This Week: Dexter Cup elimination, Freehold Raceway, Freehold, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit at Freehold this week features a single $39,650 Dexter Cup elimination for 3-year-old open trotters. A field of eight will go to the gate in race 10 with an approximate post time of 3:30 p.m. (EDT).

Complete entries for the race can be found by clicking on this link.

Last time: Western Fame was the top horse in the five preliminary rounds of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series and he proved to be the best again in Saturday’s (April 20) $664,000 championship for older male pacers at Yonkers Raceway. The 6-year-old stallion won the final by 4-3/4 lengths over Rodeo Rock in a stakes-record-equaling 1:50.4. More The Better N was third.

Western Fame won the Levy final by 4-3/4 lengths over Rodeo Rock in a stakes-record-equaling 1:50.4. Mike Lizzi photo.

After an opening quarter-mile skirmish with Anythingforlove A and JJ Flynn, 1-5 favorite Western Fame settled into the lead and never relinquished the top spot from there. The opening quarter was reached in :26.4, the half in :55.3, and three-quarters in 1:22.3.

Ideal Jimmy, who started from post eight and was fourth during the early goings, launched a first-over bid at the halfway point, but was rebuffed by Western Fame’s :27 third quarter. Ideal Jimmy finished fourth.

Dan Dube drove Western Fame, who had four wins and a second in the Levy’s five preliminary rounds, for trainer Rene Allard. The duo won the previous two Levy finals with Keystone Velocity and also captured the championship in 2015 with Domethatagain.

“Those fractions look kind of fast for him, but he did it nice and easy,” Dube said. “Turning for home he gave me another run again. He’s so nice to drive. He never gets tired.”

Western Fame, a son of Western Ideal-Shyaway, has won five of seven races this season and earned $446,300. For his career, he has won 21 of 74 starts and $1.48 million. He is owned by Go Fast Stable, Stephen Klunowski, B & I Stables, and Gilbert Short. His clocking equaled the stakes record set in 1993 by Silver Almahurst.

Shartin N became the first repeat champion in the 11-year history of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, capturing Saturday’s $402,600 final for pacing mares by 1-1/2 lengths over stablemate Bettor Joy N in 1:52.1. Apple Bottom Jeans finished third.

Shartin N became the first repeat champion in the 11-year history of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series. Mike Lizzi photo.

Feelin Red Hot and Apple Bottom Jeans exchanged the lead in a :27.2 opening quarter-mile, after which driver Tim Tetrick put even-money favorite Shartin N in motion from fourth place. Shartin N reached the front by the half, timed in :55.2, and was unthreatened the rest of the way.

“When I knew (Apple Bottom Jeans) had to go hard to get the lead and let (Feelin Red Hot) go and retake, I thought I would take my chance and make (Apple Bottom Jeans) push the envelope,” Tetrick said. “The fractions were still fair and (Shartin N) still ended up on the lead at the wire.”

Shartin N was last year’s Dan Patch Award winner for best older female pacer. She has won four of five races this season and earned $264,500. For her career, the New Zealand-bred daughter of Tintin In America-Bagdarin has won 30 of 42 starts and banked $1.39 million.

Jim King Jr. trains Shartin N for owners Richard Poillucci, Jo Ann Looney-King, and Tim Tetrick LLC.

“She’s got big lungs and she’s a tough SOB,” Tetrick said. “Week in and week out she shows up. When she puts her head on the gate she wants to race. She’s proven that every week.”

Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2019, 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 2019 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following this past weekend at Yonkers:

Drivers: 1. Tim Tetrick – 158; 2. George Brennan – 90; 3. Jason Bartlett – 87; 4. Daniel Dube – 77; 5. Scott Zeron – 75.

Trainers: 1. Jim King Jr. – 122; 2. Rene Allard – 77; 3. Ron Burke – 53; 4. Richard Banca – 51; 5. Ross Croghan – 43.

Owners: 1. Jo Ann Looney-King – 45; 2. Tim Tetrick LLC – 41.5; 3. D R Van Witzenburg – 40; 4. Robert Cooper Stables – 39.1; 5. Royal Wire Products – 37.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Freehold Raceway, Meadowlands Racetrack, and Miami Valley Raceway. Freehold has the Lady Suffolk for 3-year-old filly trotters and the Dexter Cup final for 3-year-old open trotters on Saturday (May 4); Meadowlands Racetrack will host the Cutler Memorial for older trotters and the first leg of the Graduate for 4-year-old pacers on Saturday (May 4); and Miami Valley Raceway features the Miami Valley Distaff for older trotting mares and the Chip Noble Memorial for older pacing mares on Monday (May 6).