Plainridge Park will host the Grand Circuit once again on Saturday, May 16 when a field of eight will line up behind the gate for the $100,000 USD Battle of Bunker Hill Trot (Grade 3). 

Half of that field comprises four colts with aspirations of starting in the $1 million USD Hambletonian on Aug. 8 at The Meadowlands, and the connections of them all hope early success here can propel them toward that goal.

Midwind Chimp (Gimpanzee-Boccone Dolce) spent his freshman season racing in Kentucky where he scored one win and four seconds in seven starts. Although his lifetime mark was 1:56.4, he was also race timed in 1:52.1 in his second-to-last race of the season finishing fifth in a Grand Circuit stakes division of the Bluegrass at The Red Mile.

This year, he qualified back at The Meadowlands in a winning 1:57.2 effort and then finished sixth, beaten only 2-1/2 lengths, in the Dexter Cup at The Big M while trotting in 1:53.3, home in :27.3.

Midwind Chimp will start from post one in the Bunker Hill for trainer Marcus Melander with Mattias Melander in the bike.

Whos Eyes Blues (Chapter Seven-Behindblueyes) saw the most action of any horse in this field last year and posted earnings of $252,655 as a result. He had two wins in his 15 starts, both coming in succession last July in divisions of the Kindergarten Series at The Meadowlands and New York Sire Stakes at Yonkers Raceway. He continued to compete in the NYSS and made the final where he made a break at the start. However, he came back strong with a second-place finish in the Big Apple final at Vernon Downs in October behind Spencer Hanover, who went on the win the Breeders Crown. 

After two qualifiers at Harrah’s Philadelphia to start this year, Whos Eyes Blues also raced in the Dexter Cup and finished third, beaten only 1-3/4 lengths and was timed identically to Midwind Chimp, in 1:53.3, home in :27.3.

Whos Eyes Blues has drawn post two and trainer Ron Burke has assigned Nick Graffam to steer the 5-2 morning line favourite.

Create Escape (Gimpanzee-Final Countdown) only had four starts last year, but he showed excellent speed in all of them. He won his first career outing in 1:57.2 at Pocono Downs and three starts later after two impressive outings in Grand Circuit stakes at The Red Mile, later lowered his lifetime mark to 1:54.3 in a 2-1/4-length jaunt in an overnight at The Meadowlands before shutting down for the season.

This year after qualifying back in 1:57 in a narrowly beaten second at The Meadowlands, Create Escape won his first start in an overnight at The Meadowlands in 1:55.

Create Escape will start from post four for trainer Ake Svanstedt, who has named Jonathan Ahle to take the lines.

Svanstedt will also start Nebbiolo (Captain Corey-Via Lattea It), who will definitely stand out from the crowd with his beautiful white coat, listed as “pinto” in the program. Nebbiolo showed a propensity to win last year starting with his first lifetime qualifier, which was a 1:59.4 victory at The Meadowlands. He later fired off four wins in a row at Pocono and Harrah’s Philly, where he took his career mark of 1:55.3 in a 3-1/2-length romp in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Consolation; his other wins included divisions of the Simpson Stakes and Liberty Bell. His last start of 2025 was in the Valley Victory at The Meadowlands, where he drew post nine, but still finished fourth in a dead heat, race timed in 1:54.4 after a rough trip.

The Bunker Hill will be Nebbiolo’s first start of the year after qualifying in 1:56.3 almost one month ago at The Meadowlands.

Sarah Svanstedt will drive Nebbiolo in this race just outside of his stablemate from post five.

The complete field is listed below in post position order.

$100,000 USD Battle of Bunker Hill Trot (Grade 3)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Midwind Chimp - Mattias Melander - Marcus Melander - 8-1
2. Whos Eyes Blues - Nick Graffam - Ron Burke - 5-2
3. Max The Mighty - Bruce Ranger - Chris Beaver - 3-1
4. Create Escape - Johnathan Ahle - Ake Svanstedt - 6-1
5. Nebbiolo - Sarah Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt - 4-1
6. Water Slide - Matthew Athearn - Chris Beaver - 5-1
7. Special Moni - Kevin Switzer Jr. - Shawn Gray - Chris Beaver - 12-1
8. Mister Nice Captn - Jay Randall - Melissa Beckwith - 30-1

Post time for the first race at Plainridge Park on Saturday will be at 4 p.m. The Battle of Bunker Hill Trot is scheduled to go off as race seven at approximately 6 p.m. 

(With files from Plainridge Park; photo of Whos Eyes Blues winning last year at The Meadowlands)