TwinSpires on Hambletonian day. Read race results at the special section archived at the Hambletonian Society web site.