The Meadowlands hits its best stride in the final two weekends of live harness racing with many of the marquee Grand Circuit stakes desired by the connections of the top horses in harness racing taking place over the New Jersey mile oval.
The stakes begin on Friday with a pair of $20,000 elimination races for the Jim Doherty Memorial, a key race for the freshman trotting fillies and a tiara worn by many of the leading ladies of racing. Names like Winkys Gill, Peace Corps. CR Kay Suzie, Check Me Out, Mission Brief and Ariana G grace the list of those who have won previous editions of the stake.
This season, 19 two-year-old filly trotters were declared for the the Doherty and Beautiful Sin will attempt to add her name to the storied roster as she begins from post seven for driver Yannick Gingras in the second elimination, race six.
The Muscle Hill filly, first foal of her Cantab Hall dam Sina, captured the imagination of the Lexington Selected Sales crowd when she fetched $480,000, the highest price of any yearling sold at auction last year. Lennart Agren's SRF Stable was the final bidder and he placed his new treasure in the Jimmy Takter barn.
Beautiful Sin has been perfect by winning all five of her races thus far, three qualifying 'baby races' and a pair of minor stakes. Friday brings the first major challenge of her fledgling career as she'll face the finest competition currently racing including Whispering Oaks, who took the $125,000 final of the New Jersey Sires Stakes two weeks ago for trainer Jimmy Takter and driver Scott Zeron.
Takter also sends out an imposing pair of fillies in the first elimination (race four) including the home-bred Father Patrick fill Suzy, another potential star from the great broodmare Solveig whose daughter Shake It Cerry won the 2013 edition of the stake. Jimmy will drive Suzy for Christina Takter and Solveig's Racing Partners.
The Ice Dutchess cost the Coyote Wind Farm $320,000 at Harrisburg last fall and was also been enrolled in the Takter school of trotting. She has displayed remarkable talent in limited appearances thus far including a PA All Star stakes win in 1:57.1 for Gingras, who has the drive on Friday.
The top ten from the Doherty eliminations will race on Hambletonian Day, August 4 in the $357,450 final.
The Peter Haughton Memorial for two-year-old colts drew 10 entries and will not require elimination races. Those ten colts (listed in alphabetical order) will also race on the Hambletonian card in the $422,350 final. They are:
DONT LETEM
GERRY
GREEN MANALISHI S
GREENSHOE
HUDSON RIVER
KREDIT KARMA
MARSEILLE
MASS FORTUNE K
TRIX AND STONES
WHITE TIGER
Saturday brings with it the Hambletonian Oaks $50,000 eliminations where 17 of the fairer sex will quest for a spot in next Saturday's $500,000 final. It is a particularly talented group this year with last year's leading lady Manchego, sub-1:50 winner Plunge Blue Chip, Del Miller winner Phaetosive and Harrah's track record holder Seviyorum crowding the entries for the classic.
Two divisions of the $93,200 'Scott Frost' Reynolds Stakes for three-year-old colt trotters is also on the Saturday card where 15 of the 18 entrants are making their closing argument for entry into the Hambletonian.
Saturday night is also the 5th Annual Seafood Truck Festival where culinary delights of the sea are offered for your consumption.
Post time both nights is 7:15 p.m. For full fields and entries, click one of the following links:
Meadowalands Racetrack -- Friday Entries - Saturday Entries.
(with files from The Meadowlands)