by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit

This Week: Battle of Lake Erie, Northfield Park, Northfield, Ohio; and Armbro Flight, Goodtimes, North America Cup, Fan Hanover and Roses Are Red eliminations, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario.

Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action this week begins on Friday (June 12) at Northfield Park with the $175,000 Battle of Lake Erie for older pacing horses.

Mohawk Racetrack will also host Grand Circuit racing on Friday with two C$35,000 eliminations in the Armbro Flight for trotting mares and two C$30,000 eliminations in the Goodtimes for 3-year-old trotting colts. The Saturday (June 13) card at Mohawk features a trio of C$50,000 eliminations for the North America Cup for 3-year-old pacing colts and two C$35,000 eliminations in the Roses Are Red for pacing mares and the Fan Hanover for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

Complete entries for the Northfield Park race can be found by clicking on this link. Mohawk entries can be found by clicking on this link.

Last time: Last weekend’s Grand Circuit action was highlighted by the $200,000 Charlie Hill Memorial for older trotters at Scioto Downs. Bee A Magician, driven by Brian Sears, dug deep to win the Hill Memorial in 1:53.3 on Saturday night (June 6).

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Bee A Magician was a 1:53.3 winner in the Charlie Hill Memorial.

Sent off as the favorite at odds of 1-5, the 5-year-old Kadabra mare and Sears floated out from post four as DW’s NY Yank left from post five and Il Sogno Dream took the lead from post two. Bee A Magician, the lone mare in the race, ranged first-over and took the lead past the first quarter.

The mare had an easy second quarter in :29.2 before Natural Herbie came first-over. Near the three-quarters, Lindy’s Tru Grit moved three-wide, but Bee A Magician found another gear and opened up in the stretch. DW’s NY Yank was closing at the wire, but could only get within a half-length of the victor. Il Sogno Dream was third with Obrigado fourth.

Bee A Magician is trained by Richard “Nifty” Norman for co-owners Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee. She now has four wins in five starts this year, with her lone loss coming to Father Patrick in the Maxie Lee Memorial at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The victory vaulted Bee A Magician over the $3 million mark in career earnings.

Suit And Tie was dressed for success in Saturday’s Currier & Ives open division at The Meadows, promenading through the Lightning Lane to earn a narrow victory in the $119,565 stake for 3-year-old trotters.

Suit And Tie had won only two of his previous 21 starts and was somewhat overshadowed by his stablemate, Boots N Chains, who also started in the Currier & Ives.

Boots N Chains had to work hard for the lead, securing it at the three-eighths, and was pressured by the first-over Chef Lee. That set the stage for Suit And Tie’s rally, as he poured through for Aaron Merriman and scored in a career-best 1:54.1. Shoot The Thrill, who was pushed four wide through the final turn, trotted wide gamely, but came up a nose short while Boots N Chains saved show.

John Butenschoen trains Suit And Tie for William Wiswell and M And L of Delaware.

Complete recaps of 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 Farms is the sponsor for the 2015 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend:

Drivers: 1. Brian Sears – 168; 2. Yannick Gingras – 163: 3. Daniel Dube – 157; 4. Tim Tetrick – 132; 5. David Miller – 126.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 279; 2. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 186; 3. Rene Allard – 130; 4. Jimmy Takter – 95; 5. Nifty Norman – 60.

Owners: 1. Bamond Racing – 164.5; 2. Burke Racing – 73.55; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 65.35; 4. Allard Racing – 41.6; 5. Jeff Snyder – 40.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place at Mohawk and the Meadowlands next weekend. Mohawk will host its five stakes finals, led by the C$1 million North America Cup, on Saturday night (June 20), while the Meadowlands will card the third leg of The Graduate Series for 4-year-old open pacers and trotters on Friday (June 19).