by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — She is the fastest 2-year-old trotter of all-time regardless of surface or gender, plus a full sister to the 2009 Hambletonian Oaks and Breeders Crown victress Broadway Schooner, but Cooler Schooner is still seeking her first triumph of 2014. Her connections have her prepared to annex this Saturday’s $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and join her sibling in the record books.

When she puts her nose on the gate from post position nine in race 12 with Hall of Famer John Campbell in the sulky, it is Cooler Schooner’s decision as to whether she will be getting her picture taken or being walked back to the paddock. The morning line odds list her chances for victory at 12-1.

The Hambletonian Oaks is part of a stakes-filled Hambletonian Day card at the Big M. Among the other highlights are the $300,650 John Cashman Jr. Memorial for older trotters and the $1 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters.

Coverage of the card will air throughout the afternoon on TVG and from 4-5:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

“When she is on and in the mode, she can go with anyone,” said Jim Campbell, the filly’s conditioner. “She decides whether she will be on her game all by herself, but she has definitely improved mentally from her 2- to 3-year-old year. We are hoping Saturday is the day she will show that.”

The daughter of Broadway Hall and the Pine Chip mare Pine Schooner races as a homebred for Fashion Farms.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Cooler Schooner enters the Hambletonian Oaks with career earnings of $149,984.

In her first season of campaigning Cooler Schooner showed blazing speed, but at times had a bit of trouble harnessing it to stay flat throughout her miles. She made breaks in three of her first five performances before her pilot, John Campbell, realized the best thing to do was let her do her own thing out there.

These tactics resulted in five straight miles without a break, including her world record of 1:51.3f in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and a nearly 11 length win in her $25,000 Breeders Crown elimination, before jumping it off in the final. For the season, the filly compiled a record of 11-4-1-1 and earned just shy of $135,000.

This year, Cooler Schooner has trotted four pari-mutuel miles with two second place finishes and $16,753 in the bank. She just missed to Shake It Cerry in her seasonal bow in a $33,212 Coaching Club Oaks race at Pocono on May 25, came back and was second in a qualifier on June 7 at the Meadowlands to Designed To Be, and was sixth in a $98,100 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono on June 18 after leading at the three-quarter pole.

The filly rebounded with a second place finish to Shake It Cerry in a $33,800 Pennsylvania All-Stars race, once again by the narrowest of margins on June 29, and then came home 10th at the Meadowlands in the $213,500 Delvin Miller Memorial on July 12 after a troubled trip. She is coming into the Oaks off a qualifying victory in 