This Week: Maxie Lee, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester, Pa., and Miss Versatility series leg, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit heads to The Meadowlands on Saturday (May 29) with two $30,000 divisions in the second leg of the Miss Versatility series for older mare trotters.

Then on Sunday (May 30), the Harrah’s Philadelphia program is topped by three $100,000 Invitationals — the Maxie Lee for open trotters, the Commodore Barry for open pacers, and the Betsy Ross for pacing mares.

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

Last Time: It’s Academic and Beads both displayed high speed while winning the two $50,000 divisions of the opening leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old trotters at The Meadowlands Saturday night (May 22).

It’s Academic and driver Yannick Gingras took the first division of the Graduate Series at The Meadowlands. Lisa Photo.

It’s Academic had to work hard from post four in the nine-horse field to make the front, unable to clear past El Ideal until the half while parked in a snappy :54.2. Things did not get any easier for the Ron Burke trainee from there, as pressure would come from Ab’sattitudexpress to three-quarters, which was timed in 1:23.4.

Driver Yannick Gingras then coaxed a burst of energy from the son of Uncle Peter-Annapolis to get clear by 2-1/2 lengths as they straightened up in the stretch and were cruising through the lane to an apparent easy win.

But Hypnotic AM emerged off a third-over trip and was flying late.

“I did get a third-quarter breather,” said Gingras. “But I almost got caught sleeping there. The wire came just in time.”

It’s Academic, who has now won 17 of 32 starts and earned $585,688 lifetime, paid $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favorite and finished a head in front of Hypnotic AM in 1:51.1. Hillexotic was third.

Beads brought his ‘A’ game in the second Graduate split, powering down the road in a season’s-best-equaling 1:50.2 on the trot, a time that he established in a Big M qualifier eight days earlier.

“They told me the best way to get along with him is to keep him busy, talk to him a lot,” said winning driver David Miller, who was behind the son of Archangel-Nepentha for the first time. “So I did and he felt comfortable the whole way.”

Beads fired off the gate from post six and was on the point while parked in :26.4. The Per Engblom trainee then reached the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:23.4, and off that middle-half of :57, had little trouble sprinting away from the pocket-sitting Sorella, who weakened and finished sixth.

The winner hit the finish 2-1/4 lengths in front of Amigo Volo to lift his lifetime stats to eight wins from 25 starts and earnings of $296,713. Moon Bridge was third. Lovedbythemasses, the 8-5 public choice, broke just after the start and finished seventh in the eight-horse field.

“He’s not the handiest or the quickest on the turns,” said Miller of Beads. “But at the head of the stretch I talked to my horse and he took off.”

Beads returned $11 to win as the third choice in the wagering.

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

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2021, 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 2021 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 5-22-21):

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 135; 2. Todd McCarthy – 95; 3t. Dexter Dunn – 89; 3t. Andrew McCarthy – 89; 5. George Brennan – 84.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 184; 2. Noel Daley – 57; 3. Todd Buter – 55; 4. Ake Svanstedt – 47; 5. Nancy Takter – 44.

Owners: 1t. Renee Bercury – 50; 1t. Brad Grant – 50; 3t. Burke Racing Stable – 43.6; 3t. Weaver Bruscemi – 43.6; 5. Jesmeral Stable – 40.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Northfield Park and The Meadowlands. Northfield will host the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie for older pacers while The Meadowlands will feature legs of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old pacers and trotters.