Adios Pace, Hambo & Oaks elims head Grand Circuit Week

Harness Racing This Week: Delvin Miller Adios, Adioo Volo, and Arden Downs, The Meadows, Washington, Pa. and Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks eliminations, Tompkins-Geers, and Miss Versatility leg, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit week kicks off on Friday (July 26) at The Meadows with three $20,000 divisions of the Arden Downs for 2-year-old colt trotters and a pair of $20,000 Arden Downs divisions for 2-year-old filly trotters.

The big Saturday (July 27) card at The Meadows features the $350,000 Delvin Miller Adios for 3-year-old male pacers. Also on the card will be the $104,225 Adioo Volo for 3-year-old filly pacers, two divisions of the $44,116 Arden Downs for 2-year-old male pacers, a single $36,117 Arden Downs race for 2-year-old filly pacers, a single $36,873 Arden Downs race for 3-year-old male trotters and a single $30,098 Arden Downs race for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Grand Circuit action at The Meadowlands will be held on Saturday with a pair of $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations for 3-year-old open trotters, three $50,000 Hambletonian Oaks eliminations for 3-year-old filly trotters, the $71,100 Tompkins-Geers for 3-year-old male pacers, two divisions in the $57,500 Tompkins-Geers for 3-year-old filly pacers and a $40,000 leg of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.

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

Last Time: Coaches Corner (Always A Virgin) paced the fourth fastest mile in the history of Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday evening (July 20) as the Per Engblom trainee scored an impressive victory in the 15th annual Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace.

Jason Bartlett piloted Coaches Corner in the $250,000 Gerrity and went off as the 5-2 second choice in the wagering with “major danger” Desperate Man drawing post eight for his try. Coaches Corner paced out to the lead in a sizzling :26.2 first quarter before reaching the half in :54.4.

As Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley) revved up his engine, he was caught three-wide past three-quarters in 1:22. Bartlett asked Coaches Corner for all he had turning for home just as pocket-sitter Backstreet Shadow (Tyler Buter) took his shot at the leader in the stretch.

At the wire, it was 4-year-old Coaches Corner who reigned supreme, stopping the timer in 1:49.3, the fourth fastest clocking in track history. In the win, the Engblom trainee held off Backstreet Shadow who finished second, coming up just a length shy of the victory. Longshot Pleaseletmeknow (Mark MacDonald) earned the show spot while the favored Desperate Man had to settle for fourth after navigating through a difficult journey in the season’s richest race at the Spa.

Coaches Corner, who is owned in partnership by Brian Carsey and Jeff Fought Racing, paid $7.10 to win as he boosted his lifetime earnings to $562,444.

Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website. For a list of 2024 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2024, 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 2024 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 7-20-24):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 434; 2. Yannick Gingras – 423.5; 3. David Miller – 223; 4. Tim Tetrick – 212; 5. Scott Zeron – 208.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 346; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 264; 3. Nancy Takter – 198; 4. Travis Alexander – 194; 5. Anthony Beaton – 159.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 85.4; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 67.2; 3. Guy Corbeil – 57; 4. West Wins Stable – 53.2; 5. Caviart Farms – 50.3.

 Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at The Meadowlands, led by the finals in The Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks for sophomores. Also on the Aug. 3 card will be the Cane Pace, the second leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds. A total of eight Grand Circuit stakes will be on that card at The Big M.

by Paul Ramlow, for The Grand Circuit