After three days of competition (July 7-9), Sally Hinckley was the top handicapper, as she earned 129.84 points for the week in the Hambletonian Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge. Although, when the action was completed, it was Rusty Nash who opened a lead of 20 points, the biggest lead in this year’s contest.
Hinckley managed to be the week’s winner. She emerged victorious in the Friday night stanza at the Meadowlands in a squeaker, as she was one of five handicappers with two winners tagged – but she was the victor by earning $7 more than second-place Russ Adams.
On Saturday evening, Hinckley finished in third with one winner and $2.60 behind Gordon Waterstone. Sundays’ special leg at Summerside Raceway found Hinckley one of six handicappers who dead-heated for the win, as she selected both heavy favourites in the Governor’s Plate eliminations.
In the overall contest, Rusty Nash earned 71.84 points, giving him the lead with 471.95 points, 20.82 points ahead of Matt Rose, whose 451.13 points allowed him to move from third to second. Megan Maccario slipped from second to third with 440.48 points. This week’s winner, Hinckley moved up from eighth to sixth with this week’s performance.
Next Up: This week, two year old pacers of both sexes will do battle in the Kindergarten series at the Meadowlands Friday evening. Saturday has the Meadowlands Pace highlighting the racing action which will include the Delvin Miller Memorial, Stanley Dancer Memorial. Mistletoe Shalee, Hambletonian Maturity, and Golden Girls; the Lawrence B Sheppard final at Yonkers Raceway. The following week, Friday night features another leg of the Kindergarten Series for two year old pacers and trotters at the Meadowlands while Saturday night older pacers will compete in the final of the Joe Gerrity Memorial at Saratoga Harness.
(HANA)