by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Breeders Crown eliminations, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit heads to Meadowlands Racetrack this Friday (Nov. 14) and Saturday (Nov. 15) for Breeders Crown eliminations in seven divisions. Eliminations will not be required for the 3-year-old Colt Trot, the 3-year-old Filly Trot, the Mare Pace, the Mare Trot and the Open Pace.

The Friday card features a pair of $25,000 eliminations in the 2-year-old Filly Trot, the 2-year-old Filly Pace and the 3-year-old Filly Pace. The Saturday card features a single $25,000 elimination in the Open Trot and two $25,000 eliminations each in the 2-year-old Colt Trot, the 2-year-old Colt Pace and the 3-year-old Colt Pace.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Dover Downs hosted eight Matron Stakes for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits this past Thursday (Nov. 6). Among the highlights were victories by 3-year-old trotters Nuncio and Shake It Cerry and 2-year-old pacer In The Arsenal.

Nuncio made it five wins in a row, grabbing the lead before the second turn and never yielding the position on his way to a three-quarter length victory over Harper Blue Chip in 1:54.1 over a “good” track in the $200,350 Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters. Hillustrious charged from near the rear of the field through the stretch to finish third. Father Patrick, the 1-2 favorite, went off stride soon after the start and was not a factor.

Fotowon photo

Nuncio was a 1:54.1 winner in the Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters.

Starting from post eight, Nuncio was second to Harper Blue Chip in the opening quarter-mile, but took the lead as the horses passed the grandstand for the first time. Nuncio, driven by John Campbell, was the 6-5 second choice.

“I didn’t realize (Father Patrick made a break); I was concentrating on my horse and just keeping him to his task,” Campbell said.

Nuncio has won 11 of 16 races this year, including two jewels in the Trotting Triple Crown, the Kentucky Futurity and Yonkers Trot, and earned $1.39 million. He is owned by Stall TZ Inc. and trained by Jimmy Takter. For his career, the son of Andover Hall-Nicole Isabelle has won 16 of 26 starts and never finished worse than second.

Jimmy Takter-trained Shake It Cerry went to the lead in the opening quarter-mile and cruised to a 2-1/4 length win in the $160,950 Matron Stakes for 3-year-old female trotters. The time of 1:52.4 was a stakes and track record. Lifetime Pursuit, also trained by Takter, finished second and Cee Bee Yes was third.

“She’s very special, extremely special,” driver Ron Pierce said about Shake It Cerry, who was the 2-5 favorite. “She’s got the heart, she has the speed, the gait — she has everything it takes.”

Shake It Cerry has won 14 of 16 races this season, including eight in a row since finishing fourth in the Hambletonian Oaks, and earned $980,411. The daughter of Donato Hanover-Solveig is owned by Solveig’s Racing Partners.

In The Arsenal fired early, taking the lead from longshot Lyons Levi Lewis as the field came off the first turn, and never looked back on his way to winning the $193,200 Matron Stakes for 2-year-old male pacers by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:51. Lyons Levi Lewis, sent off at odds of 99-1, finished second and Bet You was third.

“He’s got a lot of go, a real big engine,” winning driver Brian Sears said about In The Arsenal. “He’s a little green at times, he’s a little ornery, but he’s starting to figure it out.

“He really wants to throw it in gear and you’ve just got to try to ration him out a little bit. Sometimes he fights you a little bit, but lately he’s been able to understand what we’re trying to accomplish out there.”

In The Arsenal (American Ideal-Ladyotra), who was the 7-5 favorite in the Matron, has won six of nine races and $268,318 for trainer Kelvin Harrison and owner White Birch Farm. It was In The Arsenal’s fourth consecutive triumph.

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 – 2,100; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,102; 3. David Miller – 969.5; 4. Ron Pierce – 775.5; 5. Corey Callahan – 633.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 2,307.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 1,779; 3. Erv Miller – 446.5; 4. Joe Holloway – 389; 5. Tony Alagna – 332.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing – 506.95; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 456.95; 3. 3 Brothers Stable – 317; 4. Brittany Farms – 294.45; 5. Robert Key – 272.

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