Grand Circuit champs point to $1,000,000 PASS finals

North America Cup winner It’s My Show (Sweet Lou-Put On A Show) and Hambletonian Oaks winner Heaven Hanover (Father Patrick-Hillarmbro) will be among this year’s Grand Circuit victors looking to add Pennsylvania Sire Stakes crowns to their harness racing credits when Harrah’s Philadelphia hosts the four series championships for 3-year-olds on Sunday. Each final races for a purse of $252,000.

Philly also will host four $50,000 PASS consolations on the card, which begins at 12:40 p.m. (EDT). The $252,000 championships are races nine, ten, eleven and twelve.

It’s My Show drew post one for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Linda Toscano in the $252,000 final for 3-year-old male pacers. His stablemate Fulton (Heston Blue Chip-Bettor Be Steamin), the defending series champ, will leave from post two with driver Andrew McCarthy. Both horses were 2-for-2 in PASS prelims this season.

Milstein Memorial winner Seven Colors (Stay Hungry-Rainbowinthedark) and Ken Hanover (Captaintreacherous-KJ’s Justine), another Grand Circuit winner, will start from posts four and three, respectively. Both won two of four starts in the prelims. Dexter Dunn will drive Seven Colors for trainer Andrew Harris while David Miller will drive Ken Hanover for trainer Roland Mallar.

Heaven Hanover will start from post eight with Tim Tetrick driving for Marcus Melander in the final for female trotters. Two-time prelim winners Fashion Annie and Railee Something drew posts four and six, respectively. Andy McCarthy will drive Fashion Annie (Donato Hanover-Fashion Athena) for Jim Campbell. Yannick Gingras is listed to drive Railee Something (International Moni-Railee Priti) for Ron Burke.

In the final for male trotters, defending champion Once In A Lifetime will start from post eight with Tetrick in the bike for Campbell. Once In A Lifetime (Father Patrick-Sherrys Lady) posted three wins and a second in the four preliminary rounds. Saint Louie (Father Patrick-Emmylou Who) had two PASS victories and leaves from post six for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt.

Odds On Hail Mary (Heston Blue Chip-Mach Some Noise) led the female pacers in points and will start their final from post five for the Zeron-Toscano tandem. Toscano also will send out two-time prelim winner C Is For Cookie (Betting Line-Sweet Future) from post eight with Gingras driving. Returning champion Beach Cowgirl (Captaintreacherous-Stonebridge Sundae) drew post seven for driver Joe Bongiorno and trainer Jennifer Bongiorno.

For complete Sunday race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA