Dexter Cup sends soph-colts off to powerful, perplexing start

(H) denotes Hambletonian Eligible  

On May 5 at Freehold Raceway, the $138,000 Dexter Cup presents a cast of glamour-boy soph trotters that appears more contentious than recent years.  

Even though Market Share (H-Revenue S) takes his undefeated status into the first fray along the Hambletonian Trail, there is much to be said for the launching of the three-year-old season of Southwind Austin (H-Conway Hall) and Frost Bites K (Broadway Hall) has already started this year with three wins in four starts. Both received byes and did not race in last week’s elim, which was won by Market Share. 

Also a contender is Not Afraid (H-SJ’s Caviar). Although he skipped at the wire and was nosed out of the place by Trouble, a non-eligible also in this field, he has promise in the long-run battle for a berth in the August classic.  

Bettors are stuck with a focus on the toteboard to find some value here and must put a lot of faith in some strong possibilities if they are going to get a price. 

Market Share, no doubt, will try to take the field around the four turns but how easily he does it depends upon what happens in the early stages of the race. We have to assume that the other foes will not be ready to let Market Share have a gift of this mile and may challenge him early. 

Not Afraid, Frost Bites K and Southwind Austin may be the foils and unless Market Share has an alternative style yet to be determined, he could be toast early accepting any major challenge from this trio. 

Putting the quartet in a shuffling duel or two will only help Trouble put on the gas late, as he did in the elim. But I feel we need to go with the best of the rest, if, indeed, Market Share is the best.   

That’s why we are looking at Andy and Julie Miller’s Frost Bites K as the colt that could be the value and the most strategic choice. If he has one big brush he could win this and may do so at bargain odds.  

For exotic value, we will use Not Afraid in the mix with Southwind Austin, using the scenario that Market Share gets burned from pushing the lead.  

Get to TwinSpires for wagering all of the great races leading to the Hambletonian and “Oaks” and read all the result stories at Hambletonian Society’s exclusive “trail” section.  

Glamour-girl trotters begin ‘Oaks’ journey

(H) denotes Hambletonian Eligible  

Sixteen sophomore trotting fillies are divided into a pair of divisions for the Lady Suffolk at Freehold Raceway on May 4.  

Each division is worth $80,000. The first split presents four Hambletonian Oaks eligibles, while the second features a trio.  

These events aren’t for the light-hearted handicapper, since few of these gals have much you can go on concerning their sophomore performances. In this early showing of the division, only a pair entered are on the top money-earning list as freshmen. 

Those two are Lima Playmate (H-Credit Winner) and For A Dancer (H-Conway Hall). These two appear in the first division on May 4. 

For A Dancer won eight of 11 at two, earning $262,332 in her first season on the track.  

Lima Playmate was nine wins for 13 starts last year, earning $156,680. 

Also eyeing the “Oaks” in the first-division are Cocolatta De Vie (H-Chocolatier) and Winning Sissy (H-Angus Hall). 

The only winner this season appearing in that field is Proximity Four, with a single victory in four races.  

The Joe Holloway-trained For A Dancer comes off a strong qualifier win (1:57.2) and is highly regarded to graduate to three with prowess.  

We like Chocolatta De Vie for reasons we have explained each season sinceher sire, Chocolatier, presented the track with his first crop. We have touted his progeny, specifically his younger fillies, successfully on these pages. As we did with Kadabra early on in his sire career, we intend to profit on a rarely used handicapping element in standardbred racing—specific-sire promise. So, we continue to endorse Chocolatier gals, frosh or soph, and look for the Brian Roland-trained Chocolatta De Vie to show vast improvement.  

With the aforementioned top two in this division, though they debut for the year, Chocolatta De Vie could offer a good price as an outsider. In a late New Jersey Futurity last season (at Freehold), she was second to undefeated-colt Market Share (H), who will go May 5 in the Dexter Cup. She broke in the Matron. Her only race this year, at the newly named Philadelphia (aka Chester) was a wonderful performance.

