The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly story recapping and previewing Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Blue Chip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy Series’ fifth legs, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit at Yonkers this week features a single $40,000 division on Friday (April 17) in the fifth round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for open pacing mares. The Saturday (April 18) card at Yonkers will see three $50,000 divisions in the fifth round of the George Morton Levy Series for open pacers.
Last time: This past Friday night (April 10), Yonkers Raceway hosted the fourth round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker for open pacing mares. As was the case in the third leg, a pair of small-but-select fields of five split into $40,000 divisions.
Pole-sitting favourite Venus Delight (Jason Bartlett, $4.80) finished what she started in the first event, holding off a second-up Camille (George Brennan) in a season’s-best 1:53.2. Monkey On My Wheel (Brian Sears) was third.
For Venus Delight, a five-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight owned by Bamond Racing and trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr., it was her second win in four seasonal starts (two-for-three in series).
The second Matchmaker event was more of the same for series leader and odds-on choice Carolsideal (Daniel Dube, $2.80). The only perfect participant made it four wins in the series, defeating Krispy Apple (Tim Tetrick) by a half-length in 1:53.2, the same time as the opening division. Strings (Eric Carlson) was third.
Carolsideal, a six-year-old daughter of Western Ideal trained by Rene Allard for co-owners Allard Racing, Yves Sarazin and Kapildeo Singh, is now nine-for-10 this season.
Saturday night's (April 11) fourth round of Yonkers Raceway's George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, despite missing some old, familiar faces, played out in a trio of intriguing events.
Pole-sitting Windsong Jack (Brian Sears, $6.20) won the opening $50,000 division, getting by Mach It So (Tim Tetrick) late and edging away by one and a quarter lengths in a season's-best 1:52.4. Machs Beach Boy (Pat Lachance) was third.
For second choice Windsong Jack, a five-year-old Santanna Blue Chip gelding trained by Jennifer Sabot for owner Little Bapa LLC, it was his second win in eight seasonal starts (one-for-four in series).
Odds-on choice Take It Back Terry (George Brennan, $2.90) had few issues in the second division. Quarter-moving from Post 2, the winner paced a cheap second quarter (:27.1, :56.4), then easily held sway (1:25.2, 1:53.1) by a no-issues three-quarters of a length. A solid, first-up effort from Frankies Dragon (Brian Sears) found him getting second, with Fat Mans Alley (Jason Bartlett) third.
Take It Back Terry, a six-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned as Burke Racing by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, is now four-for-12 this season (two-for-three in series).
The evening's final series event saw Heez Orl Black N (Brian Sears, $29.20) whip another longshot in National Debt (Eric Carlson) by a length in 1:53.1. Lucan Hanover (Tim Tetrick) held third despite a brutal trip.
For fourth choice Heez Orl Black N, a seven-year-old Down Under gelding trained by Anita Vallee for co-owners Shaun Vallee and D P V Racing Stable, it was his fourth win in eleven '15 tries.
It should be noted that P H Supercam and Beach Memories, sitting 1-2 in series points after three rounds, were both given this round off, while Foiled Again, looking to regain his near $7 million form, also was not entered.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2015, 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 2015 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following the past weekend at Yonkers:
Drivers: 1. Jason Bartlett – 91; 2. Daniel Dube – 90; 3. George Brennan – 60; 4. Yannick Gingras – 51; 5. Brian Sears - 46.
Trainers: 1. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 102; 2. Ron Burke – 96; 3. Rene Allard – 65; 4. Tony O’Sullivan – 30; 5t. Andrew Harris – 21; 5t. Jennifer Sabot - 21.
Owners: 1. Bamond Racing – 91.5; 2t. Burke Racing - 22.15; 2t. Weaver Bruscemi – 22.15; 4. Allard Racing – 21.5; 5. Little Bapa - 21.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at The Meadows, Freehold Raceway, Meadowlands Racetrack and Yonkers Raceway. The Meadows will host the Meadows Maturity Trot for older mare trotters on Friday (April 24); Freehold has eliminations scheduled for the Dexter Cup for three-year-old colt trotters on Saturday (April 25); also that day the Meadowlands will feature the W.N. Reynolds Memorial for three-year-old colt pacers; and action at Yonkers will continue that Saturday with the Blue Chip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy finals and consolations.
(Grand Circuit)