The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at The Red Mile and Dayton Raceway.

This Week: Bluegrass Stakes, The Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky; and Dayton Pacing Derby, Dayton Trotting Derby, Dayton Oaks Derby and Dayton Distaff Derby, Hollywood Dayton Raceway, Dayton, Ohio.

Schedule of Events: Grand Circuit action kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 26 at The Red Mile and the Lexington oval will feature five divisions in the $387,500 USD Bluegrass for two-year-old colt trotters and four divisions in the $310,000 USD Bluegrass for two-year-old filly pacers. On Friday, Sept. 27, Red Mile will offer six divisions in the $413,900 USD Bluegrass for two-year-old filly trotters and three divisions in the $350,000 USD Bluegrass for two-year-old colt pacers. The first week of racing in Lexington will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 28 with three divisions in the $256,900 USD Bluegrass for three-year-old colt trotters, three divisions in the $252,200 USD Bluegrass for three-year-old filly trotters, two divisions in the $197,000 USD Bluegrass for three-year-old colt pacers and two divisions in the $170,000 USD Bluegrass for three-year-old filly pacers.

Hollywood Dayton Raceway on Saturday night, Sept. 28, will feature four Grand Circuit stakes in the $250,000 USD Dayton Pacing Derby for older pacers, the $250,000 USD Dayton Trotting Derby for older trotters, the $250,000 USD Dayton Oaks Derby for older female trotters and the $250,000 USD Dayton Distaff Derby for older female pacers.

Complete entries for the races are available on the U.S. Trotting Association website.

Last time: Maryland powered home to take all the spoils in the Mohawk Million, putting an exclamation point on a stellar Saturday stakes night at Woodbine Mohawk Park for driver Dexter Dunn. To read the full recap, click here.

For a list of 2024 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2024, 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 2024 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on Sept. 21, 2024):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 1,036; 2. Yannick Gingras – 644.5; 3. David Miller – 489; 4. James MacDonald – 486; 5. Scott Zeron – 467.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 677; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 530; 3. Nancy Takter – 410; 4. Marcus Melander – 384; 5. Anthony Beaton – 286.

Owners: 1. Determination – 205; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 156; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 129.9; 4. Hudson Standardbred Stable – 112.5; 5. Caviart Farms – 110.2.

Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit events will be taking place next weekend at Lexington’s historic Red Mile. They include the Kentucky Futurity, the third leg of Trotting’s Triple Crown for three-year-olds, the companion Kentucky Filly Futurity for the sophomore fillies, the Tattersalls Pace and the Glen Garnsey Memorial for three-year-old pacers, the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits, and four Allerage contests for open pacers and trotters.

(Grand Circuit)