The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Dover Downs and Meadowlands Racetrack.
This Week: Fall Four and FanDuel finals, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, New Jersey and Progress Pace final, Bally’s Dover, Dover, Delaware.
Schedule of Events: The Grand Circuit returns to Dover Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 22 for the $260,000 Progress Pace final for three-year-old open pacers.
On Saturday night, Nov. 25, Meadowlands Racetrack will host the Fall Four events for freshman pacers and trotters and the FanDuel Series finals for open pacers and trotters. The Fall Four features the $423,000 Valley Victory for two-year-old male trotters, the $428,000 Goldsmith Maid for two-year-old filly trotters, the $454,000 Governor’s Cup for two-year-old male pacers and the $376,000 Three Diamonds for two-year-old filly pacers. The FanDuel finals consist of the $350,000 Open Pace, the $350,000 Open Trot, the $175,000 Mare Pace and the $175,000 Mare Trot.
Complete entries for the races are available on the USTA website.
Last Time: Sophomore male pacers were on display on Thursday, Nov. 16 at Dover Downs with O'Brien Award winner Stockade Seelster headlining the action in the first Progress Pace elimination, worth $35,000. Click here to read the complete recap.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2023, 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 2023 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders (through the races on Nov. 18, 2023):
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,334; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,170; 3. Dexter Dunn – 1,149; 4. David Miller – 1,067; 5. Scott Zeron – 952.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,597; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 1,345; 3. Nancy Takter – 680; 4. Tony Alagna – 634; 5. Linda Toscano – 489.
Owners: 1. Diamond Creek Racing – 442.6; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 319.9; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 212.1; 4. Hudson Standardbred Stable – 210.8; 5. Brad Grant – 189.9.
Looking Ahead: The 2023 Grand Circuit season will conclude this week. The 2024 Grand Circuit schedule will be released in February.
(With files from Grand Circuit)