Trio of tracks to host Grand Circuit action this week
July 26, 2017,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Spirit of Massachusetts, Plainridge Park, Plainville, Mass.; Delvin Miller Adios final, Adioo Volo and Arden Downs, The Meadows, Washington, Pa.; Hambletonian Oaks, Peter Haughton Memorial and Jim Doherty Memorial eliminations and Reynolds Memorial, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.
Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action kicks off this Friday (July 28) at Plainridge Park with the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot for older trotters. Headlining the field are 2016 Dan Patch Award Trotting Mare of the Year Hannelore Hanover and 2016 Dan Patch Award Trotting Horse of the Year Obrigado.
Also on Friday, the Meadows will feature three divisions in the $49,564 Arden Downs for 2-year-old colt trotters and three divisions in the $49,290 Arden Downs for 2-year-old filly trotters. The Saturday (July 29) card at The Meadows features the $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios final for 3-year-old colt pacers, two divisions in the $125,950 Adioo Volo for 3-year-old filly pacers, two divisions in the $57,356 Arden Downs for 3-year-old filly trotters, two divisions in the $57,350 Arden Downs for 2-year-old colt pacers, two divisions in the $47,630 Arden Downs for 2-year-old filly pacers and a single $45,000 division in the Arden Downs for 3-year-old colt trotters.
Meadowlands Racetrack will offer three sets of elimination races this week, with all the finals slated for the Hambletonian Day card of Saturday (Aug. 5). On Friday, the Meadowlands will host two $20,000 eliminations in the Jim Doherty Memorial for 2-year-old filly trotters and a pair of $20,000 eliminations in the Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old colt trotters. On Saturday the program will feature two $40,438 eliminations in the Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old filly trotters as well as the $49,580 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Bit Of A Legend N (Bettor’s Delight-Soky’s Legend) was the runner-up in the 2016 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace contested at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Peter Tritton-trained standout wound up second best to 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit.
On Saturday night (July 22), Bit Of A Legend N was dismissed at odds of 15-1 as he took part in his second consecutive $260,000 Gerrity Pace and collected the victory.
Driver Jordan Stratton sat patiently with the talented 8-year-old as a grueling pace was set. There wasn’t a dull moment throughout as top rivals were slugging it out from the word “go.” The opening quarter went in :26.4 before the first half was clocked in :54.3. The field bunched up after three-quarters in 1:21.2 and longshot Bit Of A Legend N powered up three-wide around the final turn.
From fifth at the head of the stretch to first at the wire, Bit Of A Legend N stopped the timer in 1:50.3 exacting his revenge from last year’s defeat in the Gerrity with an impressive win in the ninth annual installment of the race in honor of the former Chairman of the Board at Saratoga who passed away in 2005.
Mach It So, a 36-1 shot (David Miller), came on for second while Boston Red Rocks (Brett Miller) earned the show spot.
Complete recaps of all the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, 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 2017 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders through and including the races on July 22.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 423; 2. David Miller – 350; 3. Tim Tetrick – 308; 4. Scott Zeron – 290; 5t. Jason Bartlett – 236; 5t. Jordan Stratton – 236.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 363; 2. Jimmy Takter – 248; 3. Rene Allard – 159; 4. Ray Schnittker – 157; 5. Peter Tritton – 152.
Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 123.5; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 80.9; 3. Jeff Snyder – 75; 4. J&T Silva Stables – 74.2; 5. Determination – 67.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at Meadowlands Racetrack. The track will host ten Grand Circuit events, led by the $1 million Hambletonian, the first leg of Trotting’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, and the $300,000 Cane Pace, the first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds.
- Trogdon on Fear The Dragon: “It’s been quite a thrill with him” (Wednesday, July 26, 2017)
When a teenage Bruce Trogdon first began attending the Adios more than four decades ago, he never imagined he would someday own a horse in the race. On Saturday, he will. But even if it never happened, the Adios would always be special to him. That’s because 41 years ago, Trogdon got engaged to his wife Sabrina there. “All this, it’s a pretty neat situation,” said Trogdon, who will return Saturday to The Meadows with Sabrina for the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids and watch Fear The Dragon — the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racing’s weekly poll — compete in the $400,000 race for 3-year-old pacers. “We’re looking forward to it.”
