The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at The Meadowlands and Vernon Downs.
This Week: Zweig Memorial open and filly, Vernon Downs, Vernon, New York; and Graduate Series finals and Meadowlands Pace eliminations, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Schedule of Events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Saturday (July 9) at Vernon Downs with the $310,000 Zweig Memorial for three-year-old open trotters and the $123,000 Zweig Filly for three-year-old filly trotters. There will also be a $53,410 consolation for the open trot and a $25,620 consolation for the filly trot.
Grand Circuit racing also takes place at The Meadowlands on Saturday with $250,000 Graduate Series finals for four-year-old open pacers and trotters, $125,000 Graduate Series finals for four-year-old female pacers and trotters, and a pair of $50,000 Meadowlands Pace eliminations for three-year-old open pacers.
Entries for the races can be found by clicking here.
Last Time: Joviality S became the first filly since Continentalvictory in 1996 to win Yonkers Raceway’s MGM Yonkers Trot, taking the $280,904 final and the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown for three-year-olds on Friday night (July 1) in 1:53.1 to equal the track record for her division. Click here for the full recap.
The four-year-old Shadow Play-BJs Squall stallion Bulldog Hanover proved himself the top dog in the older pacing ranks by doing most of the work on the front to clock a stakes record and track- and world record-equalling 1:46 mile in the $99,500 second of two divisions for the Roll With Joe on Saturday (July 2) at The Meadowlands. Click here for the full recap.
For a list of 2022 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2022, 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 2022 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders (through the races on July 2, 2022):
Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 337; 2. Tim Tetrick – 248; 3. Yannick Gingras – 214; 4. Todd McCarthy – 182; 5. Jordan Stratton – 171.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 224; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 192; 3. Tony Alagna – 155; 4. Brett Pelling – 137; 5. Nifty Norman – 117.
Owners: 1. Jesmeral Stable – 67; 2. Mark Ford – 60; 3. The OK Corral – 57; 4. David McDuffee – 52.6; 5. Hot Lead Farm – 50.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at The Meadowlands and Yonkers Raceway. The Meadowlands will feature the Meadowlands Pace final for three-year-olds, the 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 16 card. The Big M will also host the opening leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Yonkers will have the MGM Springfield Stakes for two-year-old male pacers.
(Grand Circuit)