Plainridge Park will once again welcome the Grand Circuit to Massachusetts on Monday, Oct. 12 when the $112,800 USD W. N. Reynolds Stake for three-year-old pacers of both genders makes its annual fall visit. The stake will be contested in two divisions and carded on the program as races five and nine.
The colts and geldings will hit the track first in the Tar Heel Pace to compete for $55,850 USD and there are some powerful participants entered this year.
Watch Em Win (Hes Watching-Winners Over, pictured above in an earlier victory) started his year at Plainridge Park, finishing third to Brandon Blvd in the Paul Revere Pace back in May. And since then, he has excelled in the Delaware Standardbred Breeders stakes, winning two legs and finishing second in the $154,930 final at Harrington Raceway, and also finished second in the $273,973 Hempt Consolation at Mohegan Sun Pocono. But most recently, he competed in the $774,648 Little Brown Jug where he finished second and fifth in two heats behind the eventual winner, Redland Rocket Man. The colt has had 18 days off since those two starts and comes in fresh for this event.
Trainer Ron Burke has assigned Brett Beckwith to drive Watch Em Win, who has drawn post four in this race.
Superchamp Hanover (Sweet Lou-So Brave Hanover) only has one win this year, but that number is not indicative of the horse’s performances. Along with that win came a total of eight seconds, many of which were very close finishes against very good company. Besides competing in an elimination of the North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park back in June, Superchamp Hanover has been a regular on the Pennsylvania Sire Stake Circuit where he started in the $416,667 final. He also finished second in the $136,986 Hempt Consolation. And the gelding raced overnights as well, taking his lifetime mark of 1:49.1 in a 14-length romp at Harrah’s Philly in July. He has also exhibited excellent speed all year long and posted six consecutive sub-1:50 clockings between 1:48.2 and 1:49.3 from July 12 to Sept. 18.
Superchamp Hanover has drawn post one and will have Matt Kakaley driving for trainer Travis Alexander.
The fillies will then compete for $56,950 USD in the Leta Long Pace and a full field of nine will line up with trainer Deborah Daguet starting a formidable pair.
Two Twenty Swift (Huntsville-Jag Out) has been racing in the New York Sire Stakes this year and started in the Empire Breeders Classic as well. But most recently she is undefeated after two legs of the Massachusetts Breeder Stakes at Plainridge Park. Both were impressive victories timed in 1:51.3 and 1:51.4 with identical closing quarters of :27.3. She’s sharp, knows the track and seems to have a bit of an edge coming into this race for those reasons.
Daguet has assigned Mitchell Cushing to drive and they have drawn post seven to start.
Lenna (American Ideal-L Dees Lioness) competed in the NYSS Excelsior series this year, where she finished third in the $140,845 final. But she has also posted two impressive wins in her last four starts that include a 1:50.3, 10-length victory at Tioga Downs that gave her a new lifetime mark, and a 1:51.3 win at Mohegan Sun Pocono in her last tune-up race before this stake. Lenna is positioned well here from post two. Her driver, Brett Beckwith, had a choice of five in the race and he selected her.
Post time for the first race on Monday is 2 p.m.
(with files from Plainridge)