The Grand Circuit's weekly overview highlights its upcoming races at Woodbine Mohawk Park and The Meadowlands.
This Week: Canadian Pacing Derby final, Maple Leaf Trot and Simcoe Stakes, Woodbine Mohawk Park, Milton, Ont.; and Kindergarten Series leg, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Schedule of Events: Grand Circuit racing will open this week on Thursday (Sept. 1) with the third leg of the Kindergarten Series for two-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. There will be a pair of $20,000 divisions for both colts and fillies of each gait.
Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Sept. 3) will offer the $650,000 Canadian Pacing Derby final for older pacers, the $610,000 Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters, the $165,725 Simcoe for three-year-old male trotters and a pair of divisions of the $160,735 Simcoe for three-year-old filly trotters.
Complete entries for The Meadowlands races are available by clicking here. Entries for the Mohawk races are available by clicking here.
Last Time: The aptly named Winners Bet got up in the final strides to best stablemate International Man in the $665,000 William Wellwood Memorial, held Saturday (Aug. 27) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and punched his ticket to the prestigious Mohawk Million. To recap the complete recap, click here.
For a list of 2022 race winners on the Grand Circuit, click here.
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 Aug. 27, 2022):
Drivers: 1. Dexter Dunn – 741; 2. Tim Tetrick – 606; 3. Yannick Gingras – 503; 4. Todd McCarthy – 472; 5. David Miller – 355.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 473; 2. Tony Alagna – 450; 3. Ake Svanstedt – 349; 4. Nifty Norman – 271; 5. Marcus Melander – 231.
Owners: 1. David McDuffee – 138.4; 2. Schooner II Stable – 120; 3. Courant Inc. – 114; 4. Caviart Farms – 100.8; 5. Brad Grant – 94.8.
Looking Ahead: Grand Circuit action will be taking place next week at Eldorado Scioto Downs, Woodbine Mohawk Park and The Meadowlands. Scioto will feature the $200,000 Jim Ewart Memorial for older pacers and the $200,000 Charlie Hill Memorial for older trotters. Mohawk Park will host the Champlain Stakes for two-year-old male and female pacers, the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old male and female pacers and Milton eliminations for older female pacers. The Meadowlands features a leg of the Miss Versatility for older female trotters.
(With files from Grand Circuit)