The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Yonkers Raceway, Meadowlands Racetrack, Hoosier Park and Goshen HIstoric Track.
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, Reynolds Memorial and Tompkins-Geers, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey; Nadia Lobell, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Anderson, Indiana; and Landmark Stakes, Goshen Historic Track, Goshen, New York.
Schedule Of Events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Friday, June 30 at Yonkers Raceway, with the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown for three-year-olds, the $250,000 MGM Grand Messenger, the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown for three-year-olds, the $115,000 Park MGM Filly Pace for three-year-old filly pacers and the $100,000 New York New York Mile for three-year-old filly trotters.
Grand Circuit racing also takes place at The Meadowlands on Friday with the $35,325 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old male trotters, the $34,050 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old male pacers and the $33,000 Tompkins-Geers for two-year-old filly trotters. Then on Saturday, July 1, The Big M will host the $158,140 Dave Brower Memorial for open pacers, the $155,140 Crawford Farms for open trotters, the $142,260 Perfect Sting for pacing mares, the $112,500 Six Pack for trotting mares, two divisions in the $74,800 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for three-year-old filly trotters and two divisions in the $70,300 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for three-year-old male trotters.
Also on Friday, Harrah’s Hoosier Park will host the $115,000 Nadia Lobell for three-year-old filly pacers.
Then on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2, Goshen Historic Track will host Landmark Stakes races for two and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. The three-year-olds will race on Saturday and the two-year-olds on Sunday.
Entries for the races can be found on USTA website by clicking here.
Last Time: Up Your Deo posted a track record 1:53.1 mile and Kierkegaard K led at every call in taking a pair of $40,000 MGM Yonkers Trot eliminations for three-year-old colts and geldings on Friday night (June 23) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Both Up Your Deo and Kierkegaard K were sent out by trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt. To read the complete recap, click here.
For a list of 2023 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.
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 June 24, 2023):
Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 197; 2. Yannick Gingras – 188; 3. Scott Zeron – 184; 4. Jordan Stratton – 134; 5. Matt Kakaley – 110.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 167; 2. Linda Toscano – 165; 3. Ake Svanstedt – 132; 4. Jeff Gillis – 102; 5. Nancy Takter – 80.
Owners: 1. Mark Ford – 98; 2. Team Tritton Inc. – 52; 3. Jesmeral Stable – 47; 4. Diamond Creek Racing – 39.3; 5. Robert Di Nozzi – 39.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Vernon Downs and The Meadowlands. 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 opening leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
(Grand Circuit)