Best Bet – (4) – FRIDO PV – Race 9
Spot Play – (4) – DABARNDAWGSWATCHIN – Race 2
20-cent Early Pick 4 (race 3) – 5,6,7,9/4,5/7/5,7,8,9 = $6.40
20-cent Late Pick 4 (race 7) – 1,6,7/5,6/4/2,3,5,9 = $4.80
Race 1 – (4) SHRIMP AND GRITS is winless in 6 tries this year, which is surprising; always in the hunt, he tired during overland effort from the half July 28 at Rideau Carleton Nw400pscd classification; consistent 1:56-zone pacer has Guy Gagnon back in the sulky this week to boost chances. (5) MIDNIGHT PLAY stepped into outer flow from near-last August 2, breaking stride instead of pursuing leaders in final turn; 8-year-old closed for fourth July 30, his previous race with Tyler Jones aboard and best effort in 8 races this year; his one 2019 win was a 1:57.4 gate-to-wire trip for Gagnon last Nov. (2) AMERICAN SNIPER closed from last in July 26 effort at Hippodrome 3R, nowhere near leader Wild River Swan at any point, but showing interest in 30.2 last quarter; unhelpful post positions and illness have impacted his 5-start season; performed well in multiple similar trips at Rideau last year: taken to back early, unleashed late; Matt Harvey catch drives 5-year-old in what could be turnaround race.
Race 2 – (4) DABARNDAWGSWATCHIN was second to SOS Faline in Rideau Carleton’s 2yr-Nw7500l class July 30, spending most of the mile parked and still closing right to the wire in loss by a neck; not the first time this has happened to Ted McDonald-trained/driven filly who has never missed board at this track. (1) SIR A has won half his starts here for owner/driver Jacques Beaudoin, with this race’s top pick second to him July 9 and third July 2; front-end loving colt must contend with his strongest adversary drawing inside post #5 for the first time in her career. (2) COLONEL BAYAMA had post #9 for career debut last week; maternal granddam is $300K-winning mare Korinna Bayama, who took a few starts to get rolling at age 2, but improved as the season progressed for Yves Filion, who also co-owns, trains and drives her grandson.
Race 3 – (6) DÉJÀ VU SEELSTER is a 4-time 2020 winner who likes the front-end; lone filly didn’t get her way in first mixed-sex start July 30, as Robert Robinson sent her first-up against De Chairman (#8 this race) and she backed off when unable to clear; beaten fave remains this field’s fastest winner (1:55.4). (5) JON SNOW battled tonight’s #8 De Chairman through the opening quarter last race; pocket trip had him “loaded with no place to go” as tonight’s #9 P H Impulse closed 3-wide at the top of the stretch; trainer Mike Armstrong is in the bike, as regular driver Pascal Berube is suspended for this card. (9) P H IMPULSE beat the top 2 selections here July 30 using an overland trip and 29.3 last quarter; 1:57.3 mile was first win of the season for Truro Raceway invader who lands trailing post for returning reinsman Stephane Brosseau.
Race 4 – (5) THE MAGIC OF LIFE is back on Lasix for second start since dropping down from Rideau Carleton’s Nw2r30000lcd level; lands second-best post for trotters, one week after best result of 2020, a place finish behind tonight’s #4 Orlys Dream; co-owner/trainer Robert Robinson drives; won 4 times last year, taking 1:55.4 record in fast-closing, off-the-pace effort at The Meadowlands, with Lasix. (4) ORLYS DREAM was a going-away winner July 30 for trainer/driver Richard Simard, opening up by 4+ lengths on next-best #5 The Magic of Life (see above); 1:58 victory was a personal best for 2-time winner this year; (7) STPATTYSDAY had post #8 last start, turning in trademark steady closing effort from too far back to be effective; winless in 2020, Sylvain Cote owned/trained mare still offers field’s-best 62.5% top-3 results this year; third start for Tyler Jones.
