(September 3, 2017) – In the closest finish this
year in the Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge, Anne
Stepien held off a late rush by Gordon Waterstone to win by a half point, 79.5 versus 79.0 points at the end
of the contest slate of August 31-September 2.
Rusty Nash finished back in third with 67.5 points. Despite stalling, Megan Maccario tops the
standings for the fifth straight week, leading Rusty Nash by an overall score
of 820.23-812.7. Off her performance
this week, Stepien moves up three spots to land in fifth place.
With only two races on tap Thursday
evening at Mohawk, there was a dead-heat for the evening’s honors as Jay
Hochstetler and Nash both tabbed Courtney Hanover ($4.90) in the first division
of the Champlain for 2yo trotting fillies with their choice in the second
division, Jordan Blue Chip finishing second.
On Friday night’s card, Anne Stepien
made her brush to the top by sweeping the two Simcoe tilts as well as the
Simcoe, earning herself 65 points. Matt
Rose finished second for the evening with two winners earning 35 points for the
evening. While Waterstone had two
winners as well, he finished out of the top five for the night settling for 12
points.
With nine races on tap Saturday thanks
to a combined slate from Mohawk and Yonkers Raceway, Waterstone made his move
by picking three winners for evening, earning earned 65 points thanks largely to
his pick of Kendell Seelster ($21.80) in the first division of the Champlain
for 2yo pacing fillies. Ray Cotolo, who
has picked up his tempo of late finishing second for the evening earning 40
points with Maccario, who despite having four winners for the night, settling for
third and 32 points. Stepien with two
winners for the evening managed to earn 12 points, just enough to hold off
Waterstone and win the week.
|
Standings thru Saturday, September 2, 2017 - Leg #47
|
|||||
|
Pos
|
Handicapper
|
Total Points Earned
|
Legs Won
|
Last Week
|
Streak
|
|
1st
|
Megan Maccario
|
820.23
|
8
|
1st
|
5
|
|
2nd
|
Rusty Nash
|
812.70
|
6
|
2nd
|
|
|
3rd
|
Matt Rose
|
745.38
|
7
|
3rd
|
|
|
4th
|
Russ Adams
|
723.87
|
7
|
4th
|
|
|
5th
|
Anne Stepien
|
698.15
|
6
|
8th
|
|
|
6th
|
Sally Hinckley
|
664.98
|
6
|
6th
|
|
|
7th
|
Dennis O’Hara
|
663.18
|
6
|
7th
|
|
|
8th
|
Gordon Waterstone
|
663.00
|
6
|
9th
|
|
|
9th
|
Ray Garnett
|
654.11
|
4
|
5th
|
|
|
10th
|
Bryan Owen
|
592.23
|
5
|
10th
|
|
|
11th
|
Steve Horoky
|
591.16
|
3
|
11th
|
|
|
12th
|
Jay Hochstetler
|
511.50
|
3
|
13th
|
|
|
13th
|
Terry Wilson
|
501.47
|
5
|
12th
|
|
|
14th
|
Ray Cotolo
|
464.33
|
3
|
14th
|
|
|
15th
|
Michael Carter
|
421.53
|
3
|
15th
|
|
|
16th
|
Adam Friedland
|
370.30
|
2
|
16th
|
|
Next Up: With the beginning of
the Meadowlands mini-meet, Friday night has the third leg of the Kindergarten
Classic for 2yos of both sexes and gaits as well as the fourth leg of the Ms.
Versatility for Open Trotting Mares.
Saturday evening, Mohawk Racetrack will be hosting the Simcoe Stakes for
3yo pacers as well as eliminations for the Elegant Image and Canadian Trotting
Classic while Scioto Downs will be hosting the Jim Ewart Memorial and the Jug
Preview.
The
following week, the Grand Circuit hits a fever pitch with racing ten out of eleven
days starting with stakes racing Wednesday, September 13 at Hoosier Park. Over this span, contest racing will be taking
place at the Delaware County Fair, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Hoosier Park,
Meadowlands and Mohawk.
The 2017 Hambletonian
Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge is sponsored by Adam Friedland, DRF
Harness, Green Acquisition Corporation, The Hambletonian Society, Hoosier
Park Racing and Casino, Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment, Northfield Park,
Ontario Harness Horse Association, Red Shores Charlottetown/Summerside, Tioga
Downs, Vernon Downs, Wellbourne Farms, and WEG Entertainment. The contest is administered by HANA Harness,
the harness racing division of HANA, the Horseplayers Association of North
America. Fans may follow the challenge
by visiting the contest site at http;//hanaharnesscontest.blogspot.com.