In division two, Bridge The Way has every reason to improve and if he does he will bring a price from post 6. She makes her seasonal debut and brings with her a Kindergarten win from late last season at Vernon. Although that is her only win in seven starts, she is far classier than most of these, with two Freehold qualifiers last month that prove she is in good shape for trainer Henrik Lundell.  

It’s a great time to go with possible improvers; the early season holds much promise for players with an ability to catch big prices on horses that may pay little to nothing all season. This is a proven, profitable gait we use along the Hambletonian Trail.  

Get to TwinSpires for wagering all of the great races leading to the Hambletonian and “Oaks” and read all the result stories at Hambletonian Society’s exclusive “trail” section.

Who's who from 2011?

Last season’s top-earning two-year-old colts and geldings provide the early focus of contenders for the sport’s cherished Hambletonian crown, 2012. A few on the list of 2011’s biggest moneymakers, however, are not eligible to the August classic. 

Here is a list of the top 28 freshman colt trotters by earnings in 2011. If “NE” follows their name, they are non-eligibles. They may appear in stakes along the Hambletonian Trail but they won’t be in the coveted event.  The symbol "c" stands for colt and "g" stands for gelding. 

Horse (sire) starts-win-place-show $earnings

 Possess The Will (Donato Hanover) 12-7-2-1 $550,789

The Game Plan –g  NE

Uncle Peter (Cantab Hall) 6-4-1-0 $346,582

Prestidigitator (Kadabra) 11-4-2-1 $317,590

Weingartner (Donato Hanover) 9-3-2-1 $290,206

Stormin Normand (Broadway Hall) 7-6-1-0 $269,643

Money On My Mind (Cantab Hall) –g 9-3-4-1 $269,466

Royal Shyster (RC Royalty) 14-9-3-0 $259,540

Pekote Fashion (Broadway Hall) 10-6-0-2 $226,900

Trottin Tiger –g NE

Dontfusswithruss –g NE

Vic Smith (Yankee Glide) 11-6-2-1 $213,275

Big Chocolate (Chocolatier) 11-2-5-2 $201,560

Delano (Credit Winner) 15-6-1-3 $194,960

Heres The Magic NE

Good Sound Advice NE

Il Mago (Kadabra) 10-2-3-0 $171,480

Power Play (Donato Hanover) 9-0-3-3 $168,425

Southwind Austin (Conway Hall) 13-4-5-3 $166,708

Gym Tan Laundry (Yankee Glide) –g 9-4-3-1 $165,892

Windshield NE

Summit City Earl NE

Prayer Session NE

Highland Yankee (Muscles Yankee) 11-2-1-3 $136,977

Keystone Orion NE

Archangel (Credit Winner) 13-3-6-1 $135,193

Go Tapaigh (Andover Hall) –g 9-3-1-1- $130,371

Velten San Siro NE

Dexter Cup elim qualifies six for eight-horse final

Two colts, both Hambo-eligibles, received byes for the Dexter Cup Final on May 5, leaving a single elim, worth $46,100, that will dismiss two in a field of eight at Freehold Raceway on April 28.

Frost Bites K (Broadway Hall) and Southwind Austin (Conway Hall) will appear for the May 5 final, while three other eligibles will battle for berths in the final by finishing in the top six on April 28.

Not Afraid (SJ’s Caviar), Astarsborn Hanover (Donato Hanover) and Market Share (Revenue S) take on five non-eligibles also trying for a spot on May 5.

Rightfully so, the morning-line favorite is the undefeated Market Share, coming off of two qualifiers to begin his sophomore season and a campaign aimed at the big prize in August for trainer Linda Toscano.

This obvious choice helps our eyes stray to Jimmy Takter’s Not Afraid, a colt we already backed successfully in March’s “Singer Memorial.” Although he lost to On The Podium (a non-eligible coupled with Astarisborn Hanover) once, he beat him twice showing a sense of consistency important on the early trail. Plus, he should still be at fair odds considering the spotless record of Market Share.

