East Rutherford, NJ - Saturday night brings one of the most
anticipated Grand Circuit cards of the season to The Meadowlands. The racing
centers around a pair of $50,000 eliminations for The Meadowlands Pace and the
inaugural $484,500 Hambletonian Maturity four year old trot.
The Pace elims are carded as races six and seven with the top five finishers
from each to return for the $776,000 final next Saturday. North America Cup
winner JK Endofanera is the 6/5 choice in the first elim for Meadowlands
leading trainer Ron Burke for owners the 3 Brothers Stable.
NA Cup second place finisher Tellitlikeitis, trained by Jimmy Takter for the
Lothlorien stable, and He's Watching, third in the 'Cup, lead the charge in the
seventh. He's Watching was last year's divisional Dan Patch champ and is
looking for his best form for trainer David Menary who owns him in partnership
with Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero and the Muscara Racing Trust.
The Hambletonian Maturity, raced at a mile and one eighth, is a new concept
designed to provide a stake restricted to four year olds as they transition
into the aged ranks.
The race has attracted both 2013 Hambletonian and Oaks winners Royalty For
Life and Bee A Magician. It will be the first foray for 2013 Horse of the Year
Bee A Magician against males, a task made more difficult by the fact that she
drew post 13 in the bulky fourteen horse field.
Brian Sears, who drove both last season, has opted for "Queen
Bee", conditioned by Nifty Norman for Hartman, Liverman and Mc Duffee.
Royalty For Life races out of the George Ducharme barn and will be making his
first seasonal start from post six with new driver David Miller (who will be
inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame on Sunday). His ownership
consists of New Englanders Alfred Ross, Ray Campbell, Jr and Paul Fontaine.
Rounding out the stakes is a single $25,000 elimination for the $212,000
Mistletoe Shalee three year old filly pace where ten fillies race to eliminate
three. Those seven will meet the three fillies (Rock N Roll Xample Uffizi
Hanover and Weeper) that were granted a bye into next Saturday's final.
The WR Haughton Memorial FFA pace required no eliminations and the ten high
powered pacers entered will go right through to next Saturday's $463,000 final.
Also on the program is the second leg of the two year New Jersey Sires
Stakes with the pacing fillies going as a single ten and the colt pacers split
into a pair of eights.
There is a special post time of 6:30pm on
Saturday with a stunning fireworks display set to thrill onlookers after the races
are completed. Reservations may be made for both this Saturday and next week's
star studded extravaganza by calling 201-THE-BIGM. Further information is
available by visiting The Meadowlands website.
