Bidding a fond farewell to Meadowlands with a $138 winner

*** The end of the Meadowlands harness racing meet ended with a bang as one of our previously scored horses paid $138.60 to win on Hambletonian Day ***

The tote board at The Meadowlands lit up like The Fourth of July after ROCKNROLL RUNA A paid $138.60 to win the eighth race on Hambo Day. Some followers of this column were on board as he was scored the last time he raced there in July. We scored quite a few extremely high-priced winners in the past year.

So, there is no misunderstanding, let us make sure we all understand the purpose of this series. There are no predictions made here. After one of the scored horses wins, there are no claims of winning bets, just as there are no claims of losing bets if one of the scored horses lose. Harness Racing has been losing popularity for a long time, and a lot of it has to do with lack of education as to why horses may win or lose. Some of the so-called explanations that are forced upon us make me dizzy.

I can understand why followers of this column may have chosen to ignore ROCKNROLL RUNA A, as there were other handicapping factors to consider. But the simple truth was that the horse seemed to have more pace in the lane (which readers of this column knew) than the winner of his last face, ABUCKABETT HANOVER, who went off at 3-5 (overbet favorites will be subjects of future articles) on Hambo Day while ROCKNROLL RUNA A went off a mind blowing 67-1.

In addition, here is an angle that has made me a lot of money through the decades. If you did not see a horse’s last race, and the line shows passing horses while losing ground, you will get a big price on a horse that probably had an excuse in the stretch. With that angle in tow, you would have played the 67-1 winner without any help from this column and without seeing the race. Horses with that angle win a lot. Repeat: WIN A LOT! (Works with the thoroughbreds, also)

The final quarter time does not necessarily reflect the last sixteenth of a mile. The program said ABUCKABETT HANOVER gained 4 lengths on ROCKNROLL RUNA A in the last quarter when they faced each other on 7-13. But what I saw in the last sixteenth got the handicapping juices flowing. If you chose not to bet the horse because of the long odds, you shouldn’t waste your time following any of my future articles. See the Chalk-City handicappers at another location. They cash more tickets.

Finding and following up with horses that have uncharted excuses is the single best source of identifying longshots that actually win. Spotting them without pre-conceived prejudices takes an experienced eye, and you won’t find this analysis anywhere else. Making money with that information is another issue for another article. Most races have at least 7 separate betting options, including vertical and horizontal wagering opportunities.

That means, even when you cash a ticket in one pool, you probably could have done better in another pool. Ah, the human element made more challenging by racetrack managements who believe by creating all of these options is best for harness racing. After all, everybody has a different “favorite” pool and removing any one of them will upset one or more bettors. Does this confusing myriad betting opportunities cloud the water?  After all, when your Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) emotion drives you to bet the wrong pool, or worse, too many pools, is that good for racing?

I have moved many of the scored horses from this final week to my virtual stable so that my online provider will inform me when next they race. I suggest that you do the same. Whether or not to play them when next they race is another story. However, followers of this series know that many of them follow up with wins at huge prices.

While I have not advocated blindly playing all scored horses, the results have been saying that such a strategy is worth considering. When you see “lineup” in the comments, that means that horse followed another horse to the wire and there is no way to tell how much pace or trot it might have had if clear.

Here is the best way to profit from this analysis.

Save scored horses in your virtual stables.

On the day you are wagering on races, and see Freehold or Meadowlands in the past performances, click here This will open up the list of all articles. For horses that show lines that pique your interest, find the article that analyzes the races for that day, then search for the horses in question. If the horse has a positive score, you know the horse is better than the pp line shows. Click on other weeks that the horse raced if the most recent race does not complete the story for you. This will give you access to all analysis.

This week’s winners that were identified in previous analyses

Meadows            8-2         Race 5   HEY PORTER                      $ 3.80    Sored +2 in his last start at M’lands after scoring +2 in his qualifier.

M’lands                8-2         Race 4   VICTOR LASZLO                 $11.20   Scored on his last appearance at M’lands qualifier.

M’lands                8-3         Race 3 SUPERNOVA HANOVER    $34.20   Scored at M’lands on 7-13, then won next start at Philly at 5-1 (hope some of you were on board). Last week he faced a superior Hambo elimination field. A huge $91 daily double overlay with 1-5 LEGENDARY HANOVER winning the first leg.

M’lands                8-3         Race 7 OAKWOOD ARDEN IR       $ 4.40    Scored +2 in his qualifier

*M’lands              8-3         Race 8 ROCKNROLL RUNA A         $138.60 Scored in his last race at M’lands on 7-13. Comment was “Never clear with pace.”

*M’lands              8-3         Race 8 IT’S MY SHOW          paid $ 9.60 to place at 8-1. He was scored with the highest score (+3) on 7-6 “4-wide passed 1/8. Lose cover, parked long, pressed.”

Exacta paid $932. Any followers who were lucky enough – the trifecta paid $13,000+ and the superfecta paid $3,000+ for a dime.

Meadowlands 8-2

Race      Horse                                   Score     Analysis

1             8 POLO BAR                       2             Very wide on both turns. Lost many lengths

POLO BAR REPLAY

3             5 WINNPANZEE                1             Most trot in the stretch

5             9 THE LAST CHAPTER      1             Very wide more than 1/8, then parked 1 over

6             6 WORKLIFE BALANCE    1             Strong pace when clear

7             4 CIVILIAN DRONE           2             Broke because he was jammed up with plenty

CIVILIAM DRONE REPLAY

Races 10 through 14 were canceled.

Meadowlands 8-3

Race      Horse                                   Score     Analysis

4             8 SEVEMEARAS                1             Very wide 1/8, took back, wide and closed well

6             2 SKY LEGACY                    1             Clear too late, unable to extend

8             7 PLEASELETMEKNOW    1             Blocked with pace along cones

8             10 VOUKEFALAS                1             Clear too late

11           Driving Rainstorm

11           5 PERICULUM                   2             Best closer in the race

11           10 VENERATE                    1             Never clear

12           Slipping and sliding in heavy rain

12           3 HIGHLAND KISMET       1             Bumped by winner in deep stretch

12           8 SIG SAUER                      1             Jammed up and shut off in stretch

12           10 AMAZING CATCH        1             Clear too late along cones

14           3 R MELINA                       1             Was beaten before interference, but lost ground after contact

14           9 DATE NIGHT HANOVER  3           Was easy winner, but locked wheels while flying along cones

DATE NIGHT HANOVER REPLAY

15           10 ALWAYS B NAUGHTY  1             Blocked with some pace

*** End of Meadowlands meet ***

I recommend that you keep an eye out for scored horses at other tracks during the next few weeks.

Power to the punter.

by Gil Winston, for Harnesslink