The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly recap and preview of Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Breeders Crown finals and Kindergarten Series, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, New Jersey; Circle City and Madison County, Hoosier Park, Anderson, Indiana; and John Simpson Stakes, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester, Pennsylvania.
Schedule of Events: The 12 Breeders Crown championship events at Meadowlands Racetrack will be front and center in the Grand Circuit spotlight this week. The four Breeders Crown championship races for older pacers and trotters will be raced on Friday (Oct. 28) while the eight championships for two and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits will be contested on Saturday (Oct. 29).
The Meadowlands will also host the final preliminary leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-old pacers and trotters this weekend. Trotters will be racing on Friday with single $10,000 divisions for both the colts and fillies. Pacers will take to the track on Saturday, also with single $10,000 divisions for both the colts and fillies.
Hoosier has Grand Circuit action on both Friday and Saturday. Friday features eight Circle City races for three-year-olds with two divisions each in the $83,700 colt trot, the $80,200 filly trot, the $74,300 filly pace and the $71,400 colt pace. Saturday will feature Madison County events for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. There will be single divisions in the $75,000 two-year-old filly trot, $72,500 two-year-old colt trot, $60,000 two-year-old colt pace and $58,000 two-year-old filly pace.
Harrah’s Philadelphia features John Simpson Stakes races for two-year-olds on Friday and Sunday. The trotters will be in action on Friday with two $35,000 divisions for fillies and a single $67,300 race for colts. Sunday’s card offers a single $74,000 event for two-year-old colt pacers.
Last Time: Breeders Crown eliminations were in the spotlight this past weekend at Meadowlands Racetrack as 18 contests were raced at the New Jersey oval.
Complete recaps and replays of all the races are available here:
Breeders Crown Kicks Off In Style
Night Two Of Breeders Crown Elims
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2016, 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 Farm is the sponsor for the 2016 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the current leaders:
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,408.5; 2. David Miller – 1,135; 3. Tim Tetrick – 1,085.5; 4. Scott Zeron – 564.5; 5. Brett Miller – 562.5.
Trainers: 1. Jimmy Takter – 1,283.5; 2. Ron Burke – 1,254.5; 3. Tony Alagna – 553; 4. Ake Svanstedt – 441; 5. Julie Miller – 367.
Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 282.27; 2. Marvin Katz – 244.55; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 236.97; 4. Tom Hill – 209; 5. Al Libfeld – 194.3.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Dover Downs, Hoosier Park and Meadowlands Racetrack. Dover will feature the four Matron Stakes for two-year-old trotters and pacers on November 3; Hoosier has the Monument Circle, Carl Erskine, Crossroads of America and USS Indianapolis on November 4; while the Meadowlands will race the four Kindergarten Series finals on November 5.
(With files from Grand Circuit)