(March 26, 2017) – Matt Rose swept Friday night’s (March 26) three legs of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series to take a solid lead early on in the 2017 Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge by opening up a 50.5 point lead over Ray Garnett who managed to muscle into second place by 1 point over Rusty Nash by winning Saturday’s leg of the challenge by winning two of the four races. Rose has now won two of the four legs contested thus far.
Clearly, Rose is taking advantage of the early legs at Yonkers, his home track, by winning all three races on Friday’s slate including Empress Deo ($25), Mackenzie A ($4.60), and Bedroomconfessions ($2.90) which allowed him to net $41.70 for the evening. However, even a home track can be cruel as Saturday night was a different story, resulting in him having to settle for a couple of show placings.
Garnett and Russ Adams both had two winners on Saturday evening, but the difference was Garnett’s tabbing of Keystone Velocity ($13.20) in the first division of the Levy which allowed him to eke out a net profit of $12.60. Also selecting Keystone Velocity was Anne Stepien.
In the overall net-profit competition, Nash ($62.10) remains on top, leading Rose ($58.80) by $3.30. Ray Garnett moves into third this week with a net profit of $36.80 as Ray Cotolo fills out the top quartet with a net profit of $22.60.
The standings thus far after four legs are:
|
Pos |
Handicapper |
Total Points Earned |
Legs Won |
|
1st |
Matt Rose |
143.5 |
2 |
|
2nd |
Ray Garnett |
92.0 |
1 |
|
3rd |
Rusty Nash |
91.0 |
1 |
|
4th |
Dennis O’Hara |
50.0 |
0 |
|
5th |
Russ Adams |
50.0 |
0 |
|
6th |
Ray Cotolo |
46.0 |
0 |
|
7th |
Gordon Waterstone |
45.0 |
0 |
|
8th |
Sally Hinckley |
44.5 |
0 |
|
9th |
Steve Horoky |
44.5 |
0 |
|
10th |
Anne Stepien |
41.0 |
0 |
|
11th |
Adam Friedland |
37.5 |
0 |
|
12th |
Bryan Owen |
33.0 |
0 |
|
13th |
Jay Hochstetler |
28.0 |
0 |
|
14th |
Michael Carter |
23.0 |
0 |
|
15th |
Megan Maccario |
19.0 |
0 |
|
16th |
Terry Wilson |
18.0 |
0 |
Next Up: The Challenge returns to Yonkers Raceway on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 for the third legs of the Matchmaker and Levy Memorial Series. The Challenge remains at Yonkers Raceway until the conclusion of the two series on April 22.
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.
Allan Schott
HANA Harness Racing Coordinator
Check out the HANA Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge
