Grand Circuit to Meadows, Meadowlands this weekend
July 25, 2018,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Delvin Miller Adios final, Adioo Volo and Arden Downs, The Meadows, Washington, Pa.; Hambletonian Oaks 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 27) at The Meadows as the track will feature three divisions in the $60,800 Arden Downs for 2-year-old filly trotters and two divisions in the $40,400 Arden Downs for 2-year-old colt trotters. The Saturday (July 28) card at The Meadows features the $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios final for 3-year-old colt pacers, three divisions in the $121,000 Adioo Volo for 3-year-old filly pacers, two divisions in the $56,440 Arden Downs for 3-year-old filly trotters, two divisions in the $51,914 Arden Downs for 3-year-old colt trotters, two divisions in the $47,634 Arden Downs for 2-year-old filly pacers and two divisions in the $47,634 Arden Downs for 2-year-old colt pacers.
Meadowlands Racetrack will offer two sets of elimination races this week, with both finals slated for the Hambletonian card of Saturday (Aug. 4). On Friday, the Meadowlands will host two $20,000 eliminations in the Jim Doherty Memorial for 2-year-old filly trotters. On Saturday the program will feature two $50,000 eliminations in the Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old filly trotters as well as two $46,600 W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions for 3-year-old male trotters.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Heading into Saturday night (July 21), in two of the previous five installments of the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel, the track record has been set. A standard was not established in this edition, but Evenin Of Pleasure did pace the third fastest time (1:49.2) in track history.
The winner of the 2017 Gerrity, Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton), was back to defend his crown and was a 2-1 co-second choice in the wagering on a beautiful night for racing in the Spa City. Bit Of A Legend N sat the pocket behind the favored Rockin Ron (Yannick Gingras), who was hounded while on the engine, having to endure first half fractions of :26.2 and :53.4 before seeing rival Evenin Of Pleasure (Joe Bongiorno) fly past him heading towards three-quarters.
Evenin Of Pleasure took over and took off, pacing away from his rivals before stopping the timer in 1:49.2, the third fastest time for any horse in track history. Evenin Of Pleasure’s romp came by a margin of 5-1/2 lengths. Bit Of A Legend N now has a win and two seconds in the Gerrity as he was the runner-up while Rockin Ron earned the show spot.
With the win, the 8-year-old Evenin Of Pleasure went over the $1 million mark in career earnings. A force at Yonkers this spring and summer, Evenin Of Pleasure is trained by Jenn Bongiorno for owner Gestion J Y Blais Inc. of Montreal.
Complete recaps of all the weekend 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 – 507; 2. Yannick Gingras – 468.5; 3. Jordan Stratton – 268; 4. David Miller – 237.5; 5. Scott Zeron – 195.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 438.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 319; 3. Tony Alagna – 196; 4. Jim King Jr. – 171; 5. Peter Tritton – 132.
Owners: 1. Vonknoblauch Stable – 117; 2t. Burke Racing Stable – 102.8; 2t. Weaver Bruscemi – 102.8; 4. Crawford Farms Racing – 85; 5. Marvin Katz – 77.2.
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.
- Trio aims for memorable Adios (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)
Dorsoduro Hanover is looking for his first open stakes win. Ron Burke and Matt Kakaley are looking for their first Adios win. Together they can achieve those accomplishments Saturday. After finishing second by a nose to Hitman Hill in his elimination, Dorsoduro Hanover will start from post No. 5 in Saturday’s $400,000 Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids for 3-year-olds at The Meadows. Kakaley will drive the pacer for trainer/co-owner Burke, who lives a short distance from the western Pennsylvania oval.
- Alagna aims for second Adios orchids blanket in three years (Thursday, July 26, 2018)
Trainer Tony Alagna has a shot to win his second blanket of Adios orchids in three years — two shots, actually — as he’ll send out both American History (above) and Babes Dig Me in Saturday’s $400,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows.
- Svanstedt looks to ‘Plunge’ into Oaks (Thursday, July 26, 2018)
When she is training or warming up, Plunge Blue Chip can be a handful for driver Ake Svanstedt. Once a race begins, she is a handful for her rivals. A dozen days ago Plunge Blue Chip became the fastest 3-year-old trotter in history when she won her division of the Delvin Miller Memorial for 3-year-old female trotters by a nose over Manchego in 1:49.4 at The Meadowlands Racetrack. On Saturday, she returns to action in the second of two eliminations for the Hambletonian Oaks at the Big M.
- Major Grand Circuit stakes this weekend at The Meadowlands (Friday, July 27, 2018)
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.
- Dorsoduro Hanover captures Delvin Miller Adios (Saturday, July 28, 2018)
Victimized by brutal trips in his last two starts, Dorsoduro Hanover finally got the journey he needed and pounced on the opportunity to win Saturday’s (July 28 )$400,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids in 1:50.1 at The Meadows. American History, who won an elimination of the 52nd edition of the Adios, raced well first over to finish second, 1-1/4 lengths back, while Hitman Hill, the other elimination winner, could not improve position in the Lightning Lane and settled for show.