by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Jim Ewart Memorial and Jug Preview, Scioto Downs, Columbus, Ohio; Kindergarten Series and Miss Versatility, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.; Simcoe Stakes and Maple Leaf Trot, Canadian Trotting Classic, Elegantimage, and Milton eliminations, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario.
Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action kicks off on Friday (Sept. 8) at Mohawk with a pair of C$40,000 eliminations in the Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters and two C$35,000 eliminations in the Milton for older pacing mares. The Saturday (Sept. 9) card is highlighted by the C$163,872 Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old filly pacers, the C$162,838 Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old colt pacers, two C$40,000 eliminations in the Canadian Trotting Classic for 3-year-old open trotters and two C$35,000 eliminations in the Elegantimage for 3-year-old filly trotters.
Grand Circuit racing at the Meadowlands will also be held on Friday (Sept. 8) with a $40,000 leg of the Miss Versatility for trotting mares, and a pair of $10,000 divisions each in the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt trotters, 2-year-old filly trotters, 2-year-old colt pacers and 2-year-old filly pacers.
On Saturday (Sept. 9), Scioto Downs will host the $225,000 Jim Ewart Memorial for older pacers and the $125,000 Jug Preview for 3-year-old colt pacers.
Complete entries for the races at the U.S. tracks are available at this link. Entries for the Mohawk races are available at this link.
Last time: World champion Downbytheseaside (Brian Sears) withstood a late charge from two rivals to win the $500,000 Messenger Stakes final for 3-year-old colt pacers in 1:52.1 on Saturday night (Sept. 2) at Yonkers Raceway by a nose. Sears completed the Messenger/Yonkers Trot double when he steered Top Flight Angel to victory by the very same margin in the aforementioned contest later on a card that also included the Hudson Filly Trot and Lady Maud Pace.
Downbytheseaside and Sears got away from the gate to make the lead just past the :27.1 first quarter, with Blood Line (Mark MacDonald) tucked in behind. Downbytheseaside led the field to the half in :56 and to the three-quarters in 1:24.1. He was still on top at the head of the stretch but a charge was developing from horses on both sides.
Art Scene (Jordan Stratton) came charging on the inside late and was second and Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan) was third on his outside. Downbytheseaside held them off to win by a nose.
Downbytheseaside is owned by Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and Diamond Creek Farm; he’s trained by Brian Brown. The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Sprig Hanover improved his 2017 record to 12-8-1-2, with earnings of $956,216.
Top Flight Angel (Sears) was a nose the best in the $500,000 Yonkers Trot for 3-year-olds in 1:56.3.
Devious Man and Andy Miller got away with the lead off the gate to hit the quarter-mile mark in :28.4 and held that lead to the :58.4 half, with Yes Mickey (Ake Svanstadt) along the rail in second racing with a new Murphy Blind on the left side and Top Flight Angel in third.
Devious Man was still on the lead at the 1:27.3 three-quarters, but there was a gathering storm behind him, with both Yes Mickey (along the inside) and Top Flight Angel (on the outside). In the end it was a win by a nose for Top Flight Angel over Yes Mickey, with Devious Man in third.
The win earns Top Flight Angel an automatic invitation for the Yonkers International, to be held Oct. 14, and improved his seasonal slate to 12-3-1-3, with earnings of $331,916. Top Flight Angel is owned by Legendary Standardbred Farm of New York and trained by Julie Miller.
Complete recaps of all the 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 Sept. 2.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 760; 2. David Miller – 598; 3. Tim Tetrick – 503; 4. Scott Zeron – 395; 5. Jason Bartlett – 288.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 617; 2. Jimmy Takter – 529; 3. Brian Brown – 275; 4. Ake Svanstedt – 221; 5. Ray Schnittker – 187.
Owners: 1. Emerald Highlands Farm – 155; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 143.9; 3. Determination – 137; 4. Diamond Creek Racing – 132.1; 5. Harry Von Knoblauch Stable – 123.5.
Looking ahead: A busy schedule of Grand Circuit racing will be taking place next week at Mohawk, Hoosier Park, The Meadowlands, Harrah’s Philadelphia and the Delaware County Fair. Mohawk will host finals in the Maple Leaf Trot, the Canadian Trotting Classic, the Elegantimage, and the Milton, as well as eliminations in the Metro Pace, the She’s A Great Lady, the Peaceful Way and the William Wellwood Memorial; Hoosier Park will host the Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old pacing fillies; The Meadowlands will card another leg of the Kindergarten Series for freshman trotters and pacers; Harrah’s Philadelphia will race Simpson stakes for 3-year-old male pacers and trotters; and Delaware will have Standardbred stakes for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers.
- Maple Leaf Trot, Canadian Trotting Classic elims set (Tuesday, September 05, 2017)
The eliminations for several events, including the Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic, were drawn Tuesday (Sept. 5) at Mohawk Racetrack. Resolve (pictured) is set to defend his Maple Leaf Trot title in the second division. New Image Media photo.
- Menary and McCarthy look to score with Sintra in Jim Ewart Memorial (Wednesday, September 06, 2017)
If trainer Dave Menary has any problem with Sintra, it’s that there aren’t enough days to enjoy the horse. Sintra, fresh off his win in last week’s Canadian Pacing Derby, leads a group of 10 horses to Saturday’s $225,000 Jim Ewart Memorial for older pacers at central Ohio’s Scioto Downs. The 4-year-old gelding will start from post No. 8 with Andy McCarthy sitting in for regular driver Jody Jamieson, who will be racing at Mohawk.
- Pasithea Face to tackle the boys in Maple Leaf Trot (Thursday, September 07, 2017)
It did not take long for Jimmy Takter to fall in love with Pasithea Face. “It was the first time I trained her,” Takter said about the 5-year-old Swedish-born mare, who arrived in his stable on June 19 and two months later trotted one of the fastest miles in history by a female trotter. “She came here and she looked fantastic and she adapted very easily to my way of training. I drove her in her first qualifier and I thought, wow, what a nice filly. She is a fantastic horse.”
- Pure Country, Blue Moon Stride take Milton eliminations (Friday, September 08, 2017)
Pure Country and Blue Moon Stride captured Friday night’s (Sept. 8) C$35,000 Milton Stakes eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack. A loaded group of 15 pacing mares were split into a pair of eliminations to determine the field for the C$256,000 Milton Stakes on Saturday (Sept. 16).
- Hannelore Hanover, Mambo Lindy capture Maple Leaf Trot eliminations (Friday, September 08, 2017)
The field is set for the C$593,000 Maple Leaf Trot on Saturday (Sept. 16) following Friday’s (Sept. 8) eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack. An all-star group of 15 older trotters were split into two C$40,000 eliminations, which were won by Hannelore Hanover and Mambo Lindy.
- PL Jill storms past Caprice Hill to win Miss Versatility at Meadowlands (Friday, September 08, 2017)
The abbreviated four-date September Meet at the Meadowlands got underway Friday night (Sept. 8) and it was an abbreviated four-horse field that was the night’s spotlight showdown. Millionaire trotting mares Caprice Hill and Broadway Donna faced off against the 1-2 punch of Oho Diamond and PL Jill from trainer Renaldo Morales III. PL Jill captured the contest.