This Week: Progress Pace eliminations, Bally’s Dover, Dover, Del. and Fall Four eliminations, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit returns to Dover this Thursday (Nov. 16) for two $35,000 eliminations in the Progress Pace for 3-year-old open pacers. A field off 13 will compete for eight spots in the final slated for Nov. 22.

On Saturday night (Nov. 18), Meadowlands Racetrack will host the Fall Four eliminations for freshman pacers and trotters. The Fall Four features a pair of $20,000 eliminations in the Governor’s Cup for 2-year-old male pacers and the Goldsmith Maid for 2-year-old filly trotters, and single $20,000 eliminations in the Valley Victory for 2-year-old male trotters and the Three Diamonds for 2-year-old filly pacers. The $1.6 million (est.) finals will be held on Nov. 25.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Breeders Crown champion Confederate cracked $2 million in career earnings with a punishing 1:49 win in the $170,850 Hap Hansen Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers on Thursday (Nov. 9) at Bally’s Dover.

Confederate became harness racing’s newest double millionaire with a 1:49 win in the Hap Hansen Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers. Fotowon photo.

A $25,000 supplement into the Matron, Confederate floated into midfield as Cannibal (Yannick Gingras) used :26.1 first-quarter speed to clear Ken Hanover (David Miller) for early control. After briefly tucking into fourth, Tim Tetrick — carrying the colors of Diamond Creek Racing — brushed Confederate to the top, seizing control at the end of a :54.3 half. Ken Hanover reemerged up the backstretch to apply first-over pressure to three-quarters in 1:22.1, but Confederate responded with a :26.4 sprint home, striding clear of Cannibal to win by two lengths under just mild encouragement at the sixteenth pole. Ken Hanover finished third.

Brett Pelling trains 18-time winner Confederate, a son of Sweet Lou who paid $2.20 to win as the overwhelming favorite.

Dexter Dunn fashioned a Matron double with a pair of 3-year-old fillies: trotter Call Me Goo ($4.20) and pacer Twin B Joe Fresh ($2.60).

Male trotter Point Of Perfect ($10.40) and Gingras rounded out the quartet of 3-year-old Matron winners, prevailing by a head in a three-horse photo over Khaosan Road (Åke Svanstedt) and Dire Straits (Miller).

Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website. For a list of 2023 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2023, 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 2023 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 11-9-23):

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,318; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,150; 3. Dexter Dunn – 1,134; 4. David Miller – 1,047; 5. Scott Zeron – 950.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,583; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 1,338; 3. Nancy Takter – 670; 4. Tony Alagna – 605; 5. Linda Toscano – 489.

Owners: 1. Diamond Creek Racing – 432.6; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 316.9; 3. Hudson Standardbred Stable – 210.8; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 209.1; 5. Brad Grant – 187.4.

Looking ahead:  Grand Circuit action takes place next week at The Meadowlands and Bally’s Dover. The Meadowlands will feature four FanDuel finals for older pacers and trotters and the Fall Four championship finals for 2-year-old pacers and trotters. Dover will host the Progress Pace final for 3-year-old open pacers.