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Friday, November 10, 2017

Waterstone Takes Week, Closes Gap

(November 10, 2017) –  In an abbreviated contest week, Gordon Waterstone won the seventy-sixth leg of the Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge allowing him to close the gap on contest leader Rusty Nash by forty points with three legs remaining. 

While Jay Hochstetler had three winners for the week, he had to settle for second place for the week as Waterstone’s two winners included Springsteen ($15.20) in the Matron Stakes for 2yo colt and gelding pacers allowing him to earn a net profit of $16.20 for the day.  Hochstetler’s three winners were chalk as he netted a profit of $2.40.  Finishing third for the week was Megan Maccario whose lone winner resulted in a net loss of $2.40. 

With three contest dates remaining, Nash holds on to first place for the fifth week in a row with a total of 1,453.20 points, 23.70 points ahead of Waterstone (1,429.50 pts.).  On the periphery but not out of it is Anne Stepien (1,342.82 pts.) and Megan Maccario (1,327.90 pts.), both within 125 points of the contest leader.
  
Standings thru Thursday, November 9, 2017 - Leg #76

Pos
Handicapper
Total Points Earned
Legs Won
Points Back
Last Week
Streak
1st
Rusty Nash
1,453.20
7

1st
5
2nd
Gordon Waterstone
1,429.50
11
23.70
2nd

3rd
Anne Stepien
1,342.82
9
110.38
3rd

4th
Megan Maccario
1,327.90
9
125.30
5th

5th
Sally Hinckley
1,320.48
9
132.72
4th

6th
Dennis O’Hara
1,302.85
10
150.35
6th

7th
Matt Rose
1,285.88
10
167.32
7th

8th
Steve Horoky
1,251.83
5
201.37
8th

9th
Russ Adams
1,218.54
8
234.66
9th

10th
Ray Garnett
1,088.61
6
364.59
10th

11th
Bryan Owen
1,045.90
9
407.30
11th

12th
Jay Hochstetler
964.50
4
488.70
12th

13th
Michael Carter
885.03
3
568.17
13th

14th
Ray Cotolo
834.33
5
618.87
14th

15th
Terry Wilson
811.47
5
641.73
15th

16th
Rich Mattei
644.30
2
808.90
16th



Next Up: This week sophomore trotters and pacers of both sexes head to Dover Downs for the Matron stakes on November 16. 

November 25 is the final Saturday night of the handicapping challenge with the Final Four and TVG series finals being contested at the Meadowlands.  On November 30, the contest concludes with the Progress Stakes at Dover Downs.   

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