by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: TVG Free For All Trot, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J. and Ben Franklin Pace, Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial, Max C. Hempt Memorial and James M. Lynch Memorial eliminations, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit spotlight will shine on Meadowlands Racetrack on Friday (June 21) with the third round of the TVG Free For All Championship Series for older trotters. A field of ten will go to the post in the $50,000 event, carded as race 10.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will host four sets of stakes eliminations on Saturday (June 22). There will be three eliminations in the Ben Franklin for older pacers, the Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old trotters and the Max C. Hempt Memorial for 3-year-old pacers. The James M. Lynch Memorial for 3-year-old filly pacers will be raced in a pair of eliminations.

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

Last time: Last weekend’s Grand Circuit action was highlighted by the C$1 million North America Cup for 3-year-old pacers at Mohawk Racetrack.

New Image Media photo

Captaintreacherous rallied late to win the Pepsi North America Cup in a time of 1:48.3.

Captaintreacherous captured the 30th edition of the Cup on Saturday evening (June 15) as he flew past his rivals in deep stretch to prevail in a career-best 1:48.3 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Tony Alagna. As if training a North America Cup winner wasn’t sufficient, Alagna’s other charge, Wake Up Peter (Ron Pierce), came home third to extreme longshot Twilight Bonfire (David Miller), who shocked many by showing up second.

Mohawk also hosted four other lucrative stakes events on the Saturday evening program. First up was the Armbro Flight, the C$271,470 marquee event for trotting fillies and mares. Bettors gave major respect to Maven, the 4-year-old Glidemaster-M Stewart daughter sent out by owner William Donovan and trainer Jonas Czernyson, and she did not disappoint. Early leader China Pearls (Randy Waples) survived an early and perhaps too aggressive challenge from Ron Pierce and Cedar Dove, and Maven picked up the pieces in the stretch, charging from the far outside to best Cedar Dove by two lengths in 1:52.4. Bax Of Life, a 70-1 shot, rushed up from last to take the show spot.

The C$364,266 Elegantimage final for 3-year-old trotting fillies belonged to Bee A Magician (Kadabra–Beehive), who made it five in a row for owners Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee, trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman and driver Rick Zeron — but only by the slimmest of margins. She prevailed by a head in 1:53, a new lifetime mark, over a strong-charging Angies Lucky Star (Sylvain Filion). Longshot Mistery Woman (David Miller) grabbed third.

As expected, 4-5 choice I Luv The Nitelife (Rocknroll Hanover–Lisjune) crushed the field in the C$391,882 Fan Hanover final for 3-year-old pacing fillies. While second favorite Jerseylicious and Corey Callahan controlled the early fractions, I Luv The Nitelife, with Tim Tetrick in the bike, blasted past at the half and never looked back. By the time she tripped the timer in a new career best of 1:49.1, she was 5-3/4 lengths to the good over second-placed Belle Boyd (Jody Jamieson). Jerseylicious came in third. Chris Ryder trains I Luv The Nitelife for Richard and Joanne Young.

In the C$225,276 Goodtimes final for 3-year-old trotting colts, first choice Toocool Forschool bowed to Flanagan Memory and Chris Christoforou, who dominated from gate-to-wire and came home a length to the good, in yet another career-best 1:54.1. Though Mike Saftic kept Toocool Forschool in the hunt throughout the mile, the Glenn Lalonde trainee couldn’t get past the determined Flanagan Memory (Kadabra–Classy Stacy). Gotta Secret, trained by Richard Moreau and piloted by Sylvain Filion, stepped up for third. Flanagan Memory is conditioned by Rene Dion, who shares ownership with Liette Flanagan.

Fred Brown photo

Corky was a winner in 1:54.4 for driver David Miller in the Historic Stakes at Tioga Downs.

Tioga Downs hosted four divisions of Historic Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday afternoon (June 16). Opening up the day in race one, Corky and David Miller wired four other rivals in the $59,300 colt trot division in 1:54.4. Corky won by a half-length over Jacks To Open, while Super Classic finished third.

In the colt pace division, only four took a shot to be crowned champion of the Jersey Cup, but that honor went to Don’t Ya Know and David Miller. The pair got away third in the short field and used a first over move down the backside to take home the lion’s share of the $52,800 purse in 1:51.3. Sky Is The Limit finished second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, with Diamond Said winding up third.

Andie Sophia and Tim Tetrick used a two hole trip behind True Day Dream to capture the $57,300 Coaching Club Trotting Oaks for fillies in a new lifetime best of 1:54.4. Andie Sophia defeated True Day Dream by 1-1/2 lengths with Fifth Shades third.

In the most well attended stakes event of the afternoon, Give Me An Amen (Andy Miller) captured the $65,900 Ladyship Stakes for pacing fillies for trainer Linda Toscano in a lifetime best of 1:52.2. The winner scored by three-quarters of a length over Offintothesunset, with Aria J third and JK Black Beauty fourth. All four fillies are trained by Toscano and were all separate betting interests due to separate ownership.

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

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2013, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will 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). Hanover Shoe Farms is the sponsor for the 2013 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend:

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 470.5; 2. Tim Tetrick – 361; 3. David Miller 216; 4. Brian Sears – 209.5; and 5. Andy Miller – 147.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 545.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 126.5; 3. Linda Toscano – 122; 4. PJ Fraley – 113; and 5. Nifty Norman – 93.5.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing – 105.85; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 103.15; 3. Our Horse Cents Stable – 63; 4. Bamond Racing – 62; and 5. KDM Stables Corp. – 60.

Looking ahead: Next weekend Grand Circuit action will be taking place at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Yonkers Raceway, Balmoral Park and Mohawk Racetrack. Pocono will have the finals for the Ben Franklin (older pacers), Earl Beal Memorial (3-year-old trotters), Max Hempt Memorial (3-year-old pacers) and James Lynch (3-year-old filly pacers) on Saturday (June 29). Yonkers will host eliminations in the Hudson Filly Trot for 3-year-olds, also on Saturday, while Balmoral offers the Hanover Stake for 3-year-old colt trotters on that same day. On Monday (July 1), Mohawk will host a leg of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.