This Week:  Zweig Memorial open and filly, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.; and Graduate Series finals, Meadowlands Pace eliminations and Kindergarten Series, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Friday (July 7) at The Meadowlands with the opening leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds. Nine Kindergarten races will be contested, three each for 2-year-old colt and filly trotters, a pair for 2-year-old colt pacers and one for 2-year-old filly pacers. Grand Circuit racing continues Saturday (July 8) with the $240,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old open pacers, the $230,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old open trotters, and a pair of $50,000 Meadowlands Pace eliminations for 3-year-old open pacers.

Also on Saturday, Vernon Downs hosts the $350,000 Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old open trotters and the $142,000 Zweig Filly for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Entries for the races can be found by clicking on this link.

Last Time: Up Your Deo, fresh off a track record win in his elimination a week ago, kicked off this year’s Trotting Triple Crown with a 1:53.3 triumph for trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt in the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot, for 3-year-old colts and geldings, on Friday night (June 30) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Up Your Deo sustained a first-over push to defeat Chapercraz in the MGM Yonkers Trot. Mike Lizzi photo.

Starting from post two, Up Your Deo, who miscued briefly past the start in his elimination score, got away cleanly this time and settled in third behind Chapercraz (Yannick Gingras) and Ari Ferrari J (Dexter Dunn). Chapercraz posted opening-half fractions of :28 and :57.2, with Svanstedt waiting until early on the third turn to move first-over. Unfortunately for Svanstedt, his other horse in the race, Kierkegaard K (Mark MacDonald), went off stride as he was flushing out Up Your Deo to follow, spoiling his chances of success.

Chapercraz quickened once Up Your Deo pulled and maintained command at the three-quarters in 1:25.3, but Up Your Deo had advanced in second on the outside at that point. They continued to race in that order around the final bend and into the stretch, and although Chapercraz was game and tried to fend off Up Your Deo, it was to no avail, as Up Your Deo sailed by halfway through the drive on his way to win by three-quarters of a length.

Chapercraz was the runner-up, with Ari Ferrari J, Devilish Hill (Andy McCarthy) and Tillio’s Action (Jordan Stratton) finishing third through fifth.

Bred by co-owner Deo Volente Farms, the victorious Walner colt is also co-owned by Svanstedt, Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc. and Van Camp Trotting Corp. Up Your Deo now has three wins, three seconds and two thirds from 12 lifetime efforts, has earned $281,487 and returned $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

Captain Batboy and driver Jordan Stratton made every call a winning one, capturing the $250,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes, the first jewel of Pacing’s Triple Crown, at Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (June 30) in a sparkling 1:57.4 clocking for the 1-1/16-mile distance.

A son of Captainreacherous, Captain Batboy, a winner of just $94,468 entering the race, more than doubled his earnings for owner Joseph Smith and trainer Tom Fanning. Strengthfromabove was a clear second, with Thunder Hunter Joe pacing home well for third. American Fling, the early leader, faded to fourth, with Joemikiyoursofine never leaving the pylons and gaining the fifth check.

As the 2-1 second choice, Captain Batboy returned $6.00 to win.

​​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 7-2-23):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 262; 2. Yannick Gingras – 243; 3. Scott Zeron – 229; 4. Jordan Stratton – 224; 5. Tim Tetrick – 159.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 252; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 227; 3. Linda Toscano – 180; 4. Brett Pelling – 112; 5. Marcus Melander – 107.

Owners: 1. Mark Ford – 98; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 52.1; 3. Team Tritton Inc. – 52; 4. Jorgen Sparredal Inc. – 50; 5. Jesmeral Stable – 47.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at The Meadowlands. The track will feature the Meadowlands Pace final for 3-year-olds, the William Haughton Memorial for older pacers, the Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters, the Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters, the Delvin Miller Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters, the Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers, the Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older pacing mares, and a leg of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares on a big July 15 card.