Yonkers, Woodbine Mohawk, Tioga to host Grand Circuit stakes
August 22, 2018,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Messenger eliminations, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Nassagaweya, Eternal Camnation, Casual Breeze and Maple Leaf Trot eliminations, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ontario; and W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions, Tioga Downs, Nichols, N.Y.
Schedule of events: This Saturday (Aug. 25), Yonkers Raceway will host a pair of $40,000 eliminations in the Messenger Stakes for sophomore pacers, the second leg of the sport’s pacing Triple Crown. The top four horses in each elimination will return for the $500,000 final on Sept. 1.
Also on Saturday, Grand Circuit action at Woodbine Mohawk Park will feature three divisions in the C$276,381 Nassagaweya for 2-year-old pacing colts, three divisions in the C$251,347 Eternal Camnation for 2-year-old pacing fillies and a pair of C$40,000 eliminations in the Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters. On Friday (Aug. 24) Woodbine Mohawk will host a single C$136,000 division in the Casual Breeze for 3-year-old filly trotters.
On Sunday (Aug. 26), Tioga Downs will card four sets of W.N. Reynolds Memorial events for freshman pacers and trotters of both sexes.
Complete entries for the races at the U.S. tracks are available at this link. Entries for the Woodbine Mohawk races are available at this link.
Last time: Met’s Hall (Andy Miller) won an exciting $350,000 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial Trot for 3-year-olds at Vernon Downs on Friday (Aug. 17).
Met’s Hall ($27.60) went straight to the lead from the eight hole. He took the first quarter in :26.4. Six Pack (Ake Svanstedt) followed in the pocket with Manchego (Yannick Gingras) following along in third.
Andy Miller slowed the second quarter to a crawl of :30.1 as Met’s Hall hit the half in :57. Six Pack would pull the pocket just before the half. The two would then battle nose to nose and wheel to wheel all around the final turn. Neither horse would give an inch as they hit three-quarters in 1:25.2.
Manchego, who was the only filly in the race, sat in third watching the other two battle it out around the turn. She then went three-wide at the top of the stretch. In an amazing stretch drive, Met’s Hall would dig in and get ready for the late charge from Manchego. In the end Met’s Hall would win by a nose in a personal best time of 1:52. Magnificent as she was, Manchego had to settle for second best. The gutsy Six Pack would finish third.
Met’s Hall is a 3-year-old colt by Cantab Hall. Trained by Julie Miller for owners Stroy Inc. and Andy Miller Stable Inc., it was his second win in six starts this season. He now owns seven career victories.
Super Girl Riley (Marcus Miller) shocked the field in the $180,000 Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old trotting fillies.
The big favorite Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt) carved out all the early fractions (:28, :57.2, 1:26.3). Basquiat (Yannick Gingras) followed in the pocket before going on a break at the three-quarter pole. Perfect Summer K (David Miller) would then inherit second.
Super Girl Riley ($17.20) came first-over from third in the stretch. She ran down Plunge Blue Chip to win in a career best of 1:54.3. Plunge Blue Chip had to settle for second money. Perfect Summer K finished third.
Owned by Paymaq Racing, George Golemes, and Harvey Eisman and trained by Erv Miller, the 3-year-old filly by Muscle Mass won for the second time in 2018. It was her sixth career victory.
Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2018, 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 2018 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following the past weekend.
Drivers: 1. Tim Tetrick – 703.5; 2. Yannick Gingras – 693.5; 3. David Miller – 374.5; 4. Jordan Stratton – 288; 5. Corey Callahan – 273.5.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 660.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 504; 3. Tony Alagna – 271; 4. Erv Miller – 220; 5. Jim Campbell – 216.
Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 144.9; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 139.9; 3. Fashion Farms – 129; 4. Vonknoblauch Stable – 117; 5. Robert Key – 115.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Yonkers Raceway and Woodbine Mohawk Park. Yonkers will feature the Yonkers Trot, Messenger Stakes, Hudson Filly Trot and Lady Maud. Woodbine Mohawk will offer the Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot, as well as Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old colt and filly trotters and Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old colt and filly trotters.
- Schnittker hopes best is yet to come for Wild Bill (Wednesday, August 22, 2018)
After seeing Wild Bill suffer an injury at age 2 and from bleeding issues this year at 3, trainer Ray Schnittker hopes his colt is ready to turn the corner beginning in Saturday’s eliminations for the Messenger Stakes at Yonkers Raceway. Wild Bill, a full brother to Dan Patch Award-winner Huntsville, adds Lasix for his upcoming race following off-the-board finishes in his past two starts. For his career, he has won three of eight races and earned $58,391 for Schnittker, who bred Wild Bill with the late Charlie Iannazzo and remains the owner of the colt.
