by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit
This Week: Yonkers Trot and Messenger eliminations, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Casual Breeze, Nassagaweya, Eternal Camnation and Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario; and Artiscape, Crawford Farms Trot, Joie De Vie and W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions, Tioga Downs, Nichols, N.Y.
Schedule of events: This Saturday (Aug. 26), Yonkers Raceway will host a pair of $40,000 eliminations in the Yonkers Trot for sophomore trotters, the second leg of the sport’s trotting Triple Crown. The top four horses in each elimination will return for the $500,000 final on Sept. 2. Only nine horses entered the Messenger Stakes for sophomore pacers, the second leg of pacing’s Triple Crown, so all nine will contest a single $40,000 elimination to get the eight for the $500,000 final.
Also on Saturday, Grand Circuit action at Mohawk Racetrack will feature two divisions in the C$226,050 Nassagaweya for 2-year-old pacing colts; a single C$192,333 division in the Eternal Camnation for 2-year-old pacing fillies; and a pair of C$40,000 eliminations in the Canadian Pacing Derby for older pacers. On Friday (Aug. 25) Mohawk will host two C$81,412 divisions in the Casual Breeze for 3-year-old filly trotters.
On Sunday (Aug. 27), Tioga Downs will card the $160,000 (est.) Artiscape for older pacing mares, the $160,000 (est.) Crawford Farms Trot for older trotters, the $150,000 (est.) Joie De Vie for older trotting mares and W.N. Reynolds Memorial events for freshman pacers and trotters.
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: Sitting off a contested front, Yes Mickey snuck up the pylons to edge past 6-5 favorite Ariana G and upset at 34-1 in the $320,000 Dr. Harry Zweig Memorial on Friday (Aug. 18) at Vernon Downs.
Long Tom grabbed the front from Yes Mickey before a :26.4 first quarter. Ariana G, sitting third, edged outside and brushed to the lead off a :55.1 half. Devious Man, behind International Moni stalled first over, loomed wide and trotted towards Ariana G’s wheel, pressuring the leader through a 1:23.3 third-quarter while Long Tom drifted off the rail, giving room to Yes Mickey.
Yes Mickey gradually approached the leader up the inside, getting his nose in front within the final sixteenth and edging away to win by a neck over Ariana G in a lifetime-best effort of 1:51.2. Devious Man finished third and International Moni finished fourth.
A 3-year-old gelding by Muscle Hill from the Pine Chip mare My Favorite Chip, Yes Mickey won his second race in ten starts, earning $223,087 for owner Mellby Gard Inc. Trained and driven by Ake Svanstedt, he paid $71.00 to win.
Svanstedt completed a sweep of the Zweig finals when Evelyn shook loose off a pocket trip to win the $135,000 Filly final in 1:54.1.
Sitting behind a tempo of :27, :57, and 1:25.4 set by Feed Your Head and pressure from Sunshine Delight parked first-over, Evelyn managed to weave through the dueling leaders midway through the stretch to win by a length over Sunshine Delight, with Feed Your Head faltering to third and Glitzey Gal recovering from an early break to take fourth.
Racing for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, Borje Nasstrom, and Silva Stable 45, Evelyn won her fourth race in 20 starts, pushing her career earnings to $192,166. Driven by Andy Miller, she paid $16.00 to win.
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 Aug. 19.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 635; 2. David Miller – 489; 3. Tim Tetrick – 423; 4. Scott Zeron – 330; 5. Jason Bartlett – 238.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 572; 2. Jimmy Takter – 432; 3. Brian Brown – 245; 4. Ray Schnittker – 187; 5. Ake Svanstedt – 181.
Owners: 1. Emerald Highlands Farm – 155; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 130.2; 3. Harry Von Knoblauch Stable – 123.5; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 108.6; 5. Melby Gard –90.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Yonkers Raceway and Mohawk Racetrack. Yonkers will feature the finals of the Yonkers Trot and Messenger Stakes, as well as the Hudson Filly Trot and Lady Maud. Mohawk will offer the Canadian Pacing Derby, as well as Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old colt and filly trotters and Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters.
- Yonkers Trot attracts 12, nine enter in Messenger Stakes (Monday, August 21, 2017)
Twelve 3-year-old trotters have been entered for Yonkers Trot No. 63, second jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown and nine sophomore pacers have entered the 62nd Messenger Stakes, the second jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown.
