East Rutherford, NJ - Saturday night at The Meadowlands is the
penultimate stop on the 2017 Grand Circuit with over $2.6 million in purses
distributed over the finals of the TVG Series for older horses and the Freshman
Fall Final Four. The stars of the season will align over the eight races to
make their case for divisional honors.
Hannelore Hanover (Yannick Gingras) has the $175,000 TVG Mare Trot
to use as a final push for Horse Of The Year honors with her top two rivals,
Ariana G and Manchego, already in the clubhouse. She'll face the late
season sensation Emoticon Hanover (Dan Dube) who has seared through the second
half of the season in the mare division while Hannelore raced open
competition.
What The Hill (David Miller) accepted an invitation to race in the
$350,000 TVG Open final as the sophomore Breeders Crown champ. A win against
older would likely advance his position for the Dan Patch trophy for that
division.
Ron Burke trains Hannelore Hanover and What The Hill for his own
interests as Burke Racing and J&T Silva on both. Weaver Bruscemi and Frank
Baldachino are partners on the Hannelore while Our Horse Cents Stable and Deo
Volente Farms hold shares in What The Hill.
Youaremycandygirl could cement the pacing filly title for Burke,
Gingras and owner Bill Donovan with a win in the $381,200 Three Diamonds stake
while Stay Hungry could do the same in the colt pace for owners Brad Grant and
Irwin Samelman, trainer Tony Alagna and driver Doug McNair in the $411,700
Governors Cup.
The freshman colt trot leader is still unclear with several
contenders to battle in the $464,650 Valley Victory. Fashionwoodchopper (D.
Miller) is the PASS champ and won both weeks at The Red Mile for Jim Campbell
and Fashion Farms, Wolfgang (Gingras) nipped Takter stable-mate Sam Different
Day in the Matron for owners Brixton Medical, Goran Falk, Hatfield Stable and
Fair Island Farm while Fourth Dimension (Brian Sears) won last week's elim and
is the likely favorite for owner Courant, Inc.
The filly trot is a wide open affair, but the unbeaten Manchego
wrapped up divisional honors early. Ake Svanstedt and Blue Chip Bloodstock's
Plunge Blue Chip was vicious in the elimination and is the filly to beat in the
$420,750 Goldsmith Maid.
The older pacers are still a puzzle and the contenders are
assembled for the $350,000 TVG Pacing final. McWicked was just that in a
qualifier last Saturday, dragging Brian Sears around the oval in 1:48.4 for
Casie Coleman and owner SSG Stable and will take some beating here.
The pacing mares are just as competitive, Pure Country (Mark
MacDonald) could probably wrap divisional honors with a win here following her
Breeders Crown success for Takter and Diamond Creek Racing.
Make your reservations for the big night in Pink, the
track's terraced dining room at the track.
Post time is 7:15 p.m..
