Breeders Crown eliminations in Grand Circuit spotlight
October 19, 2016,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Breeders Crown eliminations, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit heads to Meadowlands Racetrack this Friday (Oct. 21) and Saturday (Oct. 22) for Breeders Crown eliminations in nine divisions. Eliminations will not be required for the open pace, the open trot and the mare trot.
The Friday card features a pair of $25,000 eliminations in the mare pace and two $20,000 eliminations in the 2-year-old filly trot. The Saturday card features a pair of $25,000 eliminations in the 3-year-old colt pace, 3-year-old filly pace, 3-year-old colt trot and 3-year-old filly trot, as well as a pair of $20,000 eliminations in the 2-year-old colt pace, 2-year-old filly pace and 2-year-old colt trot.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Resolve and trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt, representing the United States, staked out their spot on the lead early on and went 1-1/4 miles with no serious challenges to win the $1 million Yonkers International Trot on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15) at Yonkers Raceway. The time of 2:23.4 was a stakes and North American race record for the distance on a half-mile track.
Mike Lizzi photo
Resolve was a 2:23.4 winner in the Yonkers International Trot.
The field of 10 trotted off the gate with Oasis Bi of Italy briefly in the lead before Resolve took over that spot and held it to the :28.1 quarter-mile, on to the :57.1 half-mile, 1:26 three-quarters and 1:54.4 at the mile marker. Oasis Bi and driver Erik Adielsson gave futile chase throughout those fractions with Explosive De Vie (Sweden, Kevin Oscarsson) and Obrigado (United States, Mark MacDonald) behind him in pursuit.
The win, by 1-1/2 lengths, was the 14th time the race has been won by the American representative since it was first contested in 1959. Oasis Bi was second and Flanagan Memory (Canada, Brian Sears) was third.
Resolve is owned by Hans Enggren and won for the fifth time this year, increasing his 2016 bankroll to $1,195,513. The 5-year-old son of Muscle Hill has 15 career victories and $2,110,638 in lifetime winnings.
Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2016, 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 Farm is the sponsor for the 2016 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the current leaders:
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,306.5; 2. David Miller – 1,060; 3. Tim Tetrick – 988.5; 4. Scott Zeron – 533.5; 5. Brett Miller – 532.5.
Trainers: 1. Jimmy Takter – 1,217.5; 2. Ron Burke – 1,173.5; 3.Tony Alagna – 529; 4. Ake Svanstedt – 441; 5. Julie Miller – 355.
Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 261.62; 2. Marvin Katz – 229.25; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 219.27; 4. Tom Hill – 204; 5. Al Libfeld – 180.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will once again take place next week at Meadowlands Racetrack with Breeders Crown finals in all 12 categories (2- and 3-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters and older horse and mare pacers and trotters). The Meadowlands will also host a leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes. Harrah’s Philadelphia (John Simpson Stakes for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters) and Hoosier Park (Circle City for 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits and Madison County for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits) will also be hosting Grand Circuit racing.
- Wiggle It Jiggleit supplements to Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands (Monday, October 17, 2016)
Defending Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit has been supplemented for $50,000 to the $421,000 Breeders Crown Pace, setting up another epic showdown with arch-rival Always B Miki, winner of last year’s Crown title for older pacers at Woodbine Racetrack.
- Breeders Crown fields set (Tuesday, October 18, 2016)
A total of 174 horses on Tuesday were entered for the $6.2 million Breeders Crown championships at New Jersey’s Meadowlands Racetrack, with harness racing’s top-ranked stars Wiggle It Jiggleit and Always B Miki leading the list as the battle for Horse of the Year hits the homestretch. It is the largest number of entries in five years.
- Record number of entries for Breeders Crown at Meadowlands (Tuesday, October 18, 2016)
The entries for the $6.2 million Breeders Crown events at The Meadowlands Racetrack saw an overflow 174 trotters and pacers in the entry box to qualify for the 12-race finals on Friday (Oct. 28) and Saturday (Oct. 29). This is the highest number of entries in the last five years.
- Sisters take aim at ‘Crown-ing’ achievements (Wednesday, October 19, 2016)
Ariana G and All The Time have taken different paths to this weekend’s Breeders Crown eliminations at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Marvin Katz, who with Al Libfeld bred and owns both filly trotters, is simply grateful for the opportunity to see the sisters in action together again. If both fillies win their respective Breeders Crown finals, it would mark the first time in the history of the series that full siblings claim trophies in the same year.
- Roaring To Go is ready to reach for the Crown (Thursday, October 20, 2016)
With less than 72 hours to tick off prior to her appearance in a $20,000 elimination for the Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly pace on Saturday (Oct. 22) at Meadowlands Racetrack, trainer Kevin Lare thinks owner Frank Chick may be a bit weary of his weekly training updates in regards to Roaring To Go.
- Being cautious has paid off for Ken Jacobs with trotting colt Walner (Thursday, October 20, 2016)
It took a year for owner Ken Jacobs to find a hole with Walner — and that was a hole in the wind. Walner trotted a world-record 1:51.3 on Oct. 6 at Lexington’s Red Mile, a mark that came one year to the day after Jacobs purchased the colt for $90,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. It was Walner’s fourth win in five races this season and established the horse as one of the top Breeders Crown 2-year-old male trotting contenders.