Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Top Trotters at The Big M

June 23, 2008

Deweycheatumnhowe and Snow White, last year’s 2-year-old trotting champions, make their much-anticipated 2008 debuts on Friday night at the Meadowlands. Deweycheatumnhowe headlines the $79,110 Dickerson Cup [race three] while Snow White tvies in the $68,110 Coaching Club Trotting Oaks [race five].

Driven and trained by Ray Schnittker, Deweycheatumnhowe is the early favorite for the $1.5 million Hambletonian, harness racing’s greatest prize, on Saturday, August 2. The son of Muscles Yankee was undefeated in 10 starts as a freshman
and counted the Breeders Crown and Valley Victory finals among his victories.
He has earned $936,191 for Schnittker and co-owners Ted Gewertz, Charles
Iannazzo and the Deweycheatumnhowe Stable.

“Now that I’ve been down this road to the Hambletonian I feel comfortable knowing what kind of horse it takes and what to do,” Schnittker said. “You can’t get carried away training a horse. You want to keep him in the same routine, and hopefully, you draw well and the horse is feeling good.

“Just being in other big races in my career helps, but they can throw hand grenades at you anytime,” he continued. “You know, with a horse like him, guys are always looking for you.”

The 2007 Dan Patch Award winner is a perfect 10-for-10 in his career, and six-for-six at the Meadowlands. His $936,191 in purses won last year was a record for a 2-year-old colt trotter. Only six horses have entered the Hambletonian with undefeated records and claimed the trophy in the last 62 years: Donato Hanover (2007), Scarlet Knight (2001), Malabar Man (1997), Mack Lobell (1987), Sharp Note (1952) and Titan Hanover (1945).

“He made a smooth transition from two to three,” Schnittker said. “Now he’s a little more focused and easier to drive. Last year, I had him in a blind bridle because he had a tendency to get a little hot. I switched to an open bridle with a running horse hood and blinker cups to maintain his focus.

“I was real happy with the second qualifier,” he continued “It was kind of fast, but at least I got to sit a two-hole and didn’t have to move him until the stretch. The colt on the front end is pretty good and he went by him quite easily. He’s come back very strong and qualified like a monster that day. Ideally, he’ll have three starts before the Hambletonian eliminations.”

Schnittker often rides the colt under saddle to break up the monotony of his training regimen.

“I rode him [Tuesday] and he likes that,” he said. “He also loves to swim. That’s all he did between the two qualifiers. I trained him down at the Meadowlands and just keep him legged up at my farm in Goshen. He’s just a happy-go-lucky horse who’s always feeling good.”

Snow White begins her Hambletonian quest from post six in the Coaching Club
Oaks. She became the fastest [1:52.4] and richest [$1,252,646] freshman filly
trotter in history in 2007, punctuating her 11-for-13 season with a Breeders
Crown trophy. The daughter of Self Possessed underwent tie-back surgery, which can correct breathing difficulties, at the University of Pennsylvania’s New
Bolton Center in March. She sports two winning qualifiers, 1:56.3 and 1:55.3,
going into her 2008 debut.

The $200,000 Titan Cup and $61,700 Jersey Cup cap the week of stakes Saturday night. After an impressive 4-year-old debut last week, Arch Madness looms the one to beat in the Titan Cup [race nine] for older trotters.