The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly recap and preview of Grand Circuit races.

This Week: Breeders Crown finals and Pegasus, Hoosier Park, Anderson, Ind.; and Kindergarten Series, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.

Schedule of events: The 12 Breeders Crown championship events at Hoosier Park will be front and centre in the Grand Circuit spotlight this week. The six Breeders Crown championship races for female pacers and trotters will be raced on Friday (Oct. 27) while the six championships for male pacers and trotters will be contested on Saturday (Oct. 28). Hoosier will also host the Pegasus for three-year-old pacers and trotters. The filly events will be held on Friday and the races for colts will be contested on Saturday.

Vernon Downs will host the final preliminary leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-old pacers and trotters on Thursday (Oct. 26). There will be single $10,000 divisions for both colts and fillies on each gait.

Last time: Breeders Crown eliminations were in the spotlight this past weekend at Hoosier Park as 22 contests were raced at the Indiana oval.

Downbytheseaside got back on the winning track Saturday night (Oct. 21), by winning the first of two $25,000 eliminations for the Breeders Crown sophomore pacing male division. Driven by Brian Sears, Downbytheseaside led virtually wire-to-wire and won in 1:51.1.

Downbytheseaside won for the 18th time in his career for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and Diamond Creek Racing. Brian Brown conditions the colt.

An even-money favourite, Downbytheseaside returned $4 for the victory. Joining him in this week's final will be runner-up Boogie Shuffle, Photobombr Hanover, Miso Fast and Ocean Colony.

The second elimination was the wildest race of the night as 28-1 shot Rock N Tony pulled off a major upset that saw both favourites – Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover and North America Cup winner Fear The Dragon – fail to qualify for the final. Rock N Tony scored in 1:50.2 for driver Trace Tetrick.

Erv Miller trains Rock N Tony for owners Anthony Lombardi and Rocco Ruffolo.

Following Rock N Tony into the final will be Blood Line, Beckhams Z Tam, Macs Jackpot and the supplemental entry Funknwaffles.

In a topsy-turvy season for the older male pacers, the main consistent factor in the division’s two $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations was driver David Miller, as the leading active sulky-sitting money leader handled both winners, Dealt A Winner and Mach It So.

Dealt A Winner dug deep and maintained a neck margin over Keystone Velocity on the money and stopped the clock in 1:49.3. Keystone Velocity nosed out Split The House for second. Manhattan Beach (who closed well) and All Bets Off were the others that advanced to this week’s final.

Dealt A Winner is trained by Mark Silva for owner Jeffrey Snyder.

Mach It So scored his first victory since the William Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands on July 15, and in the process tied the Hoosier track record for older pacing geldings of 1:48.2 in his wire-to-wire score.

Though perhaps not a recent winner, Mach It So got his ninth cheque in 10 starts against top company, and the Jeff Bamond Jr. trainee now has 2017 earnings of $519,903 and a career bankroll of $2,206,647 for Bamond Racing LLC. He returned $11.00.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will once again be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Winbak Farms is the sponsor for the 2017 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders through and including the races on Oct. 21.

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,389.5; 2. David Miller – 1,223; 3. Tim Tetrick – 988; 4. Scott Zeron – 667; 5. Corey Callahan – 473.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,254.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 1,114.5; 3. John Butenschoen – 464; 4. Brian Brown – 442; 5. Erv Miller – 391.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 291.7; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 252.9; 3. Determination – 246; 4. Emerald Highlands Farm – 230; 5. Jeff Snyder – 188.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Hoosier Park and Meadowlands Racetrack. Hoosier has the Monument Circle, Carl Erskine, Crossroads of America and USS Indianapolis on Nov. 4, while the Meadowlands will race the four Kindergarten Series finals, also on Nov. 4.

(Grand Circuit)