by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Grand Circuit events will be held this week at the Meadowlands in New Jersey and at Harrah’s Chester in Pennsylvania.

Schedule of events: The Meadowlands will host eliminations this weekend for the Breeders Crown for open pacers and trotters. A total of four $25,000 eliminations (if necessary) are scheduled for Saturday (August 15). The Open pacers and trotters and the Mare pacers and trotters are all slated to be in action.

Harrah’s Chester will host its annual Grand Circuit “Super Stakes Sunday” event on Sunday (August 16). Featured are the $500,000 Battle of Brandywine for 3-year-old open pacers, the $500,000 Colonial for 3-year-old open trotters, and the $350,000 Valley Forge for 3-year-old filly pacers. Each of these races will also offer a pair of lucrative consolations.

Last time: Brian Sears continued his impressive two-week run in Grand Circuit racing at the Meadowlands. Sears won four times last week, including the marquee event, the $1,520,333 Hambletonian for 3-year-old open trotters with Muscle Hill. Sears also captured the $783,042 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old filly trotters with Broadway Schooner, the $523,600 Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old colt trotters behind Holiday Road, and a $78,375 Countess Adios division for 2-year-old filly pacers with BJ’s Canouan.

Tim Tetrick added a trio of Grand Circuit victories last week, piloting Not Enough in the $405,000 Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers, Foreign Officer in a $53,160 Niatross division for 2-year-old colt pacers and Cesar A Blue Chip in a $50,000 Townsend Ackerman division for 3-year-old colt trotters.

Grand Circuit Driving Standings: Jim Morrill, Jr. continues to hold a commanding lead in the Grand Circuit driving standings with 24 wins so far in 2009. Brian Sears is now in second place with 13 victories. Tim Tetrick holds down third place with 12 winners. Ron Pierce checks in fourth with nine triumphs. David Miller and Dave Palone share fifth place, each with eight winners. John Campbell and Brett Miller are tied for seventh place with seven victories apiece. George Brennan is ninth with five winners in 2009. Mike Simons rounds out the top 10 with four triumphs.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit racing will be contested in four locations next week. The older pacers and trotters remain at the Meadowlands for the Breeders Crown finals on August 22. Freshman and sophomore pacers and trotters will be at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield for the Review Stakes on August 17-18, then head to the Indiana State Fair for a big card on August 22. That same day will also see Indiana Downs host the Kentuckiana Stallion Management for 2-year-old filly pacers and trotters.