Race 5 – (7) BAYWATCHING closed in a field’s-fastest 29 flat July 30, making her way from eighth to third for trainer/driver Ted McDonald; 1:56.4 miles in her 2 most recent efforts were separated by consecutive scratches (illness and judges’), but fast-closing filly looks strong in second distaff start and without Zar E Ip to contend with. (1) ARIELLE HANOVER has pair of 2020 place finishes in Rideau Carleton’s distaff Nw7500l company, both times for Richard Simard, at double-digit odds; class relief for conditioner Denis Maisonneuve’s 4-year-old maiden with history of unhelpful posts: third last time she drew rail, Nov. 24. (5) KISS IT BETTER had a string of 3 place finishes prior to July 30 start for Stephane Brosseau; John MacMillan co-owned/trained filly tipped 3-wide from sixth at three-quarters in pursuit of dominant leader Zar E Ip that race; tends to lose ground or get passed late.
Race 6 – (9) REDDIT HANOVER worked out a 60/1 win for Stephane Brosseau and co-owner/trainer Anne-Marie Turenne June 14 from post #9 at this track; 4-year-old’s maiden victory came courtesy of 27.3 closing speed allowing him to take down 1/5 favourite and pacesetter Cal Hanover (#2 this race); unusually-soft opening quarter and half set up for that 1:55.2 win, and he nearly repeated from same post July 30, finishing second by a neck to tonight’s #8 Mickeymaksomespeed, timed in the winner’s 1:53.3. (5) SHINE A LIGHT went undefeated in his last 4 races before his July 30 show finish behind Mickeymaksomespeed and Reddit Hanover; wired Rideau rivals in consecutive 1:53.3 miles in June 28 and July 5; co-fastest winner in this field finds favourable post for revenge. (8) MICKEYMAKSOMESPEED remains undefeated in 5 races for owner/trainer Michel Allard; Richard Simard must figure out trip from outermost post for the first time in colt’s career; diminishing victory margins suggest new vulnerability; Simard’s apparent choice over #7 Larry Is Debs Rock. (7) LARRY IS DEBS ROCK has been underrated in his latest starts, pacing to place finishes in July 23 and 30 Op10000clm efforts here for Richard Simard; joining forces with catch driver Stephane Pouliot, this tough closer has overcome broken equipment and challenging post assignments to hit board; 1:55/:56-zone speed may not be enough to overtake top trio, who have all shown recent sub-1:54 miles. (1) JOURNALISTIC shows late speed, but he’s cooled off since his gate-to-wire 1:54 victory from post #8 June 18; has hit board just once since leaving NW7500LCD classification; Tyler Jones is newest catch driver for this half of the Rachel Archer stable entry this race; #2 Cal Hanover races for same connections.
Race 7 – (1) STOLEN ART disappointed as top choice from post #7 July 30, which looked like a tightener for 5-year-old making first start since March 5; ninth and third-over at the three-quarters, the 1/2 beaten fave closed in a field’s-fastest 29.1 for sixth; previously qualified July 24 at Mohawk, finishing eighth, timed in 1:56.2; he paced that field’s second-fastest 27.1 closing quarter while discreetly gaining ground late; Pascal Berube is off tonight, so Tyler Jones catch drives. (6) WOO SHARK is second-time Lasix and gains catch driver Guy Gagnon, as regular reinsman Clarke Steacy is aboard #5 Mortgage My Villa this race; last win was 1:55.4 front-end mile March 1 at Rideau Carleton’s NW670PSCD level; 10-year-old has been trailing off at the end of recent efforts. (7) DARKEST SECRET turned the page last week in a 2-move performance for new catch driver Jonathan Lachance; his first seasonal victory in 9 tries this year was a decisive 1:54.3 performance with a nearly 3-length win margin over the now-absent Bet Till Dawn.
