Monday, August 31, 2015

Hinckley Retains Big Lead

by Rusty Nash for HANA Harness

August 31, 2015 – It was a very quiet week for the field of the 2015 HANA Harness Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge presented by the Bellino Stables, DRF Harness, Hambletonian Society, Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment, Northfield Park, Tioga Downs, and Vernon Downs.

Saturday evening featured The Hudson Filly Trot and the Lady Maud from Yonkers.  When the tickets were cashed two of the HANA handicappers hit the contest daily double.  The pair should be familiar names for those of you who follow our friendly Quixotic adventure.  Bob Zanakis and Bryan Owen both tabbed Murderers Row and Purrfect Bags.  Each earned the maximum forty points.  Neither was able to climb over anyone else in the contest standings despite their handicapping success.

On short nights the only way to really move up is to be the only one with two big price winners plus the multiplier.  The two Saturday evening races simply did not look like they would produce anything close to two big prices.

There were no big movers this weekend.  In fact the slight movement that did occur in the standings was very small.  Thirty cents meant the difference in one case.  Our top three handicappers all scored the same number of points and are in the same relative positions.  Sally Hinckley remains safely on the engine with a lead of 336 points over Anne Stepien.  Mark McKelvie is in the show hole a mere 66 points further back.  Gordon Waterstone completes the super and Bob Zanakis rounds out the penta.


Standings as of August 29, 2015 - Leg 31
Total Points
Points Earned
Overall
Position
Pos
Handicapper
Prior Week
This Week
Total Points
Last Week
1st
Sally Hinckley
2,600.80
4.50
2,605.30
1st
2nd
Anne Stepien
2,264.00
4.50
2,268.50
2nd
3rd
Mark McKelvie
2,198.00
4.50
2,202.50
3rd
4th
Gordon Waterstone
1,947.80
4.10
1,951.90
4th
5th
Bob Zanakis
1,891.10
40.00
1,931.10
5th
6th
Dennis O'Hara 
1,820.50
4.50
1,825.00
6th
7th
Earl Paulson
1,800.20
11.10
1,811.30
7th
8th
Bryan Owen
1,602.20
40.00
1,642.20
8th
9th
Michael Carter 
1,572.90
15.50
1,588.40
9th
10th
Josi Verlingieri
1,481.80
4.50
1,486.30
10th
11th
Ray Garnett
1,417.10
2.20
1,419.30
12th
12th
Mark Dezii
1,419.00
0.00
1,419.00
11th
13th
Rusty Nash
1,356.50
6.60
1,363.10
14th
14th
Garnet Barnsdale
1,326.40
15.50
1,341.90
13th
15th
Jay Hochstetler 
1,310.50
11.10
1,321.60
15th
16th
Derick Giwner
1,223.60
6.70
1,230.30
16th
17th
Brandon Valvo
1,191.30
0.00
1,191.30
17th
18th
Ray Cotolo
850.80
6.60
857.40
18th
19th
Mark Deutsch
531.40
4.50
535.90
19th



Next week will be very busy.  There are events Thursday through Monday over the long Labor Day weekend.  We kick things off with two year old filly trotters in the Champlain Stakes at Mohawk.  Friday continues at Mohawk with more Champlain Stakes action plus the Simcoe for three year old filly trotters.  The marquee events on Saturday include the Canadian Pacing Derby and the Metro Pace.  Sunday sees us all visiting Balmoral for the American National.  We wind things up Monday at one of our wonderful sponsors, Tioga Downs, for the fourth leg of the Miss Versatility.  Several of these stakes will be contested in divisions which will make for a very interesting week on the HANA circuit.