The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Yonkers Raceway, Meadowlands Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park.
This Week: MGM Yonkers Trot, MGM Grand Messenger, New York New York Mile and Park MGM Filly Pace, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York; Dave Brower Memorial, Crawford Farms, Perfect Sting, Six Pack and Reynolds Memorial, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Tompkins-Geers, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ont.
Schedule of Events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Thursday, June 27 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with the $53,123 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old filly trotters and the $46,845 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old filly pacers. The Friday, June 28 program has the $50,760 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old colt pacers and the $47,925 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old colt trotters.
Action continues Friday at Yonkers Raceway, with the $300,000 USD MGM Yonkers Trot final, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown for three-year-olds, the $225,000 USD MGM Grand Messenger, the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown for three-year-olds, the $90,000 USD Park MGM Filly Pace for three-year-old filly pacers and two divisions in the $110,000 USD New York New York Mile for three-year-old filly trotters.
Grand Circuit racing also takes place at The Meadowlands on Friday with the first leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. A total of six $20,000 USD divisions will be contested with two divisions apiece for the males of each gait and single divisions for the females. Then on Saturday, June 29, The Big M will host the $145,190 USD Dave Brower Memorial for open pacers, the $131,250 USD Crawford Farms for open trotters, the $112,500 USD Perfect Sting for pacing mares, the $112,500 USD Six Pack for trotting mares, three divisions in the $77,001 USD W.N. Reynolds Memorial for three-year-old filly trotters and two divisions in the $69,000 USD W.N. Reynolds Memorial for three-year-old male trotters.
Entries for the Mohawk races can be found by clicking here. Entries for the Yonkers and Meadowlands races can by found by clicking here.
Last Time: MGM Yonkers Raceway hosted eliminations for the first legs of the Triple Crown -- the Yonkers Trot and Messenger Stakes -- on Friday, June 21. Click here to read the complete recap.
For a list of 2024 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2024, 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 2024 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders (through the races on June 22, 2024):
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 196.5; 2. Dexter Dunn – 166; 3. Matt Kakaley – 157; 4. Jason Bartlett – 121.5; 5. Tim Tetrick – 115.
Trainers: 1. Travis Alexander – 132; 2. Ron Burke – 122; 3. Per Engblom – 104.5; 4. Nancy Takter – 91; 5. Anthony Beaton – 79.
Owners: 1. Guy Corbeil – 57; 2. Kathy Cecchin – 50; 3. Graham Grace Stables – 45; 4. Mark Ford – 42; 5. Symmetry Stables – 40.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Vernon Downs, The Meadowlands, Eldorado Scioto Downs and Goshen Historic Track. Vernon will host the Zweig Memorial races for three-year-old open and filly trotters; The Meadowlands will feature two Graduate Series finals for four-year-olds of both gaits, Meadowlands Pace eliminations for three-year-olds, and the second leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits; Scioto will host the Nadia Lobell for three-year-old filly pacers and the Moni Maker for three-year-old filly trotters; and Goshen Historic Track will card eight Landmark Stakes events for two- and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
(Grand Circuit)