O’Hara Earns Marathon Week Honors in Hambo Society Grand Circuit ‘Cap Contest

(September 25, 2016) –  Concluding nine consecutive days of handicapping, the HANA Harness handicappers slogged their way through the last week of the 2016 Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge sponsored by DRF Harness, Green Acquisition Corporation, The Hambletonian Society, Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment, Northfield Park,  The Raceway at Western Fair District, Red Shores Charlottetown Driving Park, Tioga Downs, and Vernon Downs, and when all was said and done, Dennis O’Hara took home top honors for the week with 206.65 points.  Finishing second for the week was Sally Hinckley with 184.6 points with overall leader Jay Hochstetler earning show honors with 149.88 points.

Despite the relatively poor showing for the week, Matt Rose remains in the top spot of the second-half leader board with 946.08 points, ahead of Russ Adams whose second half tally of 798.75 noses out Hochstetler’s 794.33.  Overall, Hochstetler remains comfortably in front with 2,583.43 points, 535.3 ahead of Rose (2,048.13 pts.), followed by Adams (1,979.68 pts.).

There were no individual plays of note this week, but O’Hara put the week away with a perfect 6 for 6 on Saturday which earned him 105.3 of his 206.65 points for the week.  Hinckley and Michael Carter were one win behind with 5 out of 6 on their cards earning 78 and 74.8 points respectively.

2nd Half and Overall Standings
Position	Handicapper	Points This Week	Total Points	Points Back	Overall Position	Overall Points	Overall Points Back
1st	Matt Rose	74.90	946.08	-	2nd	2048.13	535.30
2nd	Russ Adams	85.10	798.75	147.33	3rd	1979.68	603.75
3rd	Jay Hochstetler (FHW)	149.88	794.33	151.75	1st	2583.43	-
4th	Sally Hinckley	184.60	792.90	153.18	4th	1962.78	620.65
5th	Ray Garnett	75.73	744.98	201.10	11th	1533.75	1,049.68
6th	Dennis O'Hara	206.65	709.85	236.23	5th	1886.75	696.68
7th	Bryan Owen	83.35	663.03	283.05	10th	1640.30	943.13
8th	Adam Friedland	123.03	605.80	340.28	6th	1851.95	731.48
9th	Gordon Waterstone	124.63	588.43	357.65	8th	1756.90	826.53
10th	Michael Carter	140.48	568.13	377.95	9th	1660.68	922.75
11th	Mark Deutsch	95.00	531.98	414.10	12th	1510.18	1,073.25
12th	Rusty Nash	91.55	511.13	434.95	7th	1807.28	776.15
13th	Joe Bengston	111.78	490.38	455.70	13th	1405.73	1,177.70
14th	Anne Stepien	105.95	468.98	477.10	14th	1405.48	1,177.95
15th	Ray Cotolo	96.70	448.65	497.43	15th	1244.18	1,339.25

After this grueling period, the HANA Handicappers have an ‘easier’ week with races Thursday (9/29) thru Sunday (10/2) as the Grand Circuit visits The Red Mile with The Bluegrass Stakes for 2 and 3yo pacers and trotters of both sexes the feature event while at Dayton Raceway, older pacers and trotters will compete in the Dayton Pacing and Trotting Derbies.

Racing fans may continue getting the handicappers’ selections and other contest-related information such as the complete standings from HANA Harness’ contest website  http://hanaharnesscontest.blogspot.com.

Matt Rose Tops Weekly Honors in Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit ‘Cap Contest

(September 18, 2016) –  If the first three days of the current nine-day consecutive streak of racing in the 2016 Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge sponsored by DRF Harness, Green Acquisition Corporation, The Hambletonian Society, Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment, Northfield Park,  The Raceway at Western Fair District, Red Shores Charlottetown Driving Park, Tioga Downs, and Vernon Downs is any indication, there may be some more bold made during the week.  For evidence of this, one only needs to look at Matt Rose, who is the top handicapper for the week with 433.4 points (871.18 pts total second half), who moved from fifth to first in the second half of the contest and from eighth to second place overall with a total of 1,942.35 points, behind overall leader Jay Hochstetler by 480.8 pts.

Taking the place position for the week is Russ Adams whose 254.83 points for the week (713.65 – second half; 1,894.58 overall) which lands him in third place overall while Bryan Owen picked up show honors with 146.65 points.

Rose can attribute his success this week primarily to his selection of Royal Charm in the final of the Elegantimage as the horse paid $67.50 to win and an eye-opening $122.20 place dividend on his way to earning a total of 379.93 points for his four bagger on Saturday (9/17) evening.

Adam’s big evening was Friday (9/16) night as he nailed four winners and a second place finisher in five races including Kindergarten Classic division winner Limerence ($37.80) on his way to a total of 167.28 points for the evening.

 

2nd Half and Overall Standings
Position	Handicapper	Points This Week	Total Points	Points Back	Overall Position	Overall Points	Overall Points Back
1st	Matt Rose	433.40	871.18	-	2nd	1973.23	460.33
2nd	Russ Adams	254.83	713.65	157.53	3rd	1894.58	538.98
3rd	Ray Garnett	82.05	669.25	201.93	11th	1458.03	975.53
4th	Jay Hochstetler (FHW)	103.88	644.45	226.73	1st	2433.55	-
5th	Sally Hinckley	96.33	608.30	262.88	4th	1778.18	655.38
6th	Bryan Owen	146.65	579.68	291.50	9th	1556.95	876.60
7th	Dennis O'Hara	112.75	503.20	367.98	7th	1680.10	753.45
8th	Adam Friedland	63.50	482.78	388.40	5th	1728.93	704.63
9th	Gordon Waterstone	56.83	463.80	407.38	8th	1632.28	801.28
10th	Mark Deutsch	32.00	436.98	434.20	12th	1415.18	1,018.38
11th	Michael Carter	76.20	427.65	443.53	10th	1520.20	913.35
12th	Rusty Nash	81.50	419.58	451.60	6th	1715.73	717.83
13th	Joe Bengston	69.30	378.60	492.58	14th	1293.95	1,139.60
14th	Anne Stepien	44.80	363.03	508.15	13th	1299.53	1,134.03
15th	Ray Cotolo	11.90	351.95	519.23	15th	1147.48	1,286.08

The handicappers will be busy this week as every day is contest day starting on Monday (9/19) with the Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway.  The contest then returns to the Delaware County Fair for three more days of racing; Tuesday - The Standardbred (2yo filly trotters); Wednesday - The Standardbred (2yo filly pacers), The Buckette (3yo filly trotters), The Jugette (3yo filly pacers); Thursday - Little Brown Jug (3yo pacers), The Standardbred (2yo colt trotters), Ms. Versatility (mare trotters), and Old Oaken Bucket (3yo trotters).  Friday and Saturday brings the contest to Hoosier Park for the Kentuckiana Stallion Stakes for 2yo filly trotters on Friday, continuing on Saturday with the Kentuckiana for 2yo filly pacers, Centaur (open Trotters), Jennas Beach Boy (3yo colt pacers), The Elevation (2yo colt pacers), and the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby (3yo colt pacers).  The contest closes out Saturday evening with the Milton (filly and mare pacers) at Mohawk Racetrack.  

Racing fans may continue getting the handicappers’ selections and other contest-related information such as the complete standings from HANA Harness’ contest website  http://hanaharnesscontest.blogspot.com.