NA Cup top of this week’s Grand Circuit racing

Harness racing this Week: Pepsi North America Cup, Fan Hanover, Goodtimes, Roses Are Red and Armbro Flight finals, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ontario; Currier & Ives, The Meadows, Washington, Pa.; and Tompkins-Geers, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.

Schedule of events: A top-flight card of Grand Circuit racing will take place on Saturday (June 18) at Woodbine Mohawk Park and will be led by the C$1,000,000 Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old pacing colts. Also on tap are the C$401,000 Fan Hanover for 3-year-old pacing fillies, the C$315,000 Roses Are Red for older pacing mares, the C$251,000 Goodtimes for 3-year-old male trotters, and the C$211,000 Armbro Flight for older trotting mares.

Also on Saturday, The Meadows will offer two $48,442 divisions in the Currier & Ives for 3-year-old open trotters.

On Friday (June 18), The Meadowlands will host the $47,975 Tompkins-Geers for 2-year-old filly pacers.

Entries for the Meadows and Meadowlands races can be found by clicking on this link. Entries for the Mohawk Park races can be found by clicking on this link.

Last Time: Funatthebeach N (Somebeachsomewhere) rallied from off a blistering pace to score an impressive 24-1 upset in Saturday night’s (June 11) $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield Park.

As the gate sprung, a host of leavers sprinted into the opening turn, with Nicholas Beach (Joe Bongiorno) winning the early skirmish. Moving into the backstretch to the first quarter, Ocean Rock (Dan Noble) muscled his way to the top through a :25.2 first quarter. Tattoo Artist (Mark MacDonald) applied immediate pressure at the quarter pole, forcing Noble and Ocean Rock to the half in :52.3.

Eventual winner Funatthebeach N rode the coattails of Jimmy Freight (Billy Davis Jr.), both making three-wide bids heading to three-quarters in 1:21.

Turning for home, Davis was able to clear Ocean Rock, but Funatthebeach N, with fresh legs off a perfect third-over journey, pushed past Jimmy Freight, winning by 1-1/4 lengths in a career best 1:49.2.

“It was a stellar race, with no slouches,” said winning driver Jordan Stratton. “The trip won the race. I was happy to follow Jimmy; it was the same trip as in the MGM Borgata.”

A New Zealand-sired import, Funatthebeach N has won the two richest races in North America this season for veteran pacers — the $549,000 MGM Borgata Series final at MGM Yonkers Raceway and the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield Park. He is the richest horse in harness racing this year, with $512,267 in the bank.

With the victory, Funatthebeach N has $846,016 in career earnings with 30 wins in 107 starts. Mark Ford is his owner-trainer.

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 6-11-22):

Drivers: 1. Jordan Stratton – 171; 2. Dexter Dunn – 142; 3. Yannick Gingras – 127; 4. Jason Bartlett – 126; 5. Tim Tetrick – 122.

Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 182; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 77; 3. Jen Bongiorno – 67; 4. Cory Stratton – 65; 5. Tony Alagna – 57.

Owners: 1. Jesmeral Stable – 62; 2. Mark Ford – 60; 3. The OK Corral – 57; 4. Team Tritton Inc. – 40; 5. Burke Racing Stable – 34.4.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Yonkers Raceway, The Meadowlands and The Meadows. Yonkers will have eliminations for a pair of Triple Crown races, the MGM Yonkers Trot for 3-year-old open trotters and the MGM Grand Messenger for 3-year-old open pacers, as well as the Park MGM Pace and NY-NY Mile for sophomore fillies; The Meadowlands will feature divisions of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes; and The Meadows will have the Currier & Ives for 3-year-old filly trotters.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit