Brandon Blvd, who this past Saturday won the Grade 2 Max C. Hempt Memorial at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, vaulted from fourth to second in the Week 11 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll released Wednesday (Aug. 26) while idle Apex remained No. 1 for the third consecutive week.
Author: by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
Nordic Catcher S equals world record in G3 Sebastian K Trot
Nordic Catcher S won Saturday’s (Aug. 22) $100,000 Grade 3 Sebastian K Trot, for older trotters, by 2-3/4 lengths over Resolve To Win in 1:50.3 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, equaling both the world record for a 4-year-old trotting stallion on a five-eighths-mile oval as well as the track record.
Stakes winners set to clash in Hempt
So far this season, there have been three Grade 1 stakes and three Grade 2 events held for 3-year-old male pacers. And those six races have produced six different winners. On Saturday (Aug. 22), five of those winners will meet at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania for the Max C. Hempt Memorial.
Plenty of fun remains on Meadowlands summer meet calendar
The fun keeps rolling at the Meadowlands Racetrack through September to close out the 2026 summer harness meet. Live racing takes place every Friday and Saturday, with a 6:20 p.m. (EDT) post time.
Final NYSS action of the season at Monticello
On Monday (Aug. 24), the curtain falls on the 2026 New York Sire Stakes season at Monticello Raceway when 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings close out the season. There will be two dashes of sires stakes and one division of the $20,000 Excelsior Series.
NYSS glamour boys will be at Batavia Downs Saturday
The New York Sire Stakes will visit Batavia Downs for the sixth time this year on Saturday night (Aug. 22) and will feature nine 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings who will start for their share of $114,900 in total purses.
Skowhegan hosts Maine high-steppers
Maine’s growing family of 2- and 3-year-old trotters found their way to the Skowhegan State Fair on Thursday (Aug. 20), with all the usual suspects up to their same tricks.
Beltrami romps in Yonkers NAADA trot
Tony Beltrami ripped around the track with 3-2 favorite Windsong Pioneer for a 1:56.3 blowout win over a track rated “sloppy” in the lone $13,100 North American Amateur Drivers Association trot at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Thursday night (Aug. 20).
Zeron, Palone dominate as freshman filly pacers take center stage
A pair of $63,826 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes “Meadow Cheer” divisions, accompanied by three $20,000 Stallion Series events, brought 2-year-old pacing fillies to a rain-soaked Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 20).
Aunt Jessie, Sweet Stevie lead BSS winners at Scioto
Five divisions of the Buckeye Stallion Series for 2-year-old trotting fillies went to post Thursday (Aug. 20) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Each of the $20,000 events were won by differently sired fillies, with homebreds Aunt Jessie (Action Uncle) and Sweet Stevie (Global Republic S) winning their splits in the fastest time – 1:56.2.