The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly recap and preview of Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Meadowlands Pace, Hambletonian Maturity, W.R. Haughton Memorial, Mistletoe Shalee, Stanley Dancer Memorial, Delvin Miller Memorial, Golden Girls, Miss Versatility and Kindergarten Series, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.; and Lawrence B. Sheppard Memorial, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit week begins on Friday (July 12) at Meadowlands Racetrack with two $10,000 divisions in the Kindergarten Series for two-year-old colt trotters and a pair of $10,000 divisions in the Kindergarten Series for two-year-old filly trotters.
The stakes-heavy Saturday (July 13) Grand Circuit card at the Meadowlands will feature the $682,650 Meadowlands Pace for three-year-olds, the $450,000 Hambletonian Maturity for four-year-old trotters, the $423,000 W.R. Haughton Memorial for free for all pacers, two divisions in the $306,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old male trotters, two divisions in the $250,500 Delvin Miller Memorial for three-year-old filly trotters, the $207,700 Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old filly pacers, the $179,550 Golden Girls for older pacing mares, and a $40,000 division of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.
Saturday Grand Circuit action also includes the $120,250 Lawrence B. Sheppard for two-year-old colt pacers at Yonkers Raceway.
Last time: Some of the best four-year-olds in the sport battled in a set of $250,000 Graduate Series Finals on Saturday evening at the Meadowlands Racetrack, with Atlanta and Lather Up winning their respective assignments in world record time. For more information, click here.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2019, 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 2019 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following this past weekend:
Drivers: 1. Tim Tetrick – 391; 2. Yannick Gingras – 284; 3. Jason Bartlett – 216; 4. Dexter Dunn – 188; 5. David Miller – 160.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 333; 2. Jim King Jr. – 189; 3. Tony Alagna – 162; 4. Chris Ryder – 108; 5. Ake Svanstedt – 99.
Owners: 1. Brad Grant – 81.1; 2. Jo Ann Looney-King – 68.6; 3. Tim Tetrick LLC – 65.1; 4t. Burke Racing Stable – 60.4; 4t. Weaver Bruscemi – 60.4.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, the Meadows and the Meadowlands. Saratoga will have the Joe Gerrity for older pacers; Hoosier will host the Nadia Lobell for three-year-old filly pacers; the Meadows will have eliminations for the Adios for three-year-old colt pacers; and the Meadowlands will host the second leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters and Tompkins-Geers events for three-year-old colt and filly trotters.
(With files from the Grand Circuit)