The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly story recapping and previewing Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Currier & Ives, the Meadows, Washington, Pa.; Graduate Series leg, the Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.; Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ont.; and Charlie Hill Memorial, Scioto Downs, Columbus, Ohio.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit will take place at four locations this week. Action begins on Friday (June 5) at the Meadows with three divisions in the $94,000 Currier & Ives for three-year-old filly trotters. The Saturday card at the Meadows will feature a lone $119,565 division in the Currier & Ives for three-year-old male trotters.
The Saturday night card at The Meadowlands has a pair of $56,250 second leg divisions in the Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers and trotters. The 2014 Trotter of the Year Shake It Cerry takes on the boys in one of the trotting splits, while two-time Dan Patch Award winner Father Patrick leads the other event.
Mohawk Racetrack will also host Grand Circuit racing on Saturday with two $78,767 divisions in the Somebeachsomewhere for three-year-old pacing colts.
Scioto Downs will offer its first Grand Circuit stake of the season on Saturday, with the $200,000 Charlie Hill Memorial for open trotters.
Last time: Last weekend’s Grand Circuit action was highlighted by the Molson Pace for older pacers at The Raceway at Western Fair District and the Art Rooney for three-year-olds at Yonkers Raceway.
State Treasurer became the first three-peat winner of the signature race at The Raceway at Western Fair District, the $120,000 Molson Pace, and became the sport’s latest millionaire, in front of a huge crowd on Friday night (May 29) at the London half-mile oval.
Favourite All Bets Off, fresh off his Confederation Cup victory, was the most fleet of foot early to lead the talented field by the :26.2 opening marker for Matt Kakaley. Just past that point, Chris Christoforou pulled the right line on reigning champ State Treasurer and he was at the leader’s wheel at the :55.3 half and was neck and neck with All Bets Off through the three-quarters in 1:23.1.
Down the lane it became a three-horse battle with Evenin Of Pleasure and Sylvain Filion added to the mix, but at the wire, reached in 1:51, it was State Treasurer with the narrow victory over All Bets Off and Evenin Of Pleasure. P H Supercam and Lets Drink On It collected the final two cheques.
The winner’s share of the purse puts State Treasurer over the one-million-dollar mark in life earnings for owners Sally MacDonald and Paul MacDonald. Dr. Ian Moore trains the six-year-old son of Real Desire who was a mere $6,500 purchase as a yearling.
“It’s fantastic, I was lucky enough to sit behind him for two of those (Molson Pace victories),” said Christoforou. “He just proved how great a horse he is. The trip he went, first up like that, to go to war with that horse (All Best Off), it was unbelievable, it was spectacular.”
In The Arsenal diverted ever so slightly from the shortest distance to the finish line, but held on in the final strides to win the $300,000 Art Rooney Pace for three-year-old pacing colts on Saturday (May 30) at Yonkers Raceway in 1:51.2 by a head. Entrymate Betting Exchange (driven by David Miller) was second and Rock N Roll World (Daniel Dube) was third.
Rock N Roll World and Dube were first to the lead at the :27.2 first quarter, but were soon overtaken by Betting Exchange, who worked hard for the lead by about the three-eighths-mile mark and held it coming around the second turn. In The Arsenal and Brian Sears came up on the outside to take the lead before the :56 half. Those two held that spot to the 1:24 three-quarters, with Arque Hanover pressing on the outside and Betting Exchange behind in third.
As the field turned for home, Betting Exchange got free to move up on the inside and In The Arsenal drifted to the right, but just did hold off a late rush by Betting Exchange to win by a head. Rock N Roll World was third behind those two and Arque Hanover (Jason Bartlett) was fourth.
In The Arsenal is trained by Kelvin Harrison and owned by White Birch Farm and In The Arsenal Racing. He is a perfect three-for-three in 2015; his lifetime earnings are now $581,843.
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:
Drivers: 1. Daniel Dube – 157; 2t. Brian Sears – 148; 2t. Yannick Gingras – 148; 4. Jason Bartlett – 123; 5. Tim Tetrick - 112.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 252; 2. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 186; 3. Rene Allard – 130; 4. Jimmy Takter – 60; 5. Mark Silva - 55.
Owners: 1. Bamond Racing – 164.5; 2. Burke Racing - 67.25; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 59.05; 4. Allard Racing – 41.6; 5. Jeff Snyder – 40.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place at Northfield Park and Mohawk next weekend. Northfield will host the Battle of Lake Erie for older pacers on Friday (June 12), while Mohawk will host five stakes eliminations, led by the North America Cup for three-year-old male pacers on Saturday (June 13).
(Grand Circuit)