Plenty of Grand Circuit action this week

Harness Racing This Week: Camluck Classic and Forest City Pace, The Raceway at Western Fair District, London, Ontario and Maxie Lee Memorial, Besty Ross and Commodore Barry, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester, Pa.

Schedule of events: The Raceway at Western Fair District will host Grand Circuit action on Friday (May 27) with the C$150,000 Camluck Classic for older pacers and the C$50,000 Forest City Pace for older pacers.

Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday (May 29) will feature the $100,000 Maxie Lee Memorial for open trotters, the $100,000 Besty Ross for older pacing mares and the $100,000 Commodore Barry for older pacing horses.

Complete entries for the Western Fair races can be found by clicking on this link. Entries for the Philadelphia races can be found by clicking on this link.

Last Time: Mother Nature provided the heat. Ecurie D DK (Infinitif) added the sizzle.

On an unseasonably warm, 86-degree night, Ecurie D DK made his seasonal debut a memorable one by scorching the one-mile oval at The Meadowlands in a world record 1:49.1 to win Saturday’s (May 21) $170,450 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial for older trotters by 1-1/2 lengths over Cuatro De Julio. Bella Bellini finished third.

The time was the fastest May trotting mile in harness racing history, besting the 1:50 clocking by Katie’s Lucky Day at The Meadowlands earlier this month, and set the world record for an older trotting stallion on a one-mile track. It also equaled The Meadowlands track record established by mare Atlanta in 2020.

Ecurie D DK, a 6-year-old driven by trainer Åke Svanstedt, was fourth through the first half of the Cutler Memorial as Lovedbythemasses led the field to the opening quarter in :26.3 before Cuatro De Julio took control and got to the half in :54.

Cuatro De Julio was still on top at three-quarters, reached in 1:22.1, but Ecurie D DK was already up to second on his outside and ready to sprint home when they reached the stretch.

By winning his first start of the year, Ecurie D DK improved to 3-for-3 in the U.S. since his arrival from Europe. He entered the Cutler off one qualifier, a 1:54.2 win May 6 at The Meadowlands.

“Those aged horses, they are not like the young horses that might need a couple of races, at least our horses, so I had confidence,” said Åke Svanstedt’s wife, Sarah, who helps run the training stable. “Me and Åke said he could be at least around 1:50 today, but (1):49.1 was very impressive. I’m very proud.”

Ecurie D DK’s victories last season included the Breeders Crown Open Trot. An established star in Europe prior to coming to the States, the stallion has won 18 of 24 career starts and has earned $865,185.

“When you see him, at home too, he is always a happy horse,” Sarah Svanstedt said. “But when he comes here (to the track), his energy goes to race mode and he loves to go out on the track. He’s not a grabby, aggressive horse, but he knows his race day and he loves to go to work. I love those horses that know before a race that, ‘Today is the day; I’m going to fight.’”

Ecurie D DK, who was born in Denmark, is owned by Marko Kreivi Stables Inc., Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc., and Åke Svanstedt Inc. He was bred by Jean-Pierre DuBois.

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 5-21-22):

Drivers: 1. Jordan Stratton – 136; 2. Dexter Dunn – 117; 3. George Brennan – 110; 4. Jason Bartlett – 106; 5. Yannick Gingras – 105.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 148; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 77; 3. Jenn Bongiorno – 67; 4. Cory Stratton – 60; 5. Jeff Gillis – 54.

Owners: 1. Jesmeral Stable – 62; 2. The OK Corral – 57; 3. Mark Ford – 40; 4. Team Tritton Inc. – 30; 5t. Karen Hauver – 27; 5t. Ricky Bucci – 27.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with second legs of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes and the Somebeachsomewhere for 3-year-old pacers.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit