from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands hits its best stride in the final two weekends of live 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 (July 27) 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 Winky’s 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 2-year-old filly trotters were declared for 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 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 (Takter/Scott Zeron) who took the $125,000 final of the New Jersey Sires Stakes two weeks ago.

Takter also sends out an imposing pair of fillies in the first elimination (race four) including the homebred 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 enrolled in the Takter school of trotting. She has displayed remarkable talent in limited appearances thus far including a PA All-Stars 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 (Aug. 4) in the $357,450 final.

Complete entries for Friday’s card can be found at this link.

The Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old colts drew 10 entries and will not require elimination races. Those 10 colts (listed in alphabetical order) will also race on the Hambletonian card in the $422,350 final. They are Don’t Let’em, Gerry, Green Manalishi S, Greenshoe, Hudson River, Kredit Karma, Marseille, Mass Fortune K, Trix And Stones, and 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; Plunge Blue Chip, the filly who nosed Manchego out of a 1:49.4 world record in the Del Miller; Phaetosive who annexed the other Del Miller split; and Harrah’s Philadelphia track record holder Seviyorum crowding the entries for the classic.

Two divisions of the $93,200 Scott Frost Reynolds Stakes for 3-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.

Complete entries for Saturday’s card can be found at this link.

Saturday night is also the fifth annual Seafood Truck Festival where culinary delights of the sea are offered for your consumption.

Post time both nights is 7:15 p.m.