- Eliminations set for Canadian Pacing Derby (Tuesday, August 22, 2017)
A group of 16 older pacers will compete in this Saturday’s (Aug. 26) Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack in search of a spot in the $615,000 final on Sept. 2.
- More mature Yes Mickey has blossomed in 2017 (Wednesday, August 23, 2017)
A year ago, Yes Mickey might have caused his connections to cry out “Oh no Mickey” more often than his actual name. The trotter was an immature 2-year-old who started only once — and went off stride in the stretch. The outcome was not completely unexpected. He frequently made breaks when training and in two of his three qualifiers. Yes Mickey was gelded during the winter and, together with time to mature, came back to work this year a different horse. He has finished first or second in eight of nine races and earned $222,487 for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt and owner Mellby Gard Inc.
- Nirvana Seelster speeds into Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations (Thursday, August 24, 2017)
Drawing post one, locally-trained speedster Nirvana Seelster approaches seven rivals in the first of two C$40,000 Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday evening (Aug. 26).
- Summer Travel faces stern test in Nassagaweya (Friday, August 25, 2017)
He wowed those in attendance by winning a qualifying contest by 15 lengths, followed that performance with a dominating debut score of 1:51.4 and became North America’s swiftest 2-year-old of the season with a new stakes record time of 1:50.3 in the $31,442 Dream Maker final at Mohawk on Aug. 7. Despite these already impressive achievements in his young career, Summer Travel’s conditioner views the colt’s appearance in the second of two divisions of the Nassagaweya Stakes on Saturday (Aug. 26) at Mohawk Racetrack as an occasion that could reveal just how talented he truly is.
- Julie Miller to start three in Yonkers Trot eliminations (Friday, August 25, 2017)
Of the 12 colts and geldings who will contest the eliminations of the Yonkers Trot, three are trained by Julie Miller. She will send out 9-5 morning line favorite Devious Man in the first $40,000 elimination in race six. The coupled entry of Money Macintosh and Top Flight Angel are 9-5 in the early odds behind Guardian Angel As at 8-5 in the second elimination one race later. Miller is hopeful all three of her starters will finish fourth or better to earn a spot behind the gate of the $500,000 final Saturday (Sept. 2).
- Rooney winner Downbytheseaside returns to Yonkers for Messenger elimination (Friday, August 25, 2017)
When he last raced at Yonkers, Downbytheseaside won the $300,000 Art Rooney Pace May 27. The victory was his fourth in a row after capturing the Governor’s Cup at Woodbine to end his 2-year-old season, taking his 2017 debut in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and winning the Rooney elimination May 20.
- Magic Presto fifth; On A Sunny Day, Southwind Tesla win Casual Breeze divisions (Friday, August 25, 2017)
On A Sunny Day and Southwind Tesla each picked up a Grand Circuit victory in Friday’s (Aug. 25) Casual Breeze Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack. A group of 16 3-year-old trotting fillies were split into a pair of C$81,412 Casual Breeze divisions.
- Keystone Velocity, Rockin Ron take Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations (Saturday, August 26, 2017)
The field is set for the 2017 Canadian Pacing Derby, Canada’s oldest harness race, following a pair of C$40,000 eliminations on Saturday night (Aug. 26) at Mohawk Racetrack.Keystone Velocity and Rockin Ron captured their respective eliminations to head into next Saturday’s C$615,000 final with full momentum. Each C$40,000 elimination featured a field of eight with the top five finishers advancing.
- Rookies shine in Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation Stakes (Saturday, August 26, 2017)
Rookie pacers got their first taste of Mohawk Grand Circuit action Saturday night (Aug. 26) in the Nassagaweya and Eternal Camnation Stakes. Pedro Hanover and Shadow Moon won their divisions of the Nassagaweya with Percy Bluechip taking the Eternal Camnation.
- Guardian Angel AS, Yes Mickey, Downbytheseaside win eliminations for Yonkers Trot and Messenger (Sunday, August 27, 2017)
Yonkers Raceway Saturday night (Aug. 26) hosted a trio of $40,000 stakes eliminations, two for the 63rd edition of the Yonkers Trot and one for the 62nd Messenger Stakes. Guardian Angel AS, Yes Mickey and Downbytheseaside all visited the winner’s circle.
- Emoticon Hanover sets world record, Resolve track record at Tioga (Sunday, August 27, 2017)
Sunday (Aug. 27) was an incredible day of racing at Tioga Downs as Emoticon Hanover set a world record, Resolve established a track record, Pure Country was impressive in victory and The Meda equaled a track standard.