The 103rd Grand Circuit meeting got underway with
heavy humidity and sunny skies and temperatures in the 90’s
on July 4th with 10 races featuring the 2 and 3-year-old
pacers and trotters in the County Fair Division of the NY Sires Stakes.
Surprisingly a track record ensued in the sixth race,
the first division of in the New York Fair Stakes for freshmen pacing
colts and geldings, when Hands Off Frank went wire to wire pacing every quarter
in 29 and a piece en route to a 1:58.2 clocking for Gareth Dowse, Ray
Schnittker’s right hand man. They turned down James Riverside, driven by Jason
Bartlett.
Hands Off Frank is an Art Major-Red Hot Heather gelding
owned by Schnittker, Ed Pachuta, and Frank Baldasarre.
Then other division was captured by Stephane Bouchard when
he guided Lightupbullville to a 2:02.2 score and defeated DW’s Austin and
driver J. Scott Taylor by four lengths.
Bouchard also won a County Fair pace with
Bullville Honey in 2:02.3 as well as with Expressed, a sophomore trotter
in 2:05.
The Bullville named horses are owned by Steve Crevani while
Expressed is the property of Thomas Hicks.
Also on the card, Mighty M regular Cory Stratton won the NY
Fair Stakes for 2-year- old pacing fillies with U R N Angel in 2:07.1.
She is the daughter of Kenneth J- Beacon Hill Dannie and is trained by Steve Mooore for owner Ben Versaci.
Racing continues through July 7tha and
culminates with the hall of Fame Banquet on the lawn at the
Trotting Horse Museum which is next door to Historic Track
