Outstanding Meadowlands card in Grand Circuit spotlight
July 13, 2016,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 and Miss Versatility, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.; and Lawrence B. Sheppard Memorial, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.
Schedule of events: The stakes heavy Saturday (July 16) Grand Circuit card at the Meadowlands features the $732,050 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds, the $471,800 W.R. Haughton Memorial for free for all pacers, the $471,200 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters, two divisions in the $306,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters, the $223,150 Golden Girls for older pacing mares, two divisions in the $193,000 Delvin Miller Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters, the $157,400 Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers, and a $40,000 leg of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.
Saturday Grand Circuit action also includes the $100,000 Lawrence B. Sheppard for 2-year-old colt pacers at Yonkers Raceway.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Wiggle It Jiggleit got back on track at the Meadowlands Saturday (July 9), as one week after finishing third in the Ben Franklin, he shrugged off heavy rain and a sloppy track to record a sensational half-length win over rival Freaky Feet Pete in the $250,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old pacers. The winning time of 1:47.2 was a lifetime best for the defending Horse of the Year. Rock N’ Roll World was third.
Lisa photo
Wiggle It Jiggleit was a 1:47.2 winner in the Graduate final.
One week after finishing third behind Always B Miki (as a 5-year-old, ineligible for the Graduate) and Freaky Feet Pete, Wiggle It Jiggleit was away well from post three. Freaky Feet Pete also left quickly and while parked had the lead at the quarter in :25.3. With Wiggle It Jiggleit right behind him, Freaky Feet Pete hit the half in :53.1 and three-quarters in 1:20.4 and appeared to get a bit of separation as they turned for home.
But then driver Montrell Teague hit the gas pedal, and once again, Wiggle It Jiggleit, who returned $3.00 to win as the 1-2 favorite, had more than enough fuel left in the tank, edging clear in the final sixteenth to record his 32nd win in 40 lifetime starts for trainer Clyde Francis and owners George Teague Jr. Inc. and Teague Racing Partnership.
In the $250,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old trotters, John Campbell gave Musical Rhythm a perfect steer from post 10, and after yielding the top before three-quarters, came back for more in deep stretch to storm home a convincing two length winner in 1:51.2.
Musical Rhythm left quickly and was parked in second as Crazshana hit the quarter in :27.4. Musical Rhythm took over shortly thereafter, trotting past the half in :55.4. Wings Of Royalty, who got off the rail at the three-eighths and provided live cover for even-money favorite Maestro Blue Chip, ranged up to get the top at three-quarters in 1:23.2 as Campbell handled his charge with care through the far turn. Through the stretch, Maestro Blue Chip did not fire, and nearing the wire, Campbell swung Musical Rhythm out of the pocket and exploded home in the final sixteenth to record the win in 1:51.2, a lifetime best. Centurion ATM, a 30-1 longshot, finished second, with Crazshana third. Maestro Blue Chip faded to sixth.
Musical Rhythm returned $12.20 to win as the third betting choice for owners Santo and Nunzio Vena, Claude Hamel and (trainer) Ben Baillargeon, and has now won 12 of 14 starts this year.
Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2016, 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 2016 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the current leaders:
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 224; 2. Jordan Stratton – 221.5; 3. David Miller – 220; 4. Tim Tetrick – 216; 5. Matt Kakaley – 175.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 340; 2. Jimmy Takter – 208; 3. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 175; 4. Peter Tritton – 139.5; 5. Clyde Francis – 127.5.
Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch – 139.5; 2. Bamond Racing – 117; 3. Burke Racing Stable – 85.9; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 69.9; 5. Courant A B – 65.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at Saratoga, Vernon Downs, The Meadows and The Meadowlands. Saratoga will have the Joe Gerrity for older pacers; Vernon features the Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old colt trotters and the Zweig Filly for 3-year-old filly trotters; The Meadows will have eliminations for the Adios for 3-year-old colt pacers; and The Meadowlands will host the first leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters.
- “We’re very fortunate and very appreciative” (Thursday, July 14, 2016)
Round Two in what is hoped to be a season-long series of pacing showdowns is set to take place at the Meadowlands Racetrack on Saturday, and at least one owner involved with the principal characters will cherish every minute of it. He likely won’t be alone. Highlighting the $471,800 William R. Haughton Memorial for older male pacers is another much-anticipated battle between 5-year-old Always B Miki and 4-year-olds Wiggle It Jiggleit and Freaky Feet Pete. The trio will have its second head-to-head-to-head meeting in what is the most talked-about rivalry in harness racing in years.
- Racing Hill’s owner is looking forward to Meadowlands Pace trip (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)
Racing Hill heads to Saturday’s $732,050 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace as the 9-5 morning line favorite. And while the colt’s trip to the Meadowlands Racetrack will consist of a relatively short trailer ride on the New Jersey Turnpike, his owner’s journey will be considerably longer.Tom Hill, a 64-year-old lifelong participant in harness racing, will be joining Racing Hill at the Big M from his home in the United Kingdom.
- Horseplayers given rare advantage with mandatory payout on Meadowlands Pace Night (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)
An extraordinary investment opportunity exists for horseplayers on Saturday night (July 16) at the Meadowlands when the track will offer a mandatory payout of the Jackpot Super High Five wager on one of its signature race programs — Meadowlands Pace Night. The wager features a jackpot carryover of $267,769 and a 15 percent takeout.
- Blue Moon Stride seeks ‘big race’ win in Mistletoe Shalee (Thursday, July 14, 2016)
Blue Moon Stride might not attract the same attention as some of her division rivals, such as Pure Country, L A Delight, and Darlinonthebeach, but the 3-year-old female pacer draws plenty of admiration from her trainer, Mark Harder.
- Zeron talks Marion Marauder (Friday, July 15, 2016)
There’s really no other way to put it. Scott Zeron is optimistic when it comes to driving Marion Marauder. The Canadian-based trotter drew post six in his $153,250 division of Saturday’s Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack and will not have to contend with Hambletonian favorite Southwind Frank, who is in the opposite division. Marion Marauder finished second to Southwind Frank four times last season.
- Wise investment has paid off for Hannelore Hanover’s connections (Friday, July 15, 2016)
Most people in this day and age operate on a budget and understandably so. They want some bang for their buck and that is especially true in harness racing. Frank Baldachino, however, is emphatic that splurging on Hannelore Hanover and not sticking to the bottom line may have very well been the best investment he has ever made.