(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.
