Busy weekend of Grand Circuit racing

Harness Racing This Week: Matron Stakes, Bally’s Dover, Dover, Del.; Carl Erskine, Monument Circle, Crossroads of America and USS Indianapolis, Hoosier Park, Anderson, Ind.; and Kindergarten Series finals, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit heads to Dover this Thursday (Nov. 2) for a pair of Matron Stakes for 2-year-olds. The 2-year-old colt pace carries a purse of $145,000 and the 2-year-old filly trotters will race for $138,000. Events for 2-year-old filly pacers and 2-year-old colt trotters did not fill.

On Friday night (Nov. 3), Harrah’s Hoosier Park will host the $205,000 Carl Erskine for 3-year-old open trotters, the $190,000 Monument Circle for 3-year-old colt pacers, the $115,000 Crossroads of America for 3-year-old filly trotters and the $105,000 USS Indianapolis for 3-year-old filly pacers.

The Meadowlands on Saturday (Nov. 4) will offer the finals of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. The 2-year-old colt trot carries a purse of $267,500, the 2-year-old filly trotters will race for $241,300, the purse for the 2-year-old filly pace is $205,900 and the 2-year-old colt pacers will race for $179,200.

Complete entries for the races are available at this link.

Last time: Karl, driven by Yannick Gingras, was at his best last Friday night, winning the $700,000 Breeders Crown final for freshman colt and gelding trotters with a track- and stakes-record 1:51.4 performance at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

The Nancy Takter-trained thunderbolt, a son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious, settled in fourth following the start. Security Protected got control leaving quickly, followed by second-choice T C I, who then rushed to gain the top as the :26.4 first panel was recorded.

Gingras moved Karl to the front in a :56.1 half and reached three-quarters in 1:25.

T C I chased Karl to make it look like a two-trotter race down the lane, but victory was never in doubt for Karl as he drew away to win by three lengths. T C I held for second over Security Protected, with Private Access fourth.

The previous stakes record, 1:52.4, was set by On A Streak at Hoosier in 2020.

The record-setter gave trainer Nancy Takter the ninth Breeders Crown winner of her career.

Christina And Nancy Takter, Black Horse Racing, Crawford Farms Racing, and Bender Sweden Inc. own Karl. Bred by Crawford Farms, Karl paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

With the sterling win, Karl’s earnings expanded to $709,760. He has won seven of eight starts, with his only setback coming by a nose to T C I on Oct. 6 at the Red Mile.

Gingras was aglow by the performance.

“He was fine in the hole, but first off, all the credit goes to Nancy,” he said of the trainer. “The horse I had last week wasn’t the same horse I had tonight. She changed the shoes, the bit (and) a bunch of things on the horse. She gambled and it paid off. She sent me a video of him yesterday and he looked tremendous.”

Gingras knew he was flying behind Karl.

“He’s so fast. He has so many gears,” he said. “I think he’s the best horse I’ve ever sat behind. He has so much ability. I was high on him in the beginning of the year; he’s the best 2-year-old I have ever driven.”

Gingras said he looks forward to resuming the rivalry between Karl and T C I next year.

“Both trainers are great trainers,” he said about Takter and Ron Burke, who conditions T C I. “His horses come back fast and strong every year. He has shown that for 12 years in a row, so I know (T C I) will come back fine and the battle will be on.”

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

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 10-28-23):

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,193; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,100; 3. Dexter Dunn – 1,054; 4. David Miller – 992; 5. Scott Zeron – 905.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,498; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 1,298; 3. Tony Alagna – 595; 4. Nancy Takter – 590; 5. Linda Toscano – 484.

Owners: 1. Diamond Creek Racing – 402.6; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 298.1; 3. Hudson Standardbred Stable – 210.8; 4. Weaver Bruscemi – 207.8; 5. Brad Grant – 187.4.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Bally’s Dover as the track will feature the Matron Stakes for 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit