Busy Grand Circuit weekend coming up

Harness Racing This Week: Yonkers Trot, Messenger Stakes, Hudson Filly Trot and Lady Maud, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Canadian Pacing Derby, Simcoe Stakes, and Champlain Stakes, Mohawk Racetrack, Campbellville, Ontario.

Schedule of events: A busy holiday weekend of Grand Circuit action is led by a pair of Triple Crown events at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday (Sept. 2). The Hilltop oval will host the $500,000 Yonkers Trot for 3-year-old trotters and the $500,000 Messenger Stakes for 3-year-old pacers. These races will be the second legs in the Triple Crown for their respective gaits. Also on the Saturday program will be the $119,010 Hudson Filly Trot for 3-year-olds and the $113,880 Lady Maud for 3-year-old filly pacers.

Grand Circuit action at Mohawk commences on Thursday (Aug. 31) with two divisions in the C$173,880 Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old filly trotters. The Friday (Sept. 1) program is highlighted by two divisions in the C$187,760 Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old colt trotters and a single $166,872 division in the Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old filly trotters. The Saturday (Sept. 2) program features the C$615,000 Canadian Pacing Derby for older pacers. Also on the program will be two divisions in the C$194,760 Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old colt pacers, and single divisions in the C$169,381 Champlain Stakes for 2-year-old filly pacers and C$165,838 Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old colt trotters.

Complete entries for the races at Yonkers are available at this link. Entries for the Mohawk races are available at this link.

Last time: 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.

The opening elimination for the Yonkers Trot had a different feel before the outset when pole-sitting, third choice Enterprise (Tim Tetrick) broke behind the gate and effectively was eliminated from the elimination. That faux pas left the race as a two-choice, two-speed number, with even-money Devious Man (Andy Miller) waltzing around Westchester with fractions of :28, :59, and 1:28.1.

He was chased by the $30,000 buy-in, Yes Mickey (Ake Svanstedt). Devious Man, last season's New York Sire Stakes champion, had a couple of lengths in and out of the final turn before Yes Mickey, after leaving from post position four, received the memo. He dove inside, whipping Devious Man by a neck in 1:56.1. Another Chapter (Dan Dube) was a three-hole third, with 49-1 outsider Southwind Cobra (Matt Kakaley) fourth. As for Enterprise, he did catch the field but could not sustain a first-up offering.

For Yes Mickey, a Muscle Hill gelding trained by his driver for owner Mellby Gard Inc., it was his third win in 10 seasonal starts.

The second elimination for the Trot wound up with much more intrigue at the bottom than at the top, where a first-up, from post four, odds-on Guardian Angel AS (Jason Bartlett) was grinding by Money Macintosh (Andy Miller). The margin was a half-length in 1:56.2.

Money Macintosh led through intervals of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:27.1, holding second from entrymate Top Flight Angel (Brian Sears) as that one rallied from last among the six-pack. Di Oggi (Montrell Teague) and Southwind Hydro (Marcus Johansson) wound up in a dead-heat for fourth.

Guardian Angel AS, a statebred son of 2012 Yonkers Trot winner Archangel co-owned by ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson and trained by Anette Lorentzon, is now seven-for-12 this season.

Downbytheseaside made his advance to the Messenger final look quite easy with a dominating win in the sole elimination. The Messenger's game of 'musical chairs'– nine 3-year-old colt/gelding pacers to eliminate one — wasn't close to being a fair fight.

Art Rooney Pace winner Downbytheseaside (Brian Sears) made the lead before the half, then rolled home by 8-1/2 lengths in 1:51. Art Scene (Jordan Stratton) won the scrum for second, whipping the winner's entrymate Blood Line (Mark MacDonald).

The latter made the lead passing a :27 opening quarter-mile, before Downbytheseaside, away third from post position three, found the front nearing the :56 intermission. He began losing his rivals in and out of a 1:23.3 three-quarters, taking six lengths into the lane.

Mac's Jackpot (Bartlett) and first leader Summer Side (Ray Schnittker) earned the minors, while Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan), Henry The Dragon (Montrell Teague) and Miso Fast (Matt Kakaley) also made the $500,000 final of the second jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown. Beyond Delight (Dan Dube) was the odd horse out.

For Downbytheseaside, a son of Somebeachsomewhere trained by Brian Brown for co-owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and Diamond Creek Racing, it was his seventh win in 11 seasonal starts ($706,216).

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. 26.

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 665; 2. David Miller – 528; 3. Tim Tetrick – 453; 4. Scott Zeron – 330; 5. Jason Bartlett – 248.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 597; 2. Jimmy Takter – 449; 3. Brian Brown – 255; 4. Ake Svanstedt – 191; 5. Ray Schnittker – 187.

Owners: 1. Emerald Highlands Farm – 155; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 138.1; 3. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 123.5; 4. Determination – 117; 5. Weaver Bruscemi – 116.5.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Mohawk Racetrack, Scioto Downs, and The Meadowlands. Mohawk will feature eliminations of the Canadian Trotting Classic, Maple Leaf Trot, Elegantimage, and Milton, as well as Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old colt pacers; Scioto will host the Jim Ewart Memorial for older pacers and the Jug Preview for 3-year-old pacers; and Meadowlands Racetrack will feature legs of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old pacers and trotters and the Miss Versatility Series for older trotting mares.

Paul Ramlow

Grand Circuit Publicity Director