Dover and Meadowlands to host this week’s Grand Circuit stakes
November 15, 2017,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Matron Stakes, Dover Downs, Dover, Del.; and Fall Four eliminations, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit returns to Dover Downs this Thursday (Nov. 16) for four Matron Stakes for 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. The 3-year-old colt pace carries a purse of $210,000, the 3-year-old colt trotters will race for $201,900, the purse for the 3-year-old filly trot is $186,600 and the 3-year-old filly pacers will race for $182,700.
On Saturday night (Nov. 18) Meadowlands Racetrack will host eliminations in each of the Fall Four events for pacers and trotters. There will be single $20,000 eliminations in the Three Diamonds for 2-year-old filly pacers, the Governor’s Cup for 2-year-old male pacers, the Goldsmith Maid for 2-year-old filly trotters, and the Valley Victory for 2-year-old male trotters.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Springsteen is not only a big hit on Broadway but also in the Matron Stakes after winning the $211,300 colt and gelding pace at Dover Downs on Thursday (Nov. 9). His victory placed him in the Delaware facility’s winner’s circle with the likes of the sensational Youaremycandygirl, Wolfgang and Plunge Blue Chip, as these four horses captured their respective contests for 2-year-olds.
Fotowon photo
Springsteen was a 1:51.1 winner in the Matron Stakes.
Teamed with driver Simon Allard, Springsteen shot past race favorite Shnitzledosomethin just past the three-quarters and rolled on to a 1:51.1 triumph. The win was only the second this year from 12 starts and is a new lifetime mark.
Rene Allard recently became trainer of the Rock N Roll Heaven-American Charm youngster who now has banked $178,756 this season. Bruce Soulsby, Kapildeo Singh, Alan Weisenberg and Allard Racing own the winner.
Closing Statement and Brian Sears were second in front of Shnitzledosomethin (Peter Wrenn).
Yannick Gingras guided Youaremycandygirl to an easy 1:52.1 score in the $174,700 Matron filly pace. W.J. Donovan owns the American Ideal-Sweet Lady Jane lass, who is trained by Ron Burke. The filly collected her sixth consecutive stakes victory and her eighth of the year from 10 races. She has now won $714,545 in purses. Strong Opinion (David Miller) was the runner-up with Aims Whisper (Wrenn) third.
The outside post eight was no burden for Plunge Blue Chip in the $173,000 Matron filly trot. Ake Svanstedt, who owns the Muscle Mass-Dunk The Donato miss with Blue Chip Bloodstock, hustled away from the starting gate and won for fun in 1:55.4. It was her seventh win from eight races and improved her earnings to $194,833. Perfect Summer K (Andrew McCarthy) had a perfect two-hole trip and was second, with S M S Princess (Tim Tetrick) third at the wire.
Wolfgang played winning music for Gingras in a 1:55.3 decision in the $203,900 Matron colt trot. Jimmy Takter conditions the My MVP-Summer Savory freshman for owners Goran Falk, Fair Island Farm, Brixton Medical and Hatfield Stables. The win was his third of the season from eight races. Wolfgang caught Samo Different Day (Takter) in the last steps to bring his earnings to $204,920. I Know My Rights (Tyler Buter) was the show horse.
Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, 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 2017 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders through and including the races on Nov. 9.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,589.5; 2. David Miller – 1,308; 3. Tim Tetrick – 1,048; 4. Scott Zeron – 707; 5. Corey Callahan – 510.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,434.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 1,244.5; 3. Brian Brown – 492; 4. John Butenschoen – 491; 5. Erv Miller – 438.
Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 326.3; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 282.5; 3. Determination – 271; 4. Emerald Highlands Farm – 250; 5. Diamond Creek Racing – 212.8.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will again take place next week at Meadowlands Racetrack and Dover Downs. The Meadowlands will host the Fall Four finals for 2-year-olds — the Governor’s Cup, Valley Victory, Three Diamonds and Goldsmith Maid — and the four TVG finals for older male and female pacers and trotters. Dover Downs will host eliminations in the Progress Pace for 3-year-old male pacers.
- ‘Seaside’ surges to Matron (Tuesday, November 14, 2017)
Downbytheseaside will try to continue a late-season surge when he faces seven foes in Thursday’s $210,000 Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers at Dover Downs. The colt, who is harness racing’s richest horse of the year, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite despite starting from post seven.
- Matthews seeks the ‘Impossible Dream’ (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)
It is unlikely Barbara Matthews will recapture the breeding magic she conjured up in the mid-2000s when she saw the births of Foiled Again, a pacer who became harness racing’s richest horse, and Floored, a Morgan who became a multiple-world-champion in the show world. But she is willing to dream. Matthews, after a decade away from breeding horses for harness racing, last week sold a yearling trotter named Prospect Hill for $130,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. The colt, by stallion Muscle Hill out of the mare Louise Kemp, was Matthews’ first since breeding pacer Tres Noel, who was born in 2007. Her goal now is to produce a top trotter.
- Fall Final Four elims head Saturday Meadowlands card (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)
The Meadowlands is racing live on Saturday night (Nov. 18) with a 13-race program featuring $20,000 eliminations for the Freshman Fall Final Four stakes and a $25,000 TVG Open prep for the pacing mares. Racing Secretary Pete Koch found upon opening the box that each of the 2-year-old stakes would require only a single elimination to reduce each field to ten after byes had been offered to and accepted by the top money winners for each division.
- Matron 3-year-old stakes on Thursday at Dover Downs (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)
Four rich Matron Stakes for 3-year-olds headline a top 13-race program at Dover Downs on Thursday (Nov. 16). On the excellent undercard is a $30,000 Preferred Pace and a $25,000 Open. First post is 4:30 p.m.
- Alagna on his “Fall Final Four” starters (Thursday, November 16, 2017)
Trainer Tony Alagna knows Breeders Crown champion Stay Hungry will race in next week’s Governor’s Cup final and he hopes to send the colt some company for the event. Alagna-trained American History and Captain Deo are among the 2-year-old male pacers in Saturday’s single Governor’s Cup elimination at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The top nine horses from the $20,000 elimination will join Stay Hungry in the $411,700 final on Nov. 25 at the Big M. Stay Hungry received a bye based on earnings.
- Downbytheseaside, Bill’s Man, Agent Q and Dream Together prevail in Matron Stakes (Thursday, November 16, 2017)
World champion Downbytheseaside eclipsed the $2 million mark with a victory in his $210,000 division of the Matron Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Thursday (Nov. 16) at Dover Downs. Joining the colt with their own Matron triumphs were Bill’s Man, who provided leading driver Tim Tetrick with the first of four wins, Agent Q in rein to Hall of Famer David Miller and Dream Together (Daniel Dube).
- Kissin In The Sand dazzles, Darlinonthebeach serves notice at Meadowlands (Saturday, November 18, 2017)
Single eliminations for each of the Fall Final Four stakes headlined a 13-race card at the Meadowlands on Saturday night (Nov. 18). Kissin In The Sand followed her near track-record win two weeks ago in the Kindergarten final with an easy score in 1:52.2 in the Three Diamonds elimination. Nobody was catching Darlinonthebeach in the TVG Free For All event for older pacing mares.