The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its preview for upcoming Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Messenger Stakes, Yonkers Trot, International Trot Preview, Lady Maud and Hudson Filly Trot, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Fall Four Stakes, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario; Dayton Pacing Derby and Dayton Trotting Derby, Hollywood Dayton Raceway, Dayton, Ohio; Circle City and Madison County, Hoosier Park, Anderson, Indiana; and John Simpson Stakes, Vernon Downs, Vernon, New York.
Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action this week will get underway on Friday (Oct. 24) at Hollywood Dayton Raceway with the $160,000 Dayton Trotting Derby for older trotters and the $122,000 Dayton Pacing Derby for older pacers.
Also on Friday, Hoosier Park will offer Circle City races for three-year-old trotters and pacers, There will be three divisions in the $90,000 three-year-old colt pace, three divisions in the $82,200 three-year-old filly trot, two divisions in the $74,300 three-year-old colt trot and two divisions in the $71,000 three-year-old filly pace. On Saturday (Oct. 25), Hoosier will race Madison County events for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Each of the four divisions carries an estimated purse of $75,000.
Rounding out the busy Friday of Grand Circuit racing, Vernon Downs will contest the John Simpson Stakes for freshman pacers and trotters. There will be three divisions in the $31,005 two-year-old colt trot, two divisions in the $26,816 two-year-old filly trot and single divisions in the $26,503 two-year-old colt pace and $25,616 two-year-old filly pace.
Yonkers Raceway will offer five Grand Circuit stakes on Saturday night led by two Triple Crown events, the $500,000 Yonkers Trot for three-year-old trotters and the $500,000 Messenger for three-year-old pacers. Also on tap will be the $250,000 International Trot Preview for older trotters, the $150,854 Lady Maud for three-year-old pacing fillies and the $124,590 Hudson Filly Trot for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Woodbine will offer the Fall Four Stakes on Saturday featuring the $565,000 Governor’s Cup for two-year-old colt pacers, the $521,000 Valley Victory for two-year-old colt trotters, the $464,000 Goldsmith Maid for two-year-old filly trotters, and the $424,000 Three Diamonds for two-year-old filly pacers.
Last time: The Windy City Pace at Maywood Park was the featured event this past weekend on the extensive Grand Circuit schedule.
Big Boy Dreams won the $180,000 Windy City Pace on Oct. 17 in wire-to-wire fashion for driver Tim Tetrick in 1:51. The Ron Burke trainee and New York Sire Stakes competitor notched his fourth win of the year in 10 starts.
Big Boy Dreams took the field to a brutal :25.4 first quarter and a :54.1 half, with Lets Drink On It challenging the leader going to the 1:22.2 three-quarters. But Big Boy Dreams just continued to draw away in the stretch to win by two and a half lengths. He now has $168,495 in seasonal earnings for owner Dominic Rosato.
It was ‘Elimination Saturday,’ on Oct. 18, with Yonkers Raceway hosting elims for three stakes events.
Fifteen three-year-old colts and geldings turned into eight for Yonkers Trot No. 60, as standouts Nuncio (driven by John Campbell) and Gural Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) were comfy winners in the pair of $40,000 eliminations.
Nuncio, in play early from Post 5, waited his turn before finally making the lead. He parked Skates N Plates, then strode home by three and a half lengths through fractions of :28.4, :58, 1:26.4 and 1:56.2. Don Dorado was second, with Journey and Expressive Action third and fourth, respectively.
Gural Hanover, New York Sire Stakes champion and the lone $30,000 supplemental entrant into this season’s Trot, won the draw in the second elim. He retook from a breaking-soon-after Flyhawk El Durado before finishing his four turns though panels of :28.4, 58.1, 1:27.2 and 1:56.3, a length faster than Resolve. Third went to King City, with Datsyuk getting the final place at the table.
The $40,000 elim for the 59th Messenger – nine sophomore colts/geldings to end up with eight – was won by a pocket-sitting Luck Be Withyou (Tim Tetrick). From Post 2, he whipped a cone-skimming Forty Five Red by a neck in 1:53 with McWicked a belated third.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2014, 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 2014 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following the past weekend.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,890; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,002; 3. David Miller – 869.5; 4. Ron Pierce – 625.5; 5. Corey Callahan – 523.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,957.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 1,519; 3. Erv Miller – 396.5; 4. Joe Holloway – 349; 5. Tony Alagna – 312.
Owners: 1. Burke Racing - 431.4; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 386.4; 3. 3 Brothers Stable – 277; 4. Brittany Farms – 254.45; 5. Robert Key – 232.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Hoosier Park and Vernon Downs. Hoosier will feature the Carl Erskine Trot for three-year-olds, the Monument Circle for three-year-old male pacers, the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby for older pacers, the Nadia Lobell for three-year-old filly pacers and the Moni Maker for three-year-old filly trotters. Vernon will offer the Artiscape for older pacing mares, the Muscle Hill for older trotting mares, and a pair of Kindergarten finals for two-year-old colt and filly trotters.
(Grand Circuit)