The publicity department for the Grand Circuit has sent out its weekly recap and preview of Grand Circuit races.
This Week: Joe Gerrity Memorial, Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Delvin Miller Adios eliminations, The Meadows, Washington, Pa.; and Tompkins-Geers and Kindergarten Series, Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J.
Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action will be held this weekend at three different racetracks.
Action will begin on Friday (July 21) at the Meadowlands Racetrack with the second leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. There will be two $10,000 divisions of the Kindergarten for two-year-old trotting colts and single $10,000 divisions of the Kindergarten for two-year-old trotting fillies, pacing colts and pacing fillies. On Saturday (July 22), the Meadowlands card will offer the $59,370 Tompkins-Geers for three-year-old trotting colts and the $49,870 Tompkins-Geers for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Also on Saturday, Saratoga will host its marquee event, the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Memorial for older pacers. The field of eight is led by Mach It So, winner of last week’s William Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands.
Finally, the Meadows on Saturday will offer a pair of $25,000 eliminations for the Devlin Miller Adios for three-year-old colt pacers. The $400,000 Adios final the following Saturday afternoon anchors a blockbuster card that features six Grand Circuit stakes.
Last time: Meadowlands Racetrack hosted 11 lucrative Grand Circuit events this past Saturday, led by the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for three-year-olds. In that race the heated rivalry between Huntsville and Downbytheseaside reached a fever pitch.
Huntsville held on by a head, gaining a 4-3 advantage in their eight showdowns. The only time neither got the victory was last month in the North America Cup – won by Fear The Dragon – where Huntsville was second and Downbytheseaside third.
Fear The Dragon was not nominated to ‘The Pace,’ leaving Huntsville and Downbytheseaside to battle it out.
And battle they did.
Huntsville got away fourth in the early stages before charging past Blood Line to grab the lead down the backstretch. The 1-5 favourite appeared comfortably in charge on the final turn as Downbytheseaside tipped outside for a long, grinding challenge.
Huntsville flashed past the three-quarter pole in 1:20.3 and the torrid pace started taking a toll. In a display of guts and determination, Huntsville dug deep while Downbytheseaside relentlessly ate into his lead. The finish line arrived just in time for last season’s two-year-old Dan Patch Award champion to earn his first major win of this campaign.
It was the fifth ‘Pace’ victory for driver Tim Tetrick, trailing only the recently retired Hall of Famer John Campbell, who had seven wins in the Meadowlands Racetrack’s signature event for three-year-olds.
Trainer Ray Schnittker improved his Pace record to 2-for-2. He combined with Tetrick to win in 2010 with One More Laugh.
Huntsville continued his remarkable consistency with a 12th win in 18 lifetime starts. He has never finished worse than second.
“My horse was tired late,” Tetrick said. “He kept pushing all the way to the wire.”
The time for the mile was a lifetime best 1:47.4 for the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Wild West Show, who earned $350,812 for the ownership team of Schnittker, Ted Gewertz and Steven Arnold.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2017, 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 2017 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders through and including the races on July 15.
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 383; 2. David Miller – 316; 3. Scott Zeron – 280; 4. Tim Tetrick – 279; 5. Jason Bartlett – 236.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 359; 2. Jimmy Takter – 193; 3. Rene Allard – 159; 4. Ray Schnittker – 147; 5. Peter Tritton – 132.
Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch Stable – 103.5; 2. Burke Racing Stable – 79.7; 3. Jeff Snyder – 75; 4. J&T Silva Stables – 73.5; 5. Determination – 67.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next weekend at the Meadows, Plainridge Park, and Meadowlands Racetrack. The Meadows will host eight Grand Circuit events, led by the final of the Delvin Miller Adios for three-year-old pacing colts; Plainridge will feature the inaugural Spirit of Massachusetts for older trotters; while Meadowlands Racetrack will host eliminations for three lucrative stakes, led by the Hambletonian Oaks for three-year-old filly trotters, as well as the Reynolds Memorial for three-year-old colt trotters.
(Grand Circuit)