Nine legs into the 2015 HANA Harness Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge finds Michael Carter holding on to his early lead with 319.7 points, but, as could be expected, finds himself with company at the top.
Two other handicappers find themselves within a hundred points of Carter. Anne Stepien, thirteenth place as of the last report, now finds herself vaulted into second place with 283.6 points. Bryan Owen, third in the last report, remains in the ‘show’ spot with 268 points. In addition to these two handicappers, five others are laying in contention in the 200s.
Prior to this week, with single race dates, movement has been slight, but as stakes action has kicked into high gear, dates have multiple races and this is where the points start adding up fast, and it showed this past weekend. On Sunday, three handicappers (Ray Garnett, Josi Verlingieri, and Bob Zanakis) went a perfect three-for-three, earning 145.8 points thanks to victories by Great Vintage, Radar Contact, and Father Patrick in the trio of invitational races at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Stepien and Brandon Valvo, going two for three, earned 64.2 and 51.8 points, respectively.
On Monday DRF Harness’ Derick Giwner and Stepien went four for four in the Graduate Series races at Tioga Downs, crediting each with 128.4 points as a result of selecting Shake It Cerry, Opulent Yankee, Doo Wop Hanover, and Rockeyed Optimist to win their respective divisions.
After the first nine divisions, the standings show the following.
This week (May 29 and 30), the Grand Circuit challenge heads north to The Raceway at Western Fair District for the season-closing Molson Pace on Friday, then heads to Yonkers Raceway for the Art Rooney Pace and Lismore Pace on Saturday for three-year-olds of both sexes. The following week finds the contest at June 5 at the Meadows for the Currier & Ives for three-year-old filly trotters and June 6 at a quartet of tracks: the Meadows for the Currier & Ives (three-year-old open trotters), the Meadowlands Racetrack for the Graduate Series (four-year-old open pacers and trotters), Scioto Downs for the Charlie Hill (four-year-old open trotters), Mohawk Racetrack for the Somebeachsomewhere (three-year-old open pace).
(HANA)