From post 8, Broadway Zinger, a non-eligible, is still a danger, especially if there is any dueling up front. He should be aggressive, aiming at making the final and getting a better post.

Another non-eligible, Trouble, is the other good element for triple tickets, and if he can stay flat, the Not Afraid-key triple with the two non-eligibles, leaving the Astarisborn Hanover-entry out of it, could be a huge price.

Get to TwinSpires for wagering all of the great races leading to the Hambletonian and “Oaks” and read all the result stories at Hambletonian Society’s exclusive “trail” section.

The Dexter Cup Final on May 5 launches the Hambletonian Trail for 2012. Follow the news for betting and handicapping here (along with the weekly blogs at TwinSpires) and the results of races with Hambo and Hambo Oaks eligibles at the Hambletonian Society website, as covered by Frank Cotolo and Ray Cotolo.

Pictured is Uncle Peter, who won the Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Trot in 2011 and is one of the top figures in the early steps along the "Trail." ~New Image Media

Broad Bahn engines to huge win in Hambletonian

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J./Cotolo – Broad Bahn with George Brennan in the bike took control of the field from the beginning of the mile and survived a late-stretch challenge from the favorite, Manofmanymissions, to win the 86^th Hambletonian at the Meadowlands on Aug. 6.

The son of Broadway Hall, who suffered injury at two and came back at three to be a major contender in his division of soph-colt trotters, commanded the fractions on an overcast day in New Jersey where the Meadowlands hosted a jam-packed stakes schedule featuring the Hambo and Hambletonian Oaks. 

“I was able to rate him into the turn,” said Brennan. “I asked him for a little trot in the stretch and when he was challenged I asked him for more and he gave it to me.”

The favorite, Manofmanymissions, was chasing “Bahn” down the stretch, having come to the outside, where he made a misstep trying to keep up with the leader.

A 39-1 shot, Whiskey Tax, took second and Opening Night, the brothers Campbell combo, trainer Jim and driver John, took third.

Trainer Noel Daley said winning the Hambletonian was a "dream come true. This is the one event you want to win." Daley was second in the final a few years ago with Explosive Matter.

But the veteran conditioner had concerns about the day of racing and his speedball Broad Bahn up until the ninth-race feature.

"I was a little worried," Daley said, "because the early races did not favor speed."

His concern was serious. Just before the main event, driver George Brennan drove Bold And Safe, at more than 20-1, to a victory over the race's giant choice, Crys Dream, in the "Oaks," trotting on the far outside from behind to win.

Other stakes featured longshots came from behind.

"At the half, when George got away with soft fractions," he said, "I knew he had licked them all."

The colt is staked to everything and will go on as long as he is healthy to all the top races left in the season.

"I'm not delusional," Daley said, "I know he is not a standout but he puts himself in the picture all the time. I would love to race him for the next two years with older trotters."

Broad Bahn is owned by Fam Alber Horse Racing LLC of New Jersey. He was bred by Fair Winds Farms in New Jersey.

The public’s second choice, Chapter Seven, finished fourth, having to close from far behind.

For more on the races, click here.

Quick picks in the classics

It has come down to the following colts, based on the comments and how we feel the odds will set, for the Hambletonian Final:

1 BROAD BAHN- Will go for the lead with the rail. Bet at 8-5 and up.

3 FAWKES- Will not have to work as hard as in the elim. Bet at 12-1 and up.

7 OPENING NIGHT- Interfered in his elim and still closed. He may be the surprise for the brothers Campbell. Bet at 6-1 and up.

The Hambletonian Oaks choices:

4 LADY RAINBOW- Great in her elimination. A very underrated filly. Needs a trip but she may upset. Bet at 6-1 and up.

8 WINNCINNATTI- Closed hard in her elimination but not early enough. If she moves at right time,  she may be involved late. Bet at 20-1 and up.

10 JEZZY- Made a huge recovery in her elimination. If she can trot from the 7 at Yonkers and win, then the 10 is no prob. Bet at 1-1 and up.