Big time Grand Circuit stakes this weekend

Harness Racing This Week: MGM Yonkers Trot, MGM Grand Messenger, New York New York Mile, and Park MGM Filly Pace, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.; Dave Brower Memorial, Crawford Farms, Perfect Sting, Six Pack, and Reynolds Memorial, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.; and Tompkins-Geers, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ont.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit weekend kicks off on Thursday (June 27) at Woodbine Mohawk Park with the C$53,123 Tompkins-Geers for 2-year-old filly trotters and the C$46,845 Tompkins-Geers for 2-year-old filly pacers. The Friday (June 28) program has the C$50,760 Tompkins-Geers for 2-year-old colt pacers and the C$47,925 Tompkins-Geers for 2-year-old colt trotters.

Action continues Friday at Yonkers Raceway, with the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot final, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, the $225,000 MGM Grand Messenger, the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, the $90,000 Park MGM Filly Pace for 3-year-old filly pacers and two divisions in the $110,000 New York New York Mile for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Grand Circuit racing also takes place at The Meadowlands on Friday with the first leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. A total of six $20,000 divisions will be contested with two divisions apiece for the males of each gait and single divisions for the females. Then on Saturday (June 29), The Big M will host the $145,190 Dave Brower Memorial for open pacers, the $131,250 Crawford Farms for open trotters, the $112,500 Perfect Sting for pacing mares, the $112,500 Six Pack for trotting mares, three divisions in the $77,001 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters and two divisions in the $69,000 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters.

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

Last Time: Bargain was in front throughout and held off pocket-sitter Fly By in the stretch to win Friday night’s (June 21) lone $25,000 MGM Yonkers Trot elimination for 3-year-old colts and geldings at MGM Yonkers Raceway in 1:54.3.

Driven by Yannick Gingras, Bargain shot out from post four and made the front early on the first turn with Fly By (Scott Zeron) also showing speed and finding the pocket prior to the :28.2 opening quarter. With no challengers on the outside after that, Gingras was able to back down the half to :57.4 and the three-quarters in 1:26, but Zeron swung Fly By to the outside midway through the far turn.

After being shown the clear racetrack, Fly By quickly moved up to battle Bargain and appeared in the lane like he was going to go past, but Bargain was game and responded to the challenge, keeping a nose in front of Fly By to the finish line. I’m Out (Tim Tetrick), who went first-over out of fourth before three-quarters, slid back down to the pylons on the last turn and wound up third, and Flying Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) followed I’m Out’s moves and checked in fourth. Duke Of Walner (Matt Kakaley) was fifth and got the remaining spot in the $300,000 final, joining bye-takers Security Protected, Sir Pinocchio and Situationship.

A New York-sired gelding by Chapter Seven, Bargain was bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew and is trained by Nancy Takter, and she also co-owns him with JAF Racing, ChristinaTakter&Anderberg, Joe Sbrocco and R A W Equine Inc. Bargain, who was second in the sire stakes final at MGM Yonkers Raceway last September, has a summary of 4-3-0 from 11 starts, has earned $207,455 and paid $10.00 to win as part of an entry with Duke O Walner that went off at 4-1.

Race favorites Howlenthehills and Janelle Granny emerged victorious from the pair of $25,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes eliminations for sophomore colt and gelding pacers, also on June 21 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

A New York-sired gelding by American Ideal, Howlenthehills, a Travis Alexander trainee, was bred by Crawford Farms and is owned by Symmetry Stables LLC. After going winless in eight tries as a 2-year-old, Howlenthehills is six-for-six in 2024 and has pocketed $191,981 lifetime. He paid $3.10 to win as the 1-2 choice.

Scott DiDomenico trains Janelle Granny, a Fear The Dragon colt bred by Larry Miller, for owner Betty Clegg. Janelle Granny has nine wins, 11 seconds and a third from 25 tries, has earned $302,186 and returned $4.10 to win as the even-money choice.

​​Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website. For a list of 2024 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2024, 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 2024 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders (through the races on 6-22-24):

Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 196.5; 2. Dexter Dunn – 166; 3. Matt Kakaley – 157; 4. Jason Bartlett – 121.5; 5. Tim Tetrick – 115.

Trainers: 1. Travis Alexander – 132; 2. Ron Burke – 122; 3. Per Engblom – 104.5; 4. Nancy Takter – 91; 5. Anthony Beaton – 79.

Owners: 1. Guy Corbeil – 57; 2. Kathy Cecchin – 50; 3. Graham Grace Stables – 45; 4. Mark Ford – 42; 5. Symmetry Stables – 40.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at Vernon Downs, The Meadowlands, Eldorado Scioto Downs and Goshen Historic Track. Vernon will host the Zweig Memorial races for 3-year-old open and filly trotters; The Meadowlands will feature two Graduate Series finals for 4-year-olds of both gaits, Meadowlands Pace eliminations for 3-year-olds, and the second leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits; Scioto will host the Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old filly pacers and the Moni Maker for 3-year-old filly trotters; and Goshen Historic Track will card eight Landmark Stakes events for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.

by Paul Ramlow, for the Grand Circuit