$839,200 Borgata, Matchmaker finals head Grand Circuit

Harness Racing This Week: Blue Chip Matchmaker and MGM Borgata Pacing series finals and consolations, MGM Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y. This is the opening event of the 2023 Grand Circuit season.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit at Yonkers on Monday (April 24) features the $511,000 MGM Borgata final, a $100,000 consolation and a $50,000 consolation in the event for open pacers and the $328,200 Blue Chip Matchmaker final and $75,000 consolation in the event for open pacing mares.

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

Last Time: This Is The Plan, Idealsomemagic A, and Covered Bridge emerged victorious from the final leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday night (April 17) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

2021 MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion This Is The Plan had a best finish of second in this year’s edition of the event coming into Monday night’s action but won the first grouping in 1:50.4.

Driver Yannick Gingras pointed This Is The Plan right to the lead from the outside post six, and the veteran would lead the way through fractions of :27.1, :55.3, and 1:23. Lochinvar Art A (Lauren Tritton), the 1-2 favorite, tried to mount a first-over bid out of third racing to three-quarters, but he stalled out almost immediately after pulling off the pylons, which enabled This Is The Plan to remain clear to the wire, winning by 2-3/4 lengths over pocket-sitting Undrthsouthrnsun N (Joe Bongiorno). Lochinvar Art A, Dean B Hanover (Jordan Stratton), Bad Tothe Bone N (Matt Kakaley) and Belmont Royale N (David Miller) rounded out the order.

Ron Burke trains This Is The Plan, an 8-year-old gelding, for the ownership group of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Larry Karr. This Is The Plan won for the 24th time in his career, and he has now earned $2,972,317. He paid $8.00 to win as the 3-1 second choice.

Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website. For a list of 2023 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2023, 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 2023 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 4-17-23):

Drivers: 1. Matt Kakaley – 88; 2. Yannick Gingras – 77; 3. Jordan Stratton – 72; 4t. Dexter Dunn – 46; 4t. Jason Bartlett – 46.

Trainers: 1. Jeff Gillis – 67; 2. Ron Burke – 62; 3. Travis Alexander – 52; 4. Shane Tritton – 41; 5t. Linda Toscano – 40; 5t. Cory Stratton – 40.

Owners: 1. Mark Ford – 63; 2. Robert Di Nozzi – 39; 3. Team Tritton Inc. – 27; 4t. The OK Corral – 25; 4t. Flatland Racing – 25.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be held at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (April 29) with the $40,000 (est.) eliminations in the Dexter Cup for 3-year-old open trotters.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit