by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Meadowlands Pace, Hambletonian Maturity, W.R. Haughton Memorial, Mistletoe Shalee, Stanley Dancer Memorial, Delvin Miller Memorial, Golden Girls, Miss Versatility and Kindergarten Series, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.; and Lawrence B. Sheppard Memorial, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.
Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit week begins on Friday (July 14) at Meadowlands Racetrack with two $10,000 divisions in the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt pacers and a pair of $10,000 divisions in the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old filly pacers.
The stakes heavy Saturday (July 15) Grand Circuit card at the Meadowlands features the $738,550 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds, the $458,750 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters, the $427,400 W.R. Haughton Memorial for free for all pacers, two divisions in the $320,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters, two divisions in the $250,500 Delvin Miller Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters, the $201,000 Golden Girls for older pacing mares, the $165,700 Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers, and a pair of $30,000 divisions of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.
Saturday Grand Circuit action also includes the $110,500 Lawrence B. Sheppard for 2-year-old colt pacers at Yonkers Raceway.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Marion Marauder returned to the winner’s circle at The Meadowlands Racetrack, site of his Hambletonian victory last August, on Saturday night (July 8) thanks to a 1:51.2 triumph in the $240,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old trotters. Warrawee Roo, sent off at 59-1, finished second, beaten by three-quarters of a length and Dayson was third.
For Marion Marauder, who became the first Trotting Triple Crown winner to compete at the Meadowlands as a 4-year-old, it was his second win in three starts this season. Last year Marion Marauder swept the Triple Crown — the Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity — on his way to being named Trotter of the Year.
Marion Marauder, the 4-5 favorite in the Graduate, and driver Scott Zeron started from post nine and were fifth through the opening half-mile, but started a first-over march on the backstretch to overcome fraction-setting Trolley at the top of the stretch. Marion Marauder, who lowered his career mark by one-fifth of a second, paid $3.80 to win.
Marion Marauder, a son of Muscle Hill out of the mare Spellbound Hanover, has won 13 of 31 career races and earned $1.9 million in purses for owners Marion Jean Wellwood and Devin Keeling.
In the $240,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old pacers, 6-5 favorite Sintra followed the cover of Check Six around the last turn before bursting through the stretch to win by 4-1/2 lengths over Boston Red Rocks in 1:47.2. Western Fame finished third.
Western Fame, Lyons Snyder and Dr J Hanover all took turns on the front as the field reached the first quarter in :26.3, half in :53.2 and three-quarters in 1:20.4. Check Six battled with Dr J Hanover for the lead on the last turn, but Sintra was in striking position.
Sintra, who paid $4.60 to win, is trained by Dave Menary for owners Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero and Menary Racing. He has won six of eight races this year and earned $209,202. For his career, the son of Mach Three out of Dancin Barefoot has won 14 of 27 starts and banked $445,762.
Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, 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 2017 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders through and including the races on July 8.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 308; 2. David Miller – 257; 3. Scott Zeron – 238; 4. Jason Bartlett – 226; 5. Jordan Stratton – 196.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 332; 2. Rene Allard – 159; 3. Jimmy Takter – 143; 4. Peter Tritton – 132; 5. Ray Schnittker – 127.
Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 103.5; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 72.9; 3. Jeff Snyder – 70; 4. J&T Silva Stables – 68.5; 5. Weaver Bruscemi – 59.5.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at Saratoga Harness, The Meadows and The Meadowlands. Saratoga will have the Joe Gerrity for older pacers; The Meadows will have eliminations for the Delvin Miller Adios for 3-year-old colt pacers; and The Meadowlands will host the second leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters and Tompkins-Geers events for 3-year-old colt and filly trotters.
- Classic Pro takes free (legged) ride to Meadowlands Pace (Monday, July 10, 2017)
Classic Pro might be the easiest horse to identify in Saturday’s $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers, but not because of any markings or equipment — or even a number — on the colt. It is because what Classic Pro will be missing: hobbles.
- Marion Marauder, Lady Shadow, and Walner headline Pace undercard stakes (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
Nearly $3 million in Grand Circuit stakes will be contested on Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace night, Saturday (July 15) with an early post time of 6:30 p.m.
