The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Saratoga Raceway, Plainridge Park, Meadowlands Racetrack and The Meadows.
This Week: Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial, Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, New York; Spirit of Massachusetts and Clara Barton, Plainridge Park, Plainville, Massachusetts; Tompkins-Geers, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey. and Delvin Miller Adios eliminations, The Meadows, Washington, Pennsylvania.
Schedule of Events: Grand Circuit action begins on Saturday, July 22, as Saratoga will host the $250,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial for older pacers.
Also on Saturday, the Meadows has a pair of $25,000 eliminations for the Delvin Miller Adios for three-year-old male pacers.
And finally on Saturday, The Meadowlands features a pair of divisions in the $88,000 Tompkins-Geers for three-year-old male trotters and a pair of divisions in the $83,300 Tompkins-Geers for three-year-old filly trotters.
On Sunday, July 23, Plainridge has the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts for older trotters and the $100,000 Clara Barton for older pacing mares.
Complete entries for the races can be found on the USTA website by clicking here.
Last Time: Tim Tetrick needed only a few words to sum up Confederate’s win in Saturday’s (July 15) $668,000 Meadowlands Pace. “That was a ride there,” Tetrick said after Confederate, the 1-2 favourite, covered the final quarter-mile in :25.4 to capture The Meadowlands’ signature race for three-year-old pacers by 3-1/2 lengths over longshot Hungry Angel Boy in 1:47. Christchurch finished third. Click here to read the complete recap.
For a list of 2023 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.
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 July 15, 2023):
Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 394; 2. Scott Zeron – 311; 3. Yannick Gingras – 295; 4. Tim Tetrick – 264; 5. Jordan Stratton – 229.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 309; 2. Ake Svanstedt – 307; 3. Linda Toscano – 205; 4. Marcus Melander – 167; 5. Nancy Takter – 154.
Owners: 1. Mark Ford – 98; 2. Diamond Creek Racing – 84.2; 3. Jorgen Sparredal Inc. – 81.3; 4. Burke Racing Stable – 61.8; 5. Team Tritton Inc. – 52.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next week at The Meadows and The Meadowlands. The Meadows has the final for the Delvin Miller Adios for three-year-old male pacers, along with the Adioo Volo for three-year-old filly pacers and Arden Downs events for two-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters and three-year-old colt and filly trotters. The Meadowlands has eliminations for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks for sophomore trotters, Tompkins-Geers races for three-year-old colt and filly pacers and legs of the Miss Versatility for trotting mares and the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
(Grand Circuit)