by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Trainer Ray Schnittker and driver Tim Tetrick have enjoyed success previously in the Meadowlands Pace, winning in 2010 with One More Laugh, and have a chance to add another trophy to their collections when award-winning Huntsville faces nine rivals in Saturday’s $738,550 edition of the Meadowlands Racetrack’s signature event.

Huntsville is the even-money morning-line favorite in the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers following his 2-1/4 length win over Blood Line in last week’s Meadowlands Pace elimination. The top seven finishers from the elimination advanced to the Meadowlands Pace final.

Joining that group in the 10-horse field are three colts that advanced directly to the final courtesy of byes based on seasonal earnings: Downbytheseaside, Classic Pro and Miso Fast. Downbytheseaside is the race’s second choice, at 4-1.

Huntsville, who was the 2016 Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old male pacer, has won 11 of 17 career races and never finished worse than second. He will start the Meadowlands Pace from post four. Coverage of the race will air live from 9-10 p.m. on cable’s SNY.

“I thought he raced well,” Schnittker said. “I thought he could handle those horses, and he did. He got a decent post in the final and we’ll see what happens. So far everything has worked out good for him.”

Lisa photo

Huntsville is the even-money morning-line favorite in the Meadowlands Pace following his 2-1/4 length win over Blood Line in last week’s Pace elimination.

Schnittker owns Huntsville, the winner of $953,343 in career purses, with Ted Gewertz and Steven Arnold. Schnittker bred the horse with the late Charlie Iannazzo.

Tetrick has driven Huntsville in all 17 of the colt’s races. Their wins include last year’s Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male pacers at the Meadowlands and a world-record 1:49 mile in a division of last year’s International Stallion Stakes.

“Ray has been great to me,” Tetrick said. “He always gives me the first opportunity with the better ones he has. I think we’ve done pretty good together.

“He’s on my good guy list for sure,” he added with a grin.

The 35-year-old Tetrick already has won the Meadowlands Pace four times and is tied with Ron Pierce for the second most victories in the race’s 40-year history. John Campbell, who retired last month, holds the record with seven trophies.

“John Campbell is always going to be at the top no matter who beats his records or even comes close to his records, if they do,” Tetrick said. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”

Huntsville won the Meadowlands Pace elimination in 1:48.4 following a two-week layoff. He paced the second half of the race in :53.2, which was two seconds quicker than the first half.

“He raced really well,” Tetrick said. “I just wanted to stretch him out off that (slow) half and make sure he’s not short for the final. That’s where the money’s at.”

Trainer Brian Brown already has won one of harness racing’s top prizes for 3-year-old pacers, the North America Cup, and will try to add a second with Downbytheseaside. Fear The Dragon, who was not staked to the Meadowlands Pace, gave Brown’s stable its victory in the North America Cup, where Downbytheseaside finished third behind his stablemate and runner-up Huntsville.

Curtis Salonick photo

Downbytheseaside has won 13 races in his career and has banked $900,606.

Downbytheseaside, who will be driven by recent Hall of Fame inductee Brian Sears, has won five of seven races this year and earned $323,500. In addition to being third in the North America Cup, the colt was fifth in the Max C. Hempt Memorial on July 1 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Brown said Downbytheseaside was found to be sick following the Hempt.

“I was thrilled to have last week off,” Brown said. “He needed it. Those two finals were pretty tough, so it was nice to give him that easy week.

“I think we’re in a good spot. He’s going to have to have a good trip. I don’t know if he has to have a great trip, but just so he has a nice trip.”

For his career, Downbytheseaside has won 13 of 20 races and finished worse than third only once. He has earned $900,606 and is owned by Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and Diamond Creek Racing.

Sears, who was enshrined in the Harness Racing Hall of Fame on July 2 in Goshen, N.Y., is a two-time winner of the Meadowlands Pace. He won last year with Control The Moment and in 2005 with Rocknroll Hanover. Brown is making his second appearance in the Meadowlands Pace final. He was fifth in 2013 with Beach Memories.

With a win in the Meadowlands Pace, Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon would become the second stablemates to split the Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup, joining 2002 Pace champion Mach Three and 2002 Cup winner Red River Hanover.

“It’s very rewarding,” Brown said about having two pacers competing at the top of the 3-year-old division. “It’s hard to put into words.”

Trainer Ron Burke will send out two 10-1 shots on the morning line in pursuit of his first Meadowlands Pace victory. Miso Fast and Filibuster Hanover start side by side in posts six and seven, respectively.

Miso Fast won his Hempt elimination June 24 and finished fourth in the final after a first-over trip that saw him challenge for the lead on the last turn. He was third in last year’s Breeders Crown behind Huntsville and Downbytheseaside. For his career, he has won seven of 21 races and earned $340,674 for owners Burke Racing, Our Horse Cents Stables and J&T Silva Stables.

Filibuster Hanover finished sixth in the Meadowlands Pace elimination after starting from post 10. He has won three of 19 lifetime races and earned $174,480. He is owned by Burke Racing, Joseph DiScala Jr., J&T Silva Stables and the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi.

“Miso has been good,” said Burke, who had three of the top six finishers in last year’s Meadowlands Pace, led by third-place Check Six. “He drew a good spot and I loved him getting the week off last week. He’s coming in fresh.

“Filibuster has been pointed to this race all along. He trained super. He needs the race to go a certain way, but if it does, he’s as fast as any horse I have.”

For previous stories on Meadowlands Pace contenders, click on the horse’s name: Blood Line, Classic Pro, Mac’s Jackpot, Santafe’s Coach, Talent Soup.

Following is the field for the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers in post order with drivers, trainers and morning line.

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Blood Line-Mark MacDonald-Jimmy Takter-5/1
2-Mac’s Jackpot-David Miller-Jim Campbell-15/1
3-Boogie Shuffle-Scott Zeron-Mark Harder-30/1
4-Huntsville-Tim Tetrick-Ray Schnittker-1/1
5-Downbytheseaside-Brian Sears-Brian Brown-4/1
6-Miso Fast-Matt Kakaley-Ron Burke-10/1
7-Filibuster Hanover-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-10/1
8-Santafe’s Coach-Corey Callahan-Leo Iordan-20/1
9-Classic Pro-Trevor Henry-Dr. Ian Moore-15/1
10-Talent Soup-Eric Abbatiello-Bruce Saunders-30/1

Scheduled post time: 9:34 p.m.