- Bowden hopes for no bad “Blood” in Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
Adam Bowden is never quite sure what to expect from Blood Line. Last weekend, the colt finished second to award-winning Huntsville in the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace elimination, completing the mile in 1:49.1 with a :26.3 last quarter. In his previous start, Blood Line went off stride at odds of 2-1 in his elimination of the Hempt Memorial and failed to advance to the final. Needless to say, Bowden is hoping for more of the former than the latter in Saturday’s $738,550 Meadowlands Pace final for 3-year-old pacers at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
- SNY to provide live coverage of Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
The 41st Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace will air live on SNY, Saturday (July 15) from 9–10 p.m.
- Bigger, stronger Marion Marauder ready for Hambletonian Maturity (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
While some trainers might be upset they were unable to get their prized horse to the breeding shed, Paula Wellwood and Mike Keeling feel it’s a pretty good consolation prize that Marion Marauder can still race and will be on the track in Saturday’s $458,750 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-olds at the Meadowlands.
- Off-the-track excitement on Pace Night at The Meadowlands (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
While the action on the track Saturday night (July 15) at the Meadowlands will be hot, with nearly $3 million in purses headlined by the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, there will be plenty of action off the track as well.
- Antonacci hopeful Mambo Lindy hopes to make the Spirit of Massachusetts cut (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
As the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot draws near only nine of the 38 eligible horses will go postward based on the highest combined money earnings from 2016 and 2017 from those who declare. One horse that is looking to make the field is Plainridge Park regular Mambo Lindy, whose connections look forward to the opportunity.
- Meadowlands Pace card leads big Grand Circuit weekend (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
The stakes heavy Saturday (July 15) Grand Circuit card at the Meadowlands features the $738,550 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds.
- Dancer Memorial is next stop for champion Walner (Thursday, July 13, 2017)
If Walner’s six rivals last week felt as though they were run over when the returning Dan Patch Award winner made his seasonal debut with a 7-1/2 length victory in 1:51.1, it’s no wonder. “You sit behind him and it feels like you’re driving a Corvette with a Mack truck engine,” Walner’s driver, Tim Tetrick, said after the win. “He’s ready to rock.”
- Top older pacers to tangle at Big M (Thursday, July 13, 2017)
Call Me Queen Be faces a tough group of older female pacers in Saturday’s $201,000 Golden Girls at the Meadowlands Racetrack, but driver Scott Zeron expects his mare to be in the thick of the action from the get-go. It’s been a successful formula for the horse, who has earned nearly $1.1 million in her career.
- Dream Baby Dream “keeps the fire burning” for Rod and Dawn Allen (Friday, July 14, 2017)
If there is anyone on the planet who intends to ask Rod Allen if he plans on procuring the services of another reinsman to steer his Delvin Miller Memorial contestant Dream Baby Dream in this event, or any other, be forewarned he will not even acknowledge the question. After all it is a silly question, as anyone familiar with Allen knows the only individual that will be holding the lines behind this filly is him.
- Pace Night highlights at The Meadowlands (Friday, July 14, 2017)
The Meadowlands presents “The Greatest Night in Harness Racing” this Saturday with the 41st edition of the track’s signature race, the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, for a purse of $738,550. There is an early 6:30 p.m. post time on Saturday.
- Kwik Talkin gives owner Robinson a chance to shine (Friday, July 14, 2017)
Ontario-based horseman Robert Robinson is no stranger to working with talented horses. Every year, he breaks and trains quality 2-year-olds before shipping them out to trainers who will campaign and race them. Among his former pupils are Gerries Sport, a multiple Ontario Sire Stakes winner. His Kwik Talkin is the 2-1 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $110,500 Sheppard Pace final at Yonkers Raceway.
- Schnittker/Tetrick look for another Meadowlands Pace triumph (Friday, July 14, 2017)
Trainer Ray Schnittker and driver Tim Tetrick have enjoyed success previously in the Meadowlands Pace, winning in 2010 with One More Laugh, and have a chance to add another trophy to their collections when award-winning Huntsville faces nine rivals in Saturday’s $738,550 edition of the Meadowlands Racetrack’s signature event.
- Stars to shine on Saturday at Meadowlands (Friday, July 14, 2017)
There will be no shortage of award-winning horses on the track Saturday at the Meadowlands. The star-packed card features eight stakes events, with at least one Dan Patch Award winner in each. In fact, all told there will be the recipients of a combined 22 Dan Patch and O’Brien awards in action Saturday night at the Big M.