by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Matron Stakes, Dover Downs, Dover, Del.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit heads to Dover Downs this Thursday (Nov. 6) for eight Matron Stakes for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.

Here is the schedule of races in the order in which they will be contested: Race 1-$203,800 2-year-old filly trot; Race 2-$237,500 2-year-old colt trot; Race 6-$199,600 2-year-old filly pace; Race 7-$193,200 2-year-old colt pace; Race 8-$160,950 3-year-old filly trot; Race 10-$200,350 3-year-old colt trot; Race 11-$186,550 3-year-old colt pace; Race 12-$179,200 3-year-old filly pace.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Hoosier Park and Vernon Downs shared the Grand Circuit spotlight last weekend as each track had several stakes on their respective cards.

There were surprises at Hoosier Park on Oct. 31, in addition to the blowing snow that was part of the scene. Father Patrick couldn’t get past E L Titan in the $230,000 Carl Erskine Trot and Always B Miki made a power move into the wind down the backstretch and still pulled away to a 2-1/2 length victory in the $275,000 Monument Circle.

E L Titan and Ron Pierce pulled one of the biggest upsets of the evening in the Carl Erskine Trot as the duo were able to hold off the heavily favored Father Patrick late in the lane to score in 1:57.2. At the wire, the margin of victory was three-quarters of a length and E L Titan was able to survive a judge’s inquiry to score his third win of the season.

For E L Titan, it was his sixth lifetime victory from 12 career outings. The son of Muscle Hill-Courtney Hall increased his seasonal earnings to $363,212 for trainer Riina Rekila and owner Erkki Laakkonen.

Always B Miki and David Miller brushed to the lead at the half in the $275,000 Monument Circle for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers and were never caught in a 1:52 mile. Always B Miki was a 2-1/2 length winner over Limelight Beach (Yannick Gingras) with Somewhere In LA (Brett Miller) third.

The son of Always A Virgin-Artstopper is owned by Bluewood Stable, Val D’Or Farms and Roll The Dice Stable and is trained by Joe Holloway. The victory was the 11th in 18 season’s starts for Always B Miki and lifted his season’s earnings to $778,982.

Fotowon photo

Maven scored in track record fashion, winning the $178,000 Muscle Hill distaff trot in 1:52 on Nov. 1 at Vernon. The win was one of three Grand Circuit stakes on the night for driver Yannick Gingras.

On Nov. 1 at Vernon Downs, driver Yannick Gingras took home gold in three of the four stakes races on the 11-race closing night program.

His stakes hat trick began in the $178,000 Artiscape distaff pace, where he kept double millionaire Rocklamation ($7.30) off a strenuous early pace. Second-over on the far turn behind Shelliscape (John Campbell), Gingras moved the 6-year-old Rocknroll Hanover mare three-wide at head-stretch, drawing clear of the pacesetting Somwherovrarainbow (David Miller) en route to a three length, 1:50.2 win. Triple millionaire Anndrovette (Tim Tetrick) faded to fourth after tracking from the pocket through the race’s middle stages.

Ron Burke trains Rocklamation for the Our Horse Cents Stables, Stable 45 and the J&T Silva Stables.

Gingras came right back in the $240,500 Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-old trotting colts, holding sway with French Laundry ($5.90) after a middle move to the fore.

Clearing the front just past a :57.1 half-mile, the son of Muscles Yankee-Creamy Mimi held off a first-over challenge from Airman Batten (Lewayne Miller), subsequently keeping pocket rival Boots N Chains (Corey Callahan) at bay for a 1-3/4 length triumph in 1:54.4.

Jimmy Takter trains French Laundry for the partnership of Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.

Gingras won his third stakes of the night in the $178,000 Muscle Hill distaff trot, retaining his usual drive aboard Maven ($5.10) in her pari-mutuel debut for trainer Ron Burke, and turning in a sensational track-record effort.

The 5-year-old Glidemaster mare took the lead from the sharply-clearing Bee A Magician (Brian Sears) after a :26.3 initial quarter, controlling the terms through a :57.4 middle half while keeping the first-over Classic Martine (Tim Tetrick) at bay through the stretch. Maven would not be denied in the extended battle, defeating Classic Martine by a half-length in 1:52, a track record for older trotting mares.

William Donovan owns the internationally-acclaimed Maven.

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

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2014, 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 2014 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend.

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 2,030; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,087; 3. David Miller – 944.5; 4. Ron Pierce – 695.5; 5. Corey Callahan – 628.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 2,217.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 1,679; 3. Erv Miller – 446.5; 4. Joe Holloway – 379; 5. Tony Alagna – 332.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing – 494; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 444; 3. 3 Brothers Stable – 317; 4. Brittany Farms – 274.45; 5. Robert Key – 272.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Meadowlands Racetrack with Breeders Crown eliminations scheduled in all 12 categories (2- and 3-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters and older horse and mare pacers and trotters.