The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly recap and preview of Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Zweig Memorial and Zweig Memorial filly trot, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.; Gold Cup and Saucer final, Red Shores Racetrack & Casino, Charlottetown, PEI; Artiscape, Roll With Joe, and Miss Versatility, Tioga Downs, Nichols, N.Y.; and Prix d’Été, Hippodrome 3R, Trois-Rivieres, Qué.
Schedule of events: A busy week of Grand Circuit action kicks off on Saturday (Aug. 17) at Vernon Downs with the $330,000 Zweig Memorial for three-year-old open trotters and the $135,000 Zweig Memorial Filly Trot for three-year-old trotting fillies. There will also be a $35,000 consolation in the filly division.
Saturday’s Grand Circuit action will also be featured by Red Shores Racetrack & Casino, which will host the $60,000 Gold Cup and Saucer final for older pacers.
On Sunday (Aug. 18), Grand Circuit racing will be contested at Tioga Downs with the $175,000 (est.) Artiscape for older pacing mares, the $175,000 (est.) Roll With Joe for older pacing males, and a $40,000 (est.) leg of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares. Also on Sunday, Hippodrome 3R will contest the $200,000 Prix d’Été for four-year-old pacers.
Last time: Just when one thought they had seen it all, a first quarter in :24.4, a favourite who looked hopelessly beaten in the stretch, came a Phoenix out of the ashes as Lather Up showed what the heart of a champion can do even when a victory seemed out of the question.
With a final time of 1:47.2, Lather Up turned in a stunning performance to capture the 26th edition of the $330,000 Dan Patch Stakes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday (Aug. 9).
Dexter Dunn hails from Down Under in New Zealand and traveled to the United States less than a year ago. He had never been to MGM Northfield Park, but arrived on Saturday (Aug. 10) full of confidence to drive race favourite Bettors Wish in the $400,000 Carl Milstein Memorial. He went to the gate on the heels of losing two straight photos in the $682,650 Meadowlands Pace and $285,362 Cane Pace, but used a :53.3 last half to post a 3-1/2 length win in the Milstein, stopping the timer in 1:50.3.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2019, 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 2019 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following this past weekend:
Drivers: 1. Tim Tetrick – 721; 2. Yannick Gingras – 536; 3. David Miller – 414; 4. Dexter Dunn – 404; 5. Andrew McCarthy – 309.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 663; 2. Tony Alagna – 282; 3. Jim King Jr. – 274; 4. Marcus Melander – 249; 5. Ake Svanstedt – 221.
Owners: 1. Fashion Farms – 182; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 127.1; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 114.6; 4. Courant Inc. – 107.5; 5. Jo Ann Looney-King – 101.2.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Yonkers Raceway, Woodbine Mohawk Park and Tioga Downs. Yonkers will contest eliminations for the Messengers Stakes and Yonkers Trot, the second legs of the Pacing and Trotting Triple Crown, along with eliminations in the companion Lady Maud and Hudson Filly Trot. Woodbine Mohawk Park will contest the Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation for two-year-old pacers, along with eliminations in the Canadian Pacing Derby for older pacers and the Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters. Tioga Downs will offer Reynolds Memorial divisions for two-year-olds.
(with files from the Grand Circuit)