by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

Columbus, OH — The Grand Circuit kicks off the 2005 season this week at Freehold Raceway with a pair of $30,738 eliminations for the $190,000 (est.) Dexter Cup for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters.

The Dexter Cup has drawn a field of 12 and the eliminations will be held this Saturday (May 7) with the top four horses in each elimination (races two and four on the Freehold card) advancing to the May 14 final.

The first Dexter elimination is headed up by Ray Schnittker, Frank Baldassare and Stephen Demeter’s Clearaway. The Yankee Glide gelding is off to a great start in 2005 with three wins and two seconds in five trips to the post, while earning $24,150. In his most recent effort, Clearaway was a 1:57.4 winner in the $30,300 Wyoming Valley Series Final on April 27 at Pocono Downs. Trained by Paul Doherty for the Ray Schnittker Stable, he is coupled in the wagering with stablemate Lindy Five Hundred and will start from post five with Schnittker listed to drive.

The remainder of the field (in post position order) consists of King Clone (post one, David Miller), Lindy Five Hundred (post two, Ray Schnittker), Grit Your Teeth (post three, Jeff Gregory), Corona Bluestone (post four, Cat Manzi), and Give Me Credit (post six, Jeff Gregory).

Heading up the second Dexter Cup elimination is Christina Takter, Lindy Racing Stable and Anderberg Stable’s Manopoly. This son of Malabar Man will be making his season’s debut after posting $78,671 in earnings last year as a freshman. Manopoly set his mark of 1:57 in a Campbellville elimination at Mohawk in 2004 and won a pair of New Jersey Sires Stake events last year at Freehold as well. Trained by Jimmy Takter, Manopoly has drawn post position two and will have the driving services of Marcus Johansson.

Also in the second elimination (in post position order) are Integrity Man (post one, Cat Manzi), Great George Two (post three, Jonathan Roberts), Armbro Copenhagen (post four, Ray Schnittker), Praktickle Yankee (post five, Jeff Gregory), and ENS Soaring Raptor (post six, Steve Smith).

Grand Circuit racing at Freehold will continue next week. The $90,000 (est.) Lady Suffolk for three-year-old filly trotters will be contested on Friday, May 13 and the $150,000 (est.) Helen Dancer for three-year-old filly pacers will be raced along with the Dexter Cup Final on Saturday, May 14.

Following this season opening stop, the first of 21 on the 2005 schedule, Grand Circuit action will resume in late June at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana. The marquee event that week will be the $500,000 (est.) Hoosier Cup for three-year-old colt pacers, to be held on Saturday, June 25.