Breeders Crown finals highlight Grand Circuit week

Harness Racing This Week: Breeders Crown finals, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ont.; John Simpson Stakes, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester, Pa.; and The Circle City, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Anderson, Ind.

Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action this week commences on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 27) at Harrah’s Philadelphia with two divisions in the $86,800 John Simpson Stakes for 3-year-old colt pacers. The Friday (Oct. 28) card features two divisions in the $93,800 John Simpson Stakes for 3-year-old colt trotters. The Sunday (Oct. 30) program has two divisions in the $85,200 John Simpson Stakes for 3-year-old filly pacers and two divisions in the $90,400 John Simpson Stakes for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday (Oct. 28) will host the Circle City for 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. There will be two divisions in the $61,300 3-year-old filly trot; two divisions in the $60,000 3-year-old colt trot; a single $61,500 division in the 3-year-old colt pace; and a single $61,500 division in the 3-year-old filly pace.

Breeders Crown finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park will take place on Friday (Oct. 28) and Saturday (Oct. 29). Friday will feature the $600,000 finals for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Saturday features the $600,000 3-year-old colt trot, $675,000 3-year-old filly trot, $675,000 3-year-old colt pace, $600,000 3-year-old filly pace, $600,000 Open Trot, $600,000 Open Pace, $400,000 Open Mare Pace and $350,000 Open Mare Trot.

Complete entries for the Philadelphia and Hoosier races are available at this link. Complete entries for the Mohawk races are available at this link.

Last time: Jiggy Jog S (Walner) was an impressive winner in her $25,000 Breeders Crown elimination for 3-year-old trotting fillies Saturday (Oct. 22) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, establishing a new track and Canadian record with her 1:51.2 performance.

That race saw Doug McNair send Baby Longstocking straight to the front from post nine, but she was quickly passed by Fashion Schooner (Tim Tetrick) well before the :28 first quarter.

Tetrick had Fashion Schooner by the half in :56.3 and the three-quarters in 1:23.4. He tried to open up a few lengths on the competition, but it wasn’t enough to hold off favorite Jiggy Jog S (Dexter Dunn), who was first at the wire reached in 1:51.2. Fashion Schooner held for second. Also qualifying for this week’s final were Raised By Lindy (Yannick Gingras), Bare My Soul (Scott Zeron), and Venerable (David Miller).

The time represents a new track record at the Campbellville oval and a Canadian record for 2-year-old trotting fillies on a seven-eighths-mile track, shaving a tick off the previous standard set two years ago by Sorella.

“We got away in a good spot following Yannick’s horse (Raised By Lindy). We weren’t too far off them, and coming to the three-quarters, we had a good helmet to follow. Timmy did get away on us but she’s so sharp right now. Her win in the Filly Futurity was massive. As soon as I tipped her off cover, she accelerated quick,” explained Dunn.

Ake Svanstedt trains the winner for owner Jorgen Sparredal. The effort improved her summary to 7-3-0 in 12 outings this year.

Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2022, 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 2022 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 10-22-22):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 1,370; 2. Tim Tetrick – 933; 3. Yannick Gingras – 910; 4. David Miller – 734; 5. Todd McCarthy – 721.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 847; 2. Tony Alagna – 678; 3. Ake Svanstedt – 653; 4. Brett Pelling – 459; 5. Marcus Melander – 421.

Owners: 1. David McDuffee – 190.9; 2t. Brad Grant – 169; 2t. Caviart Farms – 169; 4. Courant Inc. – 164; 5. Burke Racing Stable – 155.3.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Bally’s Dover, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, and The Meadowlands. Dover will host the Matron Stakes for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits; Hoosier has four stakes for 3-year-olds in the Carl Erskine for open trotters, the Monument Circle for male pacers, the Crossroads of America for filly trotters, and the USS Indianapolis for filly pacers. The Meadowlands hosts a leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit