Grand Circuit races this weekend

Harness Racing This Week: Molson Pace, The Raceway at Western Fair District, London, Ontario; and Art Rooney and Lismore, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit will take place at two locations this weekend. Action begins on Friday (May 29) at The Raceway at Western Fair District with the C$150,000 Molson Pace for free for all pacers. In addition to the appearance of two-time defending champion State Treasurer, who will start from the trailing post eight, recent Confederation Cup winner All Bets Off is in the field and has drawn the rail.

Yonkers Raceway will host the $300,000 final of the Art Rooney Pace (3-year-old colts/geldings) and the $117,724 Lismore Pace (3-year-old fillies) on Saturday (May 30). Elimination winners In The Arsenal and Sonofa Sizzle lead the field in the Art Rooney Pace.

Complete entries for the Yonkers races can be found by clicking on this link. Western Fair entries can be found by clicking on this link.

Last time: Last weekend's Grand Circuit action was highlighted by the Maxie Lee Memorial for older trotters, the Jerry Taylor Memorial for older pacers and the Betsy Ross for pacing mares at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Father Patrick, who was a division champion at ages 2 and 3, made his 4-year-old debut a winning one by capturing Sunday's (May 24) $150,000 Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational by two lengths over Bee A Magician in 1:52.1. Lindy's Tru Grit finished third. Father Patrick's time equaled the track record for a 4-year-old male trotter.

"If everything stays perfect I think he's going to be very dominant," said trainer Jimmy Takter, whose past stars include Horse of the Year Award winners Moni Maker and Malabar Man. "I really do. I've been around greatness, and I think he's going to be a horse people talk about for many, many years."

Father Patrick and Bee A Magician were among four horses to go for the lead on the first turn and Father Patrick got to the front before the group neared the second turn. The opening quarter was :27.1, followed by a half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.2.

Bee A Magician tried to launch a challenge coming off the final turn, but Father Patrick yielded no ground.

"He did it so easy too," winning driver Yannick Gingras said after the race. "The earplugs are still in; I never really called on him. I let him trot the last eighth (of a mile).

"Bee A Magician got the right trip, but with those kinds of fractions maybe I got a little bit of a jump on her. But she's a great horse and I was definitely worried around the turn when Brian (driver Sears) pulled because I knew she would give me a run. But he just showed what kind of horse he is."

Father Patrick has won 23 of 29 career races and earned $2.51 million for the Father Patrick Stable ownership group.

Takter also visited the winner's circle following the inaugural $150,000 Jerry Taylor Invitational for older male pacers, which was won by his Great Vintage (David Miller) by three-quarters of a length over Dancin Yankee in 1:50.2. Mach It So finished third.

A 7-year-old son of American Ideal out of the mare Art's Vintage, Great Vintage is 2-for-2 this season. He has won 28 of 95 career races and earned $793,108. Takter trains Great Vintage for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding, Goran Anderberg and Goran Falk.

Radar Contact (John Campbell) won the $150,000 Betsy Ross Invitational for older female pacers by a neck over Anndrovette, who won last year's race. Ooh Bad Shark was third.

Radar Contact went to the front in the opening quarter-mile and never looked back, holding off multiple Dan Patch Award-winner Anndrovette at the wire.

A 7-year-old daughter of Dontgetinmyway out of the mare Topville Cyberwave, Radar Contact has won six of 16 races this year and finished worse than second only twice. For her career, she has 31 victories in 97 starts and $877,006 in purses. Radar Contact is trained by Noel Daley for owners Charles Stillings and Dean Ehrgott.

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. Daniel Dube – 152; 2. Yannick Gingras – 146; 3. Jason Bartlett – 123; 4. Brian Sears – 118; 5. Tim Tetrick – 102.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 230; 2. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 186; 3. Rene Allard – 130; 4t. Mark Silva – 50; 4t. Jimmy Takter – 50.

Owners: 1. Bamond Racing – 164.5; 2. Burke Racing – 61.75; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 53.55; 4. Allard Racing – 41.6; 5. Jeff Snyder – 37.5.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place at four different racetracks next weekend. The Meadows will host 3-year-old filly trotters (Friday, June 5) and 3-year-old colt trotters (Saturday, June 6) in the Currier & Ives. Also on Saturday, Scioto Downs will host the Charlie Hill for free for all trotters, Mohawk will feature the Somebeachsomewhere for 3-year-old colt pacers and Meadowlands Racetrack will contest the second leg of the Graduate for 4-year-old open pacers and trotters.

Paul Ramlow