Vernon opens up busy Grand Circuit weekend

Harness Racing This Week: Crawford Farms Trot and Muscle Hill, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.; Yonkers Trot elimination, Hudson Filly Trot and Lady Maud, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Nadia Lobell, The Meadows, Washington, Pa.; Casual Breeze and Metro and She’s A Great Lady eliminations, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario; and Artiscape and W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions, Tioga Downs, Nichols, N.Y.

Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action begins this Friday (Aug. 26) as Vernon Downs will host a pair of older trotting stakes in the $193,000 Crawford Farms Trot for older males and the $170,000 Muscle Hill for older females.

Also on Friday, Mohawk Racetrack will host two C$97,000 divisions in the Casual Breeze for 3-year-old filly trotters.

On Saturday (Aug. 27), Yonkers Raceway will host a single $40,000 elimination in the Yonkers Trot for sophomore trotters, the second leg of the sport's trotting Triple Crown. Only eight horses entered the Messenger Stakes for sophomore pacers, the second leg of pacing's Triple Crown, so all eight will advance to next week's final. Additionally, Yonkers will host the $118,574 Hudson Filly Trot for 3-year-old filly trotters and the $109,050 Lady Maud for 3-year-old filly pacers.

The Meadows will host a single Grand Circuit stake on Saturday with the $140,000 Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old filly pacers.

Also on Saturday, Grand Circuit action at Mohawk Racetrack will feature a pair of stakes eliminations. There will be a trio of C$40,000 eliminations in the Metro for 2-year-old colt pacers and two C$35,000 eliminations in the She's A Great Lady for 2-year-old filly pacers. No eliminations were required for the Canadian Pacing Derby, as 10 of the sport's finest older pacers were entered and will go directly to the C$616,000 final on Sept. 3.

On Sunday (Aug. 28), Tioga Downs will card the $175,000 (est.) Artiscape for older pacing mares and W.N. Reynolds Memorial events for freshman trotters. Then on Monday (Aug. 29), Reynolds Memorial races for 2-year-old pacers will be on the program.

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: The Grand Circuit spotlight was on The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono this past Saturday night as the track hosted a busy card of 3-year-old stakes.

Betting Line paced the fastest mile ever by a 3-year-old on a five-eighths-mile track, romping to a four length win over Racing Hill in 1:47.2 in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine. Control The Moment finished third and Boston Red Rocks was fourth.

It was Betting Line's ninth consecutive victory. His only loss this year, a second-place finish, came against older horses in his first race of the season.

In the Battle of the Brandywine, Racing Hill led to the opening quarter in :26.1, with Control The Moment second and Betting Line third. Driver David Miller fired Betting Line to the front prior to the halfway point, reached in :53.4, and led comfortably to three-quarters in 1:20.1. Betting Line, the 1-2 favorite, was never threatened in the stretch and coasted to the wire.

Betting Line has won 15 of 22 career races and earned $1.38 million. The son of Bettor's Delight-Heather's Western is owned by trainer Casie Coleman's West Wins Stable, Christine Calhoun, and Mac Nichol.

Southwind Frank turned the tables on rival Marion Marauder, winning Saturday's $500,000 Colonial for 3-year-old trotters by a half-length in 1:52.4. Bar Hopping finished third and Sutton was fourth. It was a trifecta for the progeny of the stallion Muscle Hill.

Marion Marauder got the better of Southwind Frank in the Aug. 6 Hambletonian at the Meadowlands, beating him by a nose, but this time the winner's circle trip went to Southwind Frank.

In the Colonial, Sutton took the lead as the field left the gate, with Southwind Frank second as they reached the opening quarter in :27.1. Yannick Gingras moved Southwind Frank, the 6-5 favorite, to the front exiting the first turn and led the field to the half in :56.4.

By then, the 8-5 Marion Marauder and driver Scott Zeron already were on the move first up, but were unable to get past Southwind Frank. The time to three-quarters was 1:24.3.

Southwind Frank has won six of nine races this year and earned $910,023. For his career, the son of Muscle Hil-Flawless Lindy has won 17 of 21 starts and banked $1.69 million. The colt is owned by the Southwind Frank Partners.

Darlinonthebeach took the lead after the opening quarter-mile and set all the fractions from there, winning Saturday's $350,000 Valley Forge for 3-year-old female pacers by 4-1/4 lengths over Call Me Queen Be in 1:49.3. Blue Moon Stride finished third, followed by Pure Country.

Blue Moon Stride went to the front at the start, with Darlinonthebeach and driver David Miller settling in third as the field paced around the first turn and reached the quarter in :26.1. Darlinonthebeach, the 6-5 second choice behind Pure Country, was on the move coming off the turn and reached the lead on her way to the half in :54.4.

From there, Darlinonthebeach reached three-quarters in 1:21.4 and came home a convincing winner for trainer Nancy Johansson and breeder/owner White Birch Farm.

Complete recaps of all the 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 – 604.5; 2. Tim Tetrick – 522.5; 3. David Miller – 508; 4. Brett Miller – 293.5; 5. Matt Kakaley – 281.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 731.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 528.5; 3. Linda Toscano – 203; 4. Erv Miller – 197; 5. Clyde Francis – 182.5.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 169.32; 2. Harry von Knoblauch – 149.5; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 140.37; 4. Bamond Racing – 117; 5. Tom Hill – 107.

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; Mohawk will offer the Canadian Pacing Derby, finals of the Metro Pace and She's A Great Lady, as well as Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old colt and filly trotters and 3-year-old filly pacers and Champlain Stakes races for 2-year-old colt and filly trotters.

Paul Ramlow

Grand Circuit Publicity Director