- Takter under the radar with Adios hopeful Blood Line (Thursday, July 27, 2017)
As a Hall of Fame, high-profile trainer, it’s hard for Jimmy Takter to fly under the radar. Yet that’s exactly what he’s done with Blood Line, who’ll compete in Saturday’s $400,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows. Blood Line goes from post eight, with Mark MacDonald at the helm.
- National handicapping experts make selections for the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot (Thursday, July 27, 2017)
Ten prominent national harness racing analysts and handicappers have weighed in on who they believe will win the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts trot to be held at Plainridge Park on Friday (July 28).
- Massachusetts is again the center of the trotting universe (Friday, July 28, 2017)
In January 1896 the New York Times observed that “Boston is more truly the hub of the sulky than of the universe.” Throughout the previous century Greater Boston had been at the forefront of trotting. In 1818 Boston Blue had ventured from Massachusetts to Gotham and become the sport’s first three minute trotter. A national sporting publication noted that Boston “trotting men are gentlemen,” as opposed to the “roguery” of New York and Philly.
- Hambo Oaks heads up Saturday Meadowlands card (Friday, July 28, 2017)
A pair of eliminations for the Hambletonian Oaks heads up a dynamite Saturday night (July 29) card at The Meadowlands.
- Plainridge Park trot mark could fall twice (Friday, July 28, 2017)
All eyes will be focused on the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot at Plainridge Park Friday (July 28) as the best trotters in North America will compete in the newest stake on the Grand Circuit schedule.
- JL Cruze upsets Spirit of Massachusetts Trot (Friday, July 28, 2017)
After watching an epic front-end battle between Crazy Wow and Resolve from fourth most of the mile, driver Andrew McCarthy found room up the pylons late for 60-1 JL Cruze and pulled a major upset by winning the inaugural running of the $250,000 Spirit Of Massachusetts Trot that was held at Plainridge Park on Friday (July 28).
- Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty eliminations at Meadowlands (Friday, July 28, 2017)
Eliminations for the pair of signature freshman races at the Meadowlands, the Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty Memorials, were contested on Friday night (July 28) and Jimmy Takter was the human star.The Hall of Famer sent out both elimination winners in the Haughton with You Know You Do (1:56.1) and Samo Different Day (1:54.2). Phaetosive and Manchego, who remained undefeated, won their Doherty divisions.
- Fear The Dragon outduels Huntsville to win the 51st Adios at The Meadows (Saturday, July 29, 2017)
Fear The Dragon, harness racing’s top-rated horse, cemented that position Saturday (July 29) at The Meadows when he wore down the sport’s No. 2-ranked horse, Huntsville, with a prolonged, dramatic first-over move that brought him victory in the $400,000 final of the 51st Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids.
- Ella Christina pulls off 56-1 Adioo Volo shocker (Saturday, July 29, 2017)
Dismissed at 56-1, Ella Christina poured through the Lightning Lane to pull off the shocker in Saturday’s (July 29) $125,950 Quinton Patterson Adioo Volo at The Meadows. Blazin Britches captured the other division of the Adioo Volo, a Grand Circuit stake for 3-year-old filly pacers that was part of the Adios Card.
- Ariana G, Magic Presto capture Hambletonian Oaks eliminations (Saturday, July 29, 2017)
Ariana G (Yannick Gingras) won the first of two $40,438 elimination races for the Aug. 5 $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday (July 29) at The Meadowlands in a time of 1:51.3 by two lengths. Magic Presto captured the other elimination in 1:52.1 by a half-length.
- What The Hill remains sharp in Reynolds (Sunday, July 30, 2017)
Driver David Miller didn’t get to celebrate his win aboard Fear The Dragon in the $400,000 Adios on Saturday afternoon for long, as he was back to work on Saturday night (July 29) with a full slate at The Meadowlands. Luckily for him, the good day continued, as he piloted What The Hill to a gate-to-wire victory in the $49,580 Reynolds Memorial.