- Stay Hungry stays Triple Crown course in elims for Messenger Stakes (Wednesday, August 22, 2018)
We took a poll and decided there’s only one horse out there with a shot to win the Pacing Triple Crown. Take a bow, Stay Hungry.
- Melander hopes for ‘Wow’ factor in Maple Leaf (Thursday, August 23, 2018)
Crazy Wow will make his first start for Marcus Melander in the first of Saturday’s two eliminations for the Maple Leaf Trot at Ontario’s Woodbine Mohawk Park and the trainer is looking forward to seeing the 6-year-old stallion in action. Melander took over the conditioning of the career $2.27-million-earner in early July. A total of 16 older trotters, including defending champion Hannelore Hanover, entered the Maple Leaf Trot and were split into two eight-horse eliminations. The top-five finishers from each C$40,000 division will return for the C$651,000 final on Sept. 1 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
- Teague’s homebred Goldberg flashes talent (Friday, August 24, 2018)
Goldberg reminds driver Montrell Teague of two Team Teague stars when it comes to mannerisms. Now he will find out how closely he resembles them in major stakes action. Goldberg, a homebred 2-year-old male pacer, will prep for next month’s Metro Pace by competing in Saturday’s first of three C$92,127 divisions of the Nassagaweya Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Ontario. Teague, who bred and owns Goldberg, also has the colt staked to the Matron and Governor’s Cup, not to mention the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund.
- Roy to make Yonkers debut with Jimmy Freight in Messenger elimination (Friday, August 24, 2018)
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy’s ride with Jimmy Freight to date has already been a fulfilling one. One of the first major stakes horses the Quebec native has traveled with, Jimmy Freight has taken the 28-year-old reinsman to the Meadowlands Pace and the Carl Milstein Memorial. The next step in the pacer’s journey, the $580,000 Messenger Stakes, brings Roy to Yonkers Raceway for the first time.
- Steacy sends out three in Eternal Camnation (Friday, August 24, 2018)
Trainer Mark Steacy sends a trio of freshman pacing fillies into Saturday’s (Aug. 25) C$251,347 Eternal Camnation Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
- Field set for C$651,000 Maple Leaf Trot (Saturday, August 25, 2018)
Marion Marauder and Ariana G captured Saturday’s (Aug. 25) star-studded Maple Leaf Trot eliminations at Woodbine Mohawk Park. A total of 16 older trotters were entered in the eliminations and split into a pair of C$40,000 eight horse fields. The top five finishers from each elimination punched their ticket to next Saturday’s C$651,000 final, while eliminations winners also earned the right to select their post.
- Rookies put on a show in Nassagawayea and Eternal Camnation (Sunday, August 26, 2018)
Captain Crunch, Captain Ahab and Stag Party all turned in statement performances in Saturday’s (Aug. 25) Nassagaweya Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park. A group of 24 rookie pacing colts and geldings were entered in the Nassagaweya and split into three divisions. While Key West, Quebec Blue Chip and Tall Drink Hanover captured their respective divisions of the Eternal Camnation. New Image Media photo.
- Jimmy Freight sets track record in Messenger eliminations (Sunday, August 26, 2018)
Owner Adriano Sorella paid $30,000 for the privilege of Jimmy Freight entering the 63rd Messenger Stakes. We’re surmising the other connections would glad pay at least twice that much the privilege of Jimmy Freight exiting the 63rd Messenger Stakes. That’s because Jimmy Freight (Louis-Phillipe Roy, $3.30) made Yonkers Raceway his very own veranda Saturday night (Aug. 25th), rolling in an elimination race while setting a track record in the process. The second jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown began with a pair of $40,000 elims, five- and six-horse fields to determine the eight finalists for next Saturday night’s (Sept. 1) half-million-dollar finale.
- Reynolds Memorial events contested at Tioga Downs (Sunday, August 26, 2018)
Tioga Downs hosted the W.N. Reynolds Memorial races for freshman trotters and pacers on Sunday (Aug. 26). The winners were Starita, Cloud Nine Fashion, No Drama Please, Zero Tolerance and Mangogh. Fred Brown photo.