With the Borgata and Matchmaker legs and finals in the books, the Grand Circuit is off and racing in 2025.
Category: Grand Circuit News
Road to the Pepsi North America Cup – May 9
Woodbine Entertainment today released its first “Road to the Pepsi North America Cup” rankings for the 2025 edition of Canada’s most prestigious harness race.
Borgata final ‘a lot of unknowns’
Seven of the eight horses in Friday’s (May 9) Grade 1 $516,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final at MGM Yonkers Raceway posted at least two wins during the event’s five preliminary rounds, with three of those older male pacers notching three victories apiece. So, it was perhaps no surprise to see five horses clustered between 5-2 and 5-1 on the morning line when the draw came out earlier this week. Mossdale Ben N, who had three wins and two seconds in the prelims, got the nod as the 5-2 pre-race choice and will leave from post five for driver Jordan Stratton and trainer Peter Tritton.
Making History leaps into Dave Little’s Road to the Meadowlands Pace Week 2
The second edition of Dave Little’s Road to The Meadowlands Pace saw a Tony Alagna trainee leap from obscurity all the way to No. 7 in the weekly poll.
‘Curdy’ aims to make some cheddar in Matchmaker final
Talk Curdy To Me needed a win in the last preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series to qualify for the final, and the 5-year-old mare delivered. Now, she will attempt to cash in on that performance in Friday’s (May 9) Grade 1 final, which goes for a purse of $490,000 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Post positions drawn for Borgata and Matchmaker Series finals
The post position draws for Friday night’s (May 9) Grade 1 $516,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series and Grade 1 $490,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series finals took place on Monday afternoon (May 5).
McCarthy seeks to roll with Hard Seven in Dexter
The road to the 100th edition of America’s Trotting Classic, the Grade 1 Hambletonian Stakes, begins Saturday (May 3) with the Grade 3 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old male trotters at The Meadowlands. The Dexter Cup is the season’s first Grand Circuit event for sophomore colt and gelding trotters and features four Hambletonian eligibles in the field. Leading that group is 8-5 morning-line favorite Hard Seven, who brings a four-race win streak to the Dexter Cup.
Dave Little’s Road to the 2025 Meadowlands Pace Week 1
After a 2-year-old season that saw him bank over $730,000 and take home a Breeders Crown trophy, the Ron Burke-trained Louprint starts out at No. 1 in the first “Road to The Meadowlands Pace” of 2025.
Dexter Cup signals start of Road to the Hambletonian; Entries due Tuesday, April 29
The Road to the 100th edition of the Hambletonian begins with the Dexter Cup (G3) and filly division Lady Suffolk, slated for Saturday (May 3), at the new host track of The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ.
Beautiful Seaside aims to keep good times going in Matchmaker
Matt Rowe debated whether to send Beautiful Seaside from her home in Ohio to compete in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway, but as the event’s last preliminary round approaches on Friday, he’s happy with the decision to go. Beautiful Seaside has won two of her three races in the Matchmaker, which is for older female pacers, and heads into Friday’s action in sixth place in the series’ standings.