(September 24,
2017) – With seven straight days of Grand Circuit
racing, the potential for a handicapper getting hot and making a move came to
fruition as Gordon Waterstone and Matt Rose surged into contention in the Hambletonian
Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge as Waterstone won top honors for
the week while Rusty Nash continued in the lead for the overall championship
for the second week in a row.
While
Nash remained in the top spot with 1,038.2 points for the season, when the dust
settled, Rose earned 187.5 points good for second place for the week, allowing him
to move from fourth to second with 1,025.88 points. The weekly leader Waterstone earned 224.5
points, giving him 1,001.5 points overall, allowing him to jump from seventh to
third place in the overall contest. Steve
Horoky earned the show spot for the week with 158.5 points.
With
twenty contest dates remaining, any handicapper has a chance to move into a cashing
position with a hot streak. With six
handicappers within a hundred points of the lead, the battle for number one has
the potential of being fought for till the end.
.
|
Standings thru Saturday, September 23, 2017 -
Leg #59
|
|||||
|
Pos
|
Handicapper
|
Total Points Earned
|
Legs Won
|
Last Week
|
Streak
|
|
1st
|
Rusty Nash
|
1,038.20
|
6
|
1st
|
2
|
|
2nd
|
Matt Rose
|
1,025.88
|
10
|
4th
|
|
|
3rd
|
Gordon Waterstone
|
1,001.50
|
9
|
7th
|
|
|
4th
|
Megan Maccario
|
983.90
|
8
|
2nd
|
|
|
5th
|
Russ Adams
|
959.04
|
8
|
5th
|
|
|
6th
|
Dennis O’Hara
|
952.85
|
9
|
6th
|
|
|
7th
|
Anne Stepien
|
917.82
|
7
|
3rd
|
|
|
8th
|
Sally Hinckley
|
864.98
|
7
|
8th
|
|
|
9th
|
Steve Horoky
|
861.83
|
4
|
10th
|
|
|
10th
|
Ray Garnett
|
809.11
|
4
|
9th
|
|
|
11th
|
Bryan Owen
|
774.90
|
6
|
11th
|
|
|
12th
|
Jay Hochstetler
|
690.50
|
4
|
13th
|
|
|
13th
|
Terry Wilson
|
652.47
|
5
|
12th
|
|
|
14th
|
Ray Cotolo
|
568.33
|
3
|
14th
|
|
|
15th
|
Michael Carter
|
559.53
|
3
|
15th
|
|
|
16th
|
Rich Mattei
|
448.30
|
2
|
6th
|
|
Next Up: Grand Circuit action moves to The Red Mile for their
eight-day Grand Circuit meet with racing this week Thursday through Sunday
September 28 thru October 1) with the Bluegrass Stakes being contested for two
and three year olds of both gaits and sexes.
In addition to Red Mile racing, Friday has the Dayton Pacing and
Trotting Derbies for aged horses on the slate along with the Simpson stakes for
2yo filly trotters and pacers at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Saturday is the last date with special
non-Grand Circuit races on the schedule with the Northlands Filly Stake and
Western Canada Pacing Derby for 3yo pacers at Northlands Park being contested. Sunday’s Simpson stakes for 2yo colt pacers
and trotters at Harrah’s supplements The Red Mile stakes.
The following week
features week two of The Red Mile meet with stakes such as the International
Stallion, Allerage Farms TVG, Glen Garnsey Memorial, Tattersalls, Kentucky
Futurity and Kentucky Filly Futurity to be contested.
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.
