The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Vernon Downs and The Meadowlands.
This Week: Zweig Memorial open and filly, Vernon Downs, Vernon, New York.; and Graduate Series finals, Meadowlands Pace eliminations and Kindergarten Series, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Schedule Of Events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Friday, July 7 at The Meadowlands with the opening leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds. Nine Kindergarten races will be contested, three each for two-year-old colt and filly trotters, a pair for two-year-old colt pacers and one for two-year-old filly pacers. Grand Circuit racing continues Saturday, July 8 with the $240,000 Graduate Series final for four-year-old open pacers, the $230,000 Graduate Series final for four-year-old open trotters, and a pair of $50,000 Meadowlands Pace eliminations for three-year-old open pacers.
Also on Saturday, Vernon Downs hosts the $350,000 Zweig Memorial for three-year-old open trotters and the $142,000 Zweig Filly for three-year-old filly trotters.
Entries for the races can be found on the USTA website by clicking here.
Last Time: The first Triple Crown jewels went to Yonkers Trot champion Up Your Deo and Messenger Stakes winner Captain Batboy during Friday night stakes action at MGM Yonkers Raceway. For a 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 July 2, 2023):
Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 262; 2. Yannick Gingras – 243; 3. Scott Zeron – 229; 4. Jordan Stratton – 224; 5. Tim Tetrick – 159.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 252; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 227; 3. Linda Toscano – 180; 4. Brett Pelling – 112; 5. Marcus Melander – 107.
Owners: 1. Mark Ford – 98; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 52.1; 3. Team Tritton Inc. – 52; 4. Jorgen Sparredal Inc. – 50; 5. Jesmeral Stable – 47.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at The Meadowlands. The track will feature the Meadowlands Pace final for three-year-olds, the William Haughton Memorial for older pacers, the Hambletonian Maturity for four-year-old trotters, the Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old male trotters, the Delvin Miller Memorial for three-year-old filly trotters, the Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old filly pacers, the Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older pacing mares and a leg of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares on a big July 15 card.
(Grand Circuit)