by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Joe Gerrity Memorial, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Zweig Memorial and Zweig Filly, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.; Delvin Miller Adios eliminations, The Meadows, Washington, Pa.; and Kindergarten Series, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action will be held this weekend at four different racetracks.

Action begins on Friday (July 24) at Meadowlands Racetrack with three $10,000 divisions of the Kindergarten for 2-year-old trotting colts and two $10,000 divisions of the Kindergarten for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

On Saturday (July 25), Saratoga will host their marquee event, the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Memorial for older pacers, while The Meadows will offer a trio of $25,000 eliminations for their marquee event, the Devlin Miller Adios for 3-year-old colt pacers.

The busy weekend concludes on Sunday (July 26) as Vernon Downs will offer the $370,000 Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old colt trotters (and $76,000 consolation), as well as the $185,000 Zweig Filly for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Meadowlands Racetrack hosted seven lucrative Grand Circuit events this past Saturday, led by the $706,000 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds.

Lisa photo

Wiggle It Jiggleit was a 1:47.4 winner in the Meadowlands Pace.

They all had a clear shot at him, but none of the nine other pacers in the Meadowlands Pace could get past Wiggle It Jiggleit, as his 24-year-old driver Montrell Teague gave a fist pump and won by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:47.4 at The Meadowlands. Wiggle It Jiggleit is owned by Montrell’s father, George Teague Jr. and is trained by Clyde Francis. Montrell is the youngest driver ever to win the classic race.

The son of Mr Wiggles-Mozzi Hanover started his season at The Meadowlands in the dead of the winter of 2015, racing in series and taking each in stride with progressively stronger performances. For the season, Wiggle It Jiggleit has now won 14 of 15 starts, with earnings of $978,742. His lone loss was a second place finish to Wakizashi Hanover in the North America Cup.

In the Meadowlands Pace, Montrell Teague had Wiggle It Jiggleit on cruise control to the wire in 1:47.4. Dude’s The Man ranged up on the outside to get past Wakizashi Hanover for the second place money in the final strides.

Also on the stakes loaded Saturday card, JL Cruze (John Campbell) won for the 12th consecutive time, capturing the $443,300 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters by a neck over Resolve in a world-record 2:04.2 for 1-1/8 miles. Shake It Cerry finished third.

It was JL Cruze’s third consecutive world-record effort, following his 1:49.4 win in the Graduate Series final and 1:51 triumph in the Sun Invitational. The previous record for 1-1/8 miles was 2:05.3, set by Your So Vain in last year’s Hambletonian Maturity.

JL Cruze, trained by Eric Ell, has won 16 of 18 races this year and earned $612,788. He had five wins in 17 races prior to this season. He was purchased for $37,000 at the November Standardbred Horse Sale Mixed Sale by owners Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar Jr., and Stephen Iaquinta.

Mach It So (Tim Tetrick) won the $430,600 William Haughton Memorial for older male pacers by a neck on Saturday at The Meadowlands in a time of 1:48.1.

He’s trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr. and owned by Bamond Racing. It was only the second win of the year for the 5-year-old son of Mach Three-Beach Dancer in 12 starts. Lifetime, he has captured 21 of 54 starts with a bankroll of $991,439.

State Treasurer was a fast closing second and Foiled Again was just behind him in third. Pacesetter Luck Be Withyou finished fourth.

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

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2015, 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 Farm is the sponsor for the 2015 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend:

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 303; 2. Tim Tetrick – 293; 3. Brian Sears – 275; 4. David Miller – 244; 5. John Campbell – 203.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 405; 2. Jimmy Takter – 260; 3. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 228; 4. Ray Schnittker – 187; 5. Rene Allard – 158.

Owners: 1. Bamond Racing – 195.5; 2. Burke Racing – 102.5; 3. George Teague Jr. Inc. – 100; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 94.3; 5. Ray Schnittker – 74.9.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at The Meadows and Meadowlands Racetrack. The Meadows will host eight Grand Circuit events, led by the final of the Delvin Miller Adios for 3-year-old pacing colts. Meadowlands Racetrack will host eliminations for six lucrative stakes, led by the Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old filly trotters.