Pace card leads big Grand Circuit weekend

Harness Racing This Week: Meadowlands Pace, Hambletonian Maturity, W.R. Haughton Memorial, Mistletoe Shalee, Stanley Dancer Memorial, Delvin Miller Memorial, Golden Girls, Miss Versatility and Kindergarten Series, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.; and Lawrence B. Sheppard Memorial, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit week begins on Friday (July 14) at Meadowlands Racetrack with two $10,000 divisions in the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt pacers and a pair of $10,000 divisions in the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old filly pacers.

The stakes heavy Saturday (July 15) Grand Circuit card at the Meadowlands features the $738,550 Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-olds, the $458,750 Hambletonian Maturity for 4-year-old trotters, the $427,400 W.R. Haughton Memorial for free for all pacers, two divisions in the $320,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters, two divisions in the $250,500 Delvin Miller Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters, the $201,000 Golden Girls for older pacing mares, the $165,700 Mistletoe Shalee for 3-year-old filly pacers, and a pair of $30,000 divisions of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.

Saturday Grand Circuit action also includes the $110,500 Lawrence B. Sheppard for 2-year-old colt pacers at Yonkers Raceway.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Marion Marauder returned to the winner's circle at The Meadowlands Racetrack, site of his Hambletonian victory last August, on Saturday night (July 8) thanks to a 1:51.2 triumph in the $240,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old trotters. Warrawee Roo, sent off at 59-1, finished second, beaten by three-quarters of a length and Dayson was third.

For Marion Marauder, who became the first Trotting Triple Crown winner to compete at the Meadowlands as a 4-year-old, it was his second win in three starts this season. Last year Marion Marauder swept the Triple Crown — the Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity — on his way to being named Trotter of the Year.

Marion Marauder, the 4-5 favorite in the Graduate, and driver Scott Zeron started from post nine and were fifth through the opening half-mile, but started a first-over march on the backstretch to overcome fraction-setting Trolley at the top of the stretch. Marion Marauder, who lowered his career mark by one-fifth of a second, paid $3.80 to win.

Marion Marauder, a son of Muscle Hill out of the mare Spellbound Hanover, has won 13 of 31 career races and earned $1.9 million in purses for owners Marion Jean Wellwood and Devin Keeling.

In the $240,000 Graduate Series final for 4-year-old pacers, 6-5 favorite Sintra followed the cover of Check Six around the last turn before bursting through the stretch to win by 4-1/2 lengths over Boston Red Rocks in 1:47.2. Western Fame finished third.

Western Fame, Lyons Snyder and Dr J Hanover all took turns on the front as the field reached the first quarter in :26.3, half in :53.2 and three-quarters in 1:20.4. Check Six battled with Dr J Hanover for the lead on the last turn, but Sintra was in striking position.

Sintra, who paid $4.60 to win, is trained by Dave Menary for owners Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero and Menary Racing. He has won six of eight races this year and earned $209,202. For his career, the son of Mach Three out of Dancin Barefoot has won 14 of 27 starts and banked $445,762.

Complete recaps of the weekend 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 July 8.

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 308; 2. David Miller – 257; 3. Scott Zeron – 238; 4. Jason Bartlett – 226; 5. Jordan Stratton – 196.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 332; 2. Rene Allard – 159; 3. Jimmy Takter – 143; 4. Peter Tritton – 132; 5. Ray Schnittker – 127.

Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 103.5; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 72.9; 3. Jeff Snyder – 70; 4. J&T Silva Stables – 68.5; 5. Weaver Bruscemi – 59.5.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at Saratoga Harness, The Meadows and The Meadowlands. Saratoga will have the Joe Gerrity for older pacers; The Meadows will have eliminations for the Delvin Miller Adios for 3-year-old colt pacers; and The Meadowlands will host the second leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters and Tompkins-Geers events for 3-year-old colt and filly trotters.

Paul Ramlow