Goshen, NY — Offspring of Huntsville took top honors in three of the five $20,000 New York Excelsior Series events for 3-year-old pacers on Saturday (July 4) at Goshen Historic Track, among them Knoxville, whose 1:54 mile took the overall speed badge on the 10-race card before a packed grandstand.
In line to trainer/driver Ray Schnittker, Knoxville controlled splits of :28.1, :57 and 1:25.2 before using a :28.3 final quarter to evade pocket rival Cooperstown Boy by two lengths. A $75,000 Harrisburg purchase as a yearling, Knoxville has now won five races and banked $229,419 from 17 starts for Schnittker and co-owners Milton Leeman, Louis Palumbo and Ted Gewertz.
The other two Excelsior winners by Huntsville were gelding Johnny Wiggles, whom Jason Bartlett drove to a 4-1/4-length, 1:54.3 victory for trainer Jared Bako and the partnership of Doug McNair and John Stamatis; and filly Savage Cindy, a Scarlett Stables homebred whom Jordan Stratton rallied from the pocket to a half-length, 1:54.4 score over pacesetter American Cheese for trainer Cory Stratton.
Rounding out the quintet of Excelsior divisional winners were She’s In The Juice (1:55.4, Mike Merton), a daughter of In The Arsenal; and Unmatched Wisdom (1:54.4, Leon Bailey), a gelded son of American Ideal.
Trotters take center stage on Sunday (July 5) at Historic Track, with three New York Excelsior events for 3-year-olds headlining the eight-race card along with the annual Hall of Fame Invitational Trot. Four Landmark Stakes events for 2-year-olds of both gaits round out the program, which will begin at 1 p.m. (EDT).