Race 8 – (5) COOL HAND LUCAN shows late gains in last 2 starts, closing for show in #6 She the North’s winning mile July 30, and previously sixth as beaten fave from post #8 with tonight’s driver Guy Gagnon July 23; beaten fave did not catch filly who got the win in mile mapped out by her pacesetting stablemate Music Note (#4 tonight), but his personal 1:56.1 clocking puts him among the fastest here; second start on class drop. (1) QUEENJANE BLUECHIP is still winless, although she has not missed a cheque since March 1; post relief after leaving hard from back-to-back outermost posts chasing Music Note and finishing fourth July 30 and 23. (6) SHE THE NORTH was the John MacMillan trainee we expected would make tonight’s #1 Queenjane Bluechip’s trip a bit more challenging July 23; instead, she scooped up the 1:57.1 victory after Music Note (#4 here) took care of that rival; set new lifetime-best of 1:55.3 here July 30 in similar fashion, but recent pair of wins have been one-dimensional tag team trips.
Race 9 – (4) FRIDO PV moves in from post #7 and drops from Nw1r15000lcd level; 3-year-old’s only victory so far was when wiring Nw7500lcd company in 2:01.1 for trainer/driver Yves St. Jacques June 25, yet he’s never missed board in 6 lifetime starts. (2) LINDAS PRIDE is lightly-raced yet a consistent top-3 finisher for trainer/driver Richard Simard; slightly less closing speed than #4 Frido PV; lost ground late in her fastest mile to date, a personal 1:58.2 show finish here July 23. (1) DREAMEX has all those qualifiers so owner/trainer/driver Dan Murphy could get the drives required to return to pari-mutuel competition (thanks to Nicholas Boyd for this insight); now that goal is accomplished, this steady-gaited 4-year-old mare can make her career debut from ideal post position.
Race 10 – (2) DARCEE N was claimed by Guy Gagnon July 19, tried his luck at Mohawk’s $11,000 claiming handicap July 30 (no dice), and is back at Rideau Carleton’s Nw1250l3 level tonight; second by a neck in extended battle with tonight’s #5 Mach Messier July 19; only 2020 win was from rail June 28 in NW620PSCD company, over “good” surface where pocket trip paid off at 9/1 in 1:54.1. (3) MACH MESSIER was a first-up 1:56.3 winner for Guy Gagnon facing optional $10,000 claimers July 19; he was third in same class July 9 for Pascal Berube, from post #7; wired $7000 claimers at this track for Berube Feb. 9; better with stalking or front-end trip, as evidenced by seventh-place finishes in 2 recent tries from off-the-pace; lands catch driver Stephane Brosseau, second only to Gagnon for win percentage here in 2020. (4) MITT JAGGER moves in from post #7, from which he was a game overland third despite broken equipment July 30; now racing for owner/trainer Luc Loyer and catch driver Rodney Laframboise after being claimed last week; a 25/1 off-the-pace winner March 8 from post #8 at same level as last start. (9) ILL BEA STAR TOO liked the trailing post in July 23 Nw1250l3cd start, closing in 29 flat for show; Mike Healey stays loyal to Kathy McBride-owned/trained class-dropper mare’s third pari-mutuel race of 2020. (5) SPRINGBRIDGEVISION let us down July 30 when she was a no-factor sixth in 2020 Rideau debut; won July 12 and 19 Rideau qualifiers by a combined 24 open lengths; 8-time winner made one OSS Grassroots stop at this track last year, closing for show as beaten fave, individually timed in 1:54.3; now back on Lasix.
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Melissa Keith is a lifelong harness handicapper/bettor, Hervey/O'Brien Media Excellence Award-winning writer, and occasional racecaller. She is a contributor to TROT, Hoof Beats, Atlantic Post Calls, and Harness Racing Update, often covering topics related to wagering. Her most memorable bets include taking down the Truro Raceway Pick-7 pool for a $36 investment (it has not been offered since) and collecting $1,287 for a Woodbine Harness Pick-4 which cost a whopping $1.60.
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