This Week: MGM Yonkers Trot, MGM Grand Messenger, New York New York Mile, and Park MGM Filly Pace finals, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Roll With Joe, Crawford Farms, Perfect Sting, Six Pack and W.N. Reynolds Memorial, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.; Nadia Lobell, Hoosier Park, Anderson, Ind.; and Landmark Stakes, Goshen Historic Track, Goshen, N.Y.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Friday (July 1) at Yonkers Raceway with the $280,904 MGM Yonkers Trot final, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, the $261,730 MGM Grand Messenger, the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, the $126,165 New York New York Mile for 3-year-old filly trotters, and the $104,790 Park MGM Filly Pace for 3-year-old filly pacers.

Grand Circuit racing also takes place at The Meadowlands on Friday with two divisions in the $73,800 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters and two divisions in the $71,200 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters. Then on Saturday (July 2), The Big M will host two divisions in the $197,500 Roll With Joe for open pacers, as well as single events in the $147,000 Crawford Farms for open trotters, the $143,000 Perfect Sting for pacing mares, and the $131,250 Six Pack for trotting mares.

Also on Friday, Hoosier Park will host the $115,000 Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old filly pacers.

Then on Monday (July 4), Goshen Historic Track will host Landmark Stakes races for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Those races will be drawn on Friday (July 1).

Entries for the races can be found by clicking on this link.

Last Time: On a sweltering summer Saturday night (June 25) at The Meadowlands, tremendous performances were the norm as six divisions of the third leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-olds were sprinkled throughout a high-powered 14-race program.

Bulldog Hanover and driver Dexter Dunn are clear of the field in a division of the Graduate Series at The Meadowlands. Lisa photo.

Of those performances, one stood out from the rest — at least from a speed perspective — as Bulldog Hanover (Dexter Dunn) won the second of two $50,000 splits for open pacers in 1:47, equaling the fastest mile of the year in the sport. Nicholas Beach was the first to do it on May 21.

After traveling down from his home base of Ontario, Bulldog Hanover landed in the Noel Daley barn and the son of Shadow Play-BJ’s Squall lowered his previous lifetime best by a full second.

Bulldog Hanover nudged past Linedrive Hanover (James MacDonald) just after that one hit the quarter in :27 and had little trouble from there, reaching the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:22.1 before an incredible final quarter of :24.4 completed the mile. It was two lengths back to Linedrive Hanover in second with Rockyroad Hanover (Todd McCarthy) third.

As the 2-5 favorite, Bulldog Hanover returned $2.80 to his backers in winning for the 18th time from just 26 lifetime outings. His bulging bank account swelled to $869,770.

“I was most surprised by his last quarter,” said Dunn. “It was very impressive. I asked him at the top of the stretch and he set me back in my seat. He’s got a big, powerful stride. It doesn’t even feel like he’s doing what he’s doing.”

​​Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website. For a list of 2022 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2022, 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 2022 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 6-25-22):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 232; 2. Yannick Gingras – 184; 3. Jordan Stratton – 171; 4. Tim Tetrick – 148; 5. Todd McCarthy – 142.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 219; 2t. Brett Pelling – 107; 2t. Ake Svanstedt – 107; 4. Tony Alagna – 95; 5. Noel Daley – 84.

Owners: 1. Jesmeral Stable – 67; 2. Mark Ford – 60; 3. The OK Corral – 57; 4. Hot Lead Farm – 45; 5. Team Tritton Inc. – 40.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Vernon Downs, The Meadowlands, and Yonkers Raceway. Vernon will host the Zweig Memorial races for 3-year-old open and filly trotters; The Meadowlands will feature four Graduate Series finals for 4-year-olds of both sexes and gaits, as well as Meadowlands Pace eliminations for 3-year-olds; and Yonkers will have eliminations in the MGM Springfield Stakes for 2-year-old male pacers.