Grand Circuit action with Final Four, TVG finals, Progress elimination

PauHarness Racing Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit returns to Dover Downs this Wednesday (Nov. 17) for a $35,000 elimination in the Progress Pace for 3-year-old open pacers. A field of 10 will compete for eight spots in the final, slated for Nov. 24.

On Saturday night (Nov. 20), Meadowlands Racetrack will host the Fall Four events for freshman pacers and trotters and the TVG series finals for open pacers and trotters. The Fall Four features the $413,600 Valley Victory for 2-year-old male trotters, the $479,450 Goldsmith Maid for 2-year-old filly trotters, the $386,600 Governor’s Cup for 2-year-old male pacers and the $359,450 Three Diamonds for 2-year-old filly pacers. The TVG finals consist of the $350,000 Open Pace, $350,000 Open Trot, $175,000 Mare Pace and $175,000 Mare Trot.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Twelve days removed from their Breeders Crown triumphs, 3-year-old fillies Bella Bellini and Test Of Faith delivered successful encore performances in their respective Matron Stakes divisions, contested Thursday (Nov. 11) at Dover Downs.

In the $148,550 Matron for sophomore trotting fillies, Bella Bellini ($2.40) sat patiently in midfield while Moni For Lindy and You Ato Dream disputed the lead through a :56 opening half. Dexter Dunn cut the daughter of Bar Hopping loose up the backstretch, and she stormed to the lead with :26.4 third-quarter speed before vaulting clear by six lengths at the end of her 1:52.2 mile, her second-fastest winning mile to date. You Ato Dream saved second from a failing pocket, narrowly holding off a late bid from Iteration.

Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman, who won three of this year’s eight Matron Stakes, trains the David McDuffee homebred, whose 11 wins this season also included the Hambletonian Oaks and the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final.

Test Of Faith ($2.60) used similar first-over tactics to claim victory in the $129,000 Matron for 3-year-old pacing fillies, but she had her hooves full with a two-pronged challenge from Ron Burke trainees Blue Diamond Eyes and Scarlett Hanover before sealing a 1:49.1 win. David Miller pointed the daughter of Art Major first-over out of third upon reaching the backstretch, and she worked forward to grind down pacesetter Scarlett Hanover beyond three-quarters in 1:21.2 before fending off Blue Diamond Eyes by a half-length.

Brett Pelling trains the 22-time winner, whose current five-race win streak includes the Glen Garnsey Memorial, Courageous Lady and Breeders Crown, for Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Eddie Gran.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2021, 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 2021 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 11-13-21):

Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 1,378; 2. Yannick Gingras – 1,148; 3. Tim Tetrick – 1,055.5; 4. David Miller – 1,030; 5. Andrew McCarthy – 826.5.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,256; 2. Tony Alagna – 791.5; 3. Nifty Norman – 705; 4. Ake Svanstedt – 690; 5. Nancy Takter – 635.

Owners: 1. Burke Racing Stable – 252.4; 2. Crawford Farms Racing – 220.9; 3. Weaver Bruscemi – 219.8; 4. Brad Grant – 207.5; 5. Courant Inc. – 199.

Looking ahead: The 2021 Grand Circuit season ends on Nov. 24. Dover Downs will host the final stake of the season, the $310,000 Progress Pace final for 3-year-old male pacers.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit