by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Monument Circle, Carl Erskine Trot, Hoosier Park Pacing Derby, Nadia Lobell and Moni Maker, Hoosier Park, Anderson, Ind. and Artiscape, Muscle Hill and Kindergarten finals, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.

Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action this week will get underway on Friday (Oct. 31) at Hoosier Park with five stakes races on the card. Leading the way is the $275,000 Monument Circle for 3-year-old colt pacers. Also on tap will be the $230,000 Carl Erskine Trot for 3-year-old colt trotters, the $211,500 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby for older pacers, the $193,000 Moni Maker for 3-year-old filly trotters and the $176,500 Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old filly pacers.

The Saturday (Nov. 1) card at Vernon Downs features the $250,500 Kindergarten Series final for 2-year-old trotting fillies, the $240,500 Kindergarten Series final for 2-year-old trotting colts, the $178,000 Artiscape for older pacing mares and the $178,000 Muscle Hill for older trotting mares.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Yonkers Raceway, Woodbine Racetrack and Hollywood Dayton Raceway all had major stakes last weekend during an extremely busy Grand Circuit weekend.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Natural Herbie rallied in the stretch to win the International Trot Preview at Yonkers.

In an already long race — at the nontraditional distance of 1-1/4 miles — Natural Herbie went even longer to win Saturday’s $250,000 International Trot Preview Invitational at Yonkers Raceway.

Racing on the outside much of the way, Natural Herbie battled through a field of international stars to win in 2:24.4 at odds of 9-1. European standout Commander Crowe finished second, three-quarters of a length behind, and Bee A Magician, the lone female in the eight-horse field, was third. Obrigado was fourth and Arch Madness fifth.

Natural Herbie, purchased by trainer/driver Verlin Yoder just prior to the start of his racing career as a 2-year-old, has won 12 of 23 races this year and 24 of 46 lifetime, with earnings of $749,841.

Nuncio won Saturday’s $500,000 Yonkers Trot for 3-year-olds at Yonkers Raceway, giving trainer Jimmy Takter a sweep of the Trotting Triple Crown. Sent off at odds of 1-9, Nuncio (Andover Hall-Nicole Isabelle) and driver John Campbell won the Yonkers Trot by 2-1/4 lengths over Datsyuk in 1:56. Resolve finished third.

Takter, who won the Hambletonian Stakes with Trixton, picked up the Kentucky Futurity and Yonkers Trot with Nuncio. Owned by Stefan Melander’s Stall TZ Inc., Nuncio has won 10 of 15 races this year and earned $1.29 million. He finished second in the Hambletonian.

All Bets Off went to the front as soon as the gate opened and never was challenged on his way to winning Saturday’s $500,000 Messenger Stakes for 3-year-old pacers at Yonkers Raceway.

Driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Ron Burke, All Bets Off (Bettor’s Delight-Armbro Penelope) won by 2-3/4 lengths over Luck Be Withyou in 1:51.1, with McWicked third. The time was the fastest ever for a Messenger Stakes at Yonkers.

The finest 2-year-olds in harness racing were on display Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack for the Fall Four Stakes. Made up of the Governor’s Cup, Valley Victory, Three Diamonds and Goldsmith Maid, the Fall Four Stakes has been an annual showcase of the best freshmen in the sport.

Leading the winners of the four stakes was JK She’salady, who improved to a perfect ten for ten with another victory in the $377,360 Three Diamonds for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

Sent off as the heavy 1-5 favorite, JK She’salady and Yannick Gingras got away fifth and sat along the rail until the midway point of the race. Around the final turn, Gingras sent JK She’salady first up to challenge the leader, The Show Returns, as the fillies were on even terms at the three-quarter pole in 1:24.

JK She’salady came off the turn and quickly created separation with the field and cruised home to an impressive looking 1-1/2 length victory in 1:52.1. Solar Sister took the place spot, while Ideal Nuggets finished third.

A daughter of Art Major-Presidential Lady, JK She’salady is trained by Nancy Johansson for owners 3 Brothers Stable. She returned $2.50 to win.

On Friday at Hollywood Dayton Raceway, the night was supposed to belong to Foiled Again and Creatine, but although each raced very creditably neither was able to capture a Grand Circuit Dayton Derby. Instead stablemate Clear Vision literally nosed out Foiled Again in the $122,000 Dayton Pacing Derby, lowering the track record to 1:49, and Market Share pulled a mild upset in the $162,000 Dayton Trotting Derby, establishing a new track trot standard with the 1:52.4 clocking.

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

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2014, 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 2014 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend.

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,925; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,062; 3. David Miller – 894.5; 4. Ron Pierce – 635.5; 5. Corey Callahan – 613.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 2,122.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 1,599; 3. Erv Miller – 441.5; 4. Joe Holloway – 349; 5. Tony Alagna – 332.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing – 478.55; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 428.55; 3. 3 Brothers Stable – 317; 4. Robert Key – 272; 5. Brittany Farms – 258.45.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Dover Downs with eight Matron Stakes for 2- and 3-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters set for Thursday (Nov. 6).