by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Landmark Stakes, Historic Track, Goshen, N.Y.; William Connors Memorial Prep, Hazel Park Raceway, Hazel Park, Mich.; Reynolds Memorial stakes, Meadowlands Pace elimination and William Haughton Memorial eliminations, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J; and Hudson Filly Trot final, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit schedule is a busy one this week and gets underway on Friday afternoon at Historic Track with a total of nine Landmark Stakes events for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Also on Friday, Hazel Park will host a $12,500 William Connors Memorial Prep for 3-year-old trotters. Meadowlands Racetrack on Friday features the W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old trotters with a single $50,278 division for colts and a pair of $27,000-plus divisions for the fillies. On Saturday, the Meadowlands has a lone $50,000 Meadowlands Pace elimination for 3-year-old pacers and two $50,000 eliminations in the William R. Haughton Memorial for free for all pacers. Yonkers on Saturday will feature the $155,624 Hudson Filly Trot final for 3-year-old fillies.

Complete entries are available at this link.

Last time: Last weekend’s Grand Circuit action was led by the Sun Stakes Saturday card at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Grabbing the headlines was Foiled Again, who surpassed the $5 million mark in career earnings thanks to his win in the $500,000 Ben Franklin Pace. Foiled Again, trained by co-owner Ron Burke and driven by Yannick Gingras, won the Franklin by a nose over Pet Rock in 1:49.2 over a sloppy track, notching career victory No. 70 in the process.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Yannick Gingras hoisted the trophy in the winner’s circle after Foiled Again won the Ben Franklin.

In the Franklin final, Foiled Again raced on the outside much of the mile. He followed the cover of Razzle Dazzle onto the backstretch, but was left first over when Razzle Dazzle took the lead from early pacesetter Modern Legend. Foiled Again was third as the field headed into the stretch, but was able to chase down Razzle Dazzle and hold off Pet Rock, who ended up finishing second. Razzle Dazzle was third.

Foiled Again’s performance was part of a $2 million card at Pocono Downs. Captaintreacherous won the $500,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial for 3-year-old pacers, while Corky won the $500,000 Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old trotters and I Luv The Nitelife won the $300,000 James M. Lynch Memorial for 3-year-old filly pacers.

In the Hempt, Captaintreacherous (Tim Tetrick) raced outside behind the cover of Sunfire Blue Chip and then Word Power before battling through the stretch to pull out the 1:49.2 win. Vegas Vacation was a fast-closing second and Sunfire Blue Chip finished third.

Corky, with David Miller in the bike for trainer Jimmy Takter, won the Beal by one length over Picture This in 1:54.3. Dontyouforgetit, also trained by Takter, finished third.

I Luv The Nitelife started from an outside post with Tetrick in the sulky in the Lynch, but was able to get favorable position behind pacesetter Shebestingin before rallying in the stretch for a 1:50 win. Shebestingin finished second and Jerseylicious was third.

Three other racetracks also hosted Grand Circuit action as the month of June transitioned into July.

Balmoral Park photo

Mike Oosting guided King Mufasa to his fifth win in six starts this year as they captured the $37,100 Hanover Stake for 3-year-old trotting colts.

The 2013 Hanover Stake season kicked off on Saturday night at Balmoral Park with a $37,100 event for 3-year-old trotting colts. After dominating the ICF ranks through his first five starts of the year, William Wright and Mystical Marker Farms’ King Mufasa (Mike Oosting) continued his early season march to stardom as he knocked off nine rivals by 1-1/2 lengths in a lifetime best of 1:54.3. Powerful Poe held on gamely to finish second while Longwell battled on to be third.

Saturday’s card at Yonkers Raceway featured a lone elimination in the Hudson Filly Trot for 3-year-olds. Favored Lady Broadway (Eric Goodell), the lone $15,000 supplemental entrant, left from post position No. 6 and won the $20,000 elim from the pocket in 1:55.3. Second went to Andie Sophia, beaten three-quarters of a length, with Royal Assets a pace-setting third.

Driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jonas Czernyson made the most of their venture to Mohawk on Monday evening as the pair took both divisions of the Miss Versatility. The Grand Circuit event featured North America’s top trotting mares.

Maven remained unbeaten this season in four starts after her victory in the first division. Down the stretch, Daylon Miracle was in command, but Maven continued to close and was first to the wire in 1:52.3. Daylon Miracle was second, over Bax Of Life. In the other division, D’orsay enjoyed a perfect, two-hole trip en route to a 1:54 score. Down the stretch, Gingras pulled on the right line and angled D’orsay out of the pocket and she motored by to win by one length. Real Babe finished second with Pembroke Heat Wave finishing third.

Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2013, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will 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). Hanover Shoe Farms is the sponsor for the 2013 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend:

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 549.5; 2. Tim Tetrick – 453; 3. David Miller – 278; 4. Brian Sears – 239.5; and 5. Andy Miller – 156.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 589.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 198.5; 3. Linda Toscano – 137; 4. Chris Ryder – 119; and 5. PJ Fraley – 113.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing – 119.85; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 117.15; 3. Frank Bellino – 63.5; 4. Our Horse Cents Stable – 63; and 5t. Bamond Racing and KDM Stables Corp. – 62.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at the Meadowlands beginning on Friday with a leg of the Miss Versatility for trotting mares. The power-packed Saturday card features the finals of the Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds, the Haughton Memorial for free for all pacers and the Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers. In addition, the Stanley Dancer for 3-year-old male trotters and the Delvin Miller for 3-year-old filly trotters will also be raced. On Friday night, Hazel Park will hold the $100,000 William Connors Memorial for 3-year-old trotters. Also holding Grand Circuit Stakes on Saturday will be Balmoral Park (Hanover events for 3-year-old colt pacers and 3-year-old filly pacers and trotters); Mohawk (Roses Are Red eliminations for older pacing mares); and Yonkers Raceway (Sheppard eliminations for freshman pacers).