This Week: Paul Revere Pace, Plainridge Park, Plainville, Mass.

Schedule of events: Plainridge Park is proud to welcome the Grand Circuit back to Massachusetts on Thursday (April 28) as it hosts the first edition of the $100,000 Paul Revere Pace. The stake is for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings and is the first event to be held in 2022 for that division.

Complete entries for the race can be found by clicking on this link.

Eight horses were entered for the Dexter Cup, the first Grand Circuit event of the season for 3-year-old male trotters, making eliminations unnecessary this Saturday at Freehold Raceway. All eight horses advance directly to the Dexter Cup final, which will go for a purse of $150,505, on May 7 at the half-mile track in central New Jersey.

Last Time: Funatthebeach N, sent off at 15-1, sat off a serious battle for the lead, got into contention by following favored Leonidas A, and out-kicked that rival when the chips were down to take a wild $549,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final on Monday night (April 25) at Yonkers Raceway in 1:50.1.

Funatthebeach N took a wild $549,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final. Georgia Panagi photo.

Tattoo Artist (Dexter Dunn), Jack’s Legend N (Matt Kakaley), and defending series champion This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras) all left hard from posts one, three, and five, respectively, with Jack’s Legend N getting past Tattoo Artist before the :26.3 opening quarter. This Is The Plan was up to immediately confront Jack’s Legend N, and although Kakaley took a big hold of Jack’s Legend N, This Is The Plan was unable to clear, and Kakaley elected to leave him out starting on the second turn.

While that was going on up front, Leonidas A (Austin Siegelman) had been able to land in fifth ahead of Funatthebeach N (Jordan Stratton), and they would both vacate the pylons as Jack’s Legend N and This Is The Plan continued their slugfest to a :53.4 half. Leonidas A would then go three-wide on the third turn to take up the chase, while Funatthebeach N remained two-wide on the bend and then followed Leonidas A after they entered the backstretch for the final time.

Leonidas A surged up on the outside to take command before the 1:21.4 three-quarters, then crossed down to the rail heading into the last turn. Funatthebeach N was also able to get into a two-wide position after three-quarters as Jack’s Legend N backed away, boxing in Tattoo Artist and taking him out of contention. Also facing traffic woes was Semi Tough (Joe Bongiorno), who was caught two-wide behind the tiring This Is The Plan.

With all their rivals either spent or caught in compromising spots, Leonidas A and Funatthebeach N would face off in a match race on the far turn and into the lane. Although Leonidas A had the lead on the bend, it was clear that Funatthebeach N was going the better of the two coming into the stretch, and it would be Funatthebeach N going on to score by a length over Leonidas A. Semi Tough finally shook loose and was able to rally for third.

Jeff Gillis and Mark Ford are the winning trainer-owner combination behind Funatthebeach N, an 8-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding who they claimed for $75,000 on Sept. 6 of last year at Yonkers. This was Funatthebeach N’s 29th lifetime tally, and he now shows a bankroll of $732,039. He paid $33.20 to win.

Drama Act won the $381,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker final in a close finish with Racine Bell. Georgia Panagi photo.

Drama Act was the leading point-earner in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series preliminary rounds, and she backed that up by winning the $381,000 final on April 25 at Yonkers in a close finish with Racine Bell. The time of the mile was 1:51.2.

Driver George Brennan fired Drama Act out from the pole position and led early, but Jason Bartlett wanted the front with favored Racine Bell, and he moved her from the pocket to the point prior to the :27.2 opening quarter. Racine Bell then backed down the half to just :56, with Easy To Please (Jordan Stratton) beginning a first-over move out of third past that marker. The tempo increased noticeably after Easy To Please tipped out, and while she was unable to get alongside Racine Bell, the three-quarters would go on the board in 1:23.4.

Racine Bell still had command around the last turn and into the lane after Easy To Please’s bid stalled out, but Bartlett had to keep working on his charge throughout that period, and then she drifted out in the stretch, allowing Drama Act to come through without ever having to leave the pylons. Racine Bell did dig in and looked like she might be able to hold on, but Drama Act surged in time and got up to defeat the pace-setter by a nose. Easy To Please was third.

A 5-year-old daughter of Well Said, Drama Act is trained by Ron Burke for owner-breeder The OK Corral. This was her 26th victory from 46 career starts, and she has now earned $693,112. She was the 3-1 second choice and paid $8.10 to win.

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

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2022, 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 2022 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 4-25-22):

Drivers: 1. Jordan Stratton – 126; 2. Jason Bartlett – 106; 3. George Brennan – 90; 4. Dexter Dunn – 83; 5 Yannick Gingras – 65.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 131; 2. Jeff Gillis – 54; 3. Erv Miller – 53; 4t. Cory Stratton – 50; 4t. Sheena Cohen – 50.

Owners: 1. The OK Corral – 57; 2. Jesmeral Stable – 50; 3. Mark Ford – 40; 4. Team Tritton Inc. – 30; 5t. Karen Hauver – 27; 5t. Ricky Bucci – 27.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action next week will be held at Freehold Raceway, Yonkers Raceway and The Meadowlands. Freehold will host the Dexter Cup for 3-year-old male trotters and the Lady Suffolk for 3-year-old female trotters; Yonkers will hold Reynolds Memorial divisions for 3-year-old male and female pacers; and The Meadowlands will host the first round in the Graduate Series for 4-year-old open pacers and trotters and the Miss Versatility Series for older trotting mares.