In perhaps the busiest three-day week in the Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge, 21 races were contested, which included the Breeders Crown finals at Hoosier Park and the last preliminary leg of the Kindergarten Classic at Vernon Downs. When the results were tabulated, Sally Hinckley nosed out Steve Horoky by three points, 115.0 to 112.0.

Horoky drew first blood on Thursday night with his selection of Points North ($14.80) in the two-year-old pacing colt division of the Kindergarten Classic. The selection of Points North and four others allowed Horoky to earn 70 points for the day. Dennis O’Hara had the same longshot, but only a total of three winners, which was good for second place for the evening.

Friday night was Hinckley’s turn to draw blood, and she blew the other handicappers away for the evening with her selection of Pure Country ($31.00) in the Breeders Crown final for pacing mares, which with four additional winners earned her 75 points. While two other handicappers had five winners, Hinckley’s net profit of $43.50 was far ahead of her closest competitor.

With a seven-point lead heading into the final night of the week’s racing, Horoky was looking to put the week away on Saturday, but it was not to be, as Ray Cotolo took the checkered flag with a net profit of $57.80 thanks to selecting a trio of longshots (Stay Hungry [$11.00], Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding pace; Beckhams Z Tam [$11.20], Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace; Split The House [$18.40], Breeders Crown Open Pace). Hinckley managed to pull out the victory for the week with her four winners for Saturday versus Horoky’s double.

For the third week in a row, Rusty Nash leads in the overall standings, just under 48 points ahead of Anne Stepien. Gordon Waterstone is roughly four points further behind in third. Megan Maccario is in fourth while Sally Hinckley moved up from seventh to fifth place, still in contention with five legs remaining in the contest.

Next Up: This week, ten stakes races will comprise Saturday’s leg, made up from the finals of the Kindergarten Classic from the Meadowlands and the Carl Erskine, Crossroads of America, USS Indianapolis, and Monument Circle finals at Hoosier Park.

The following week, Dover Downs will host the Matron Stakes for two and three-year-old trotters and pacers of both sexes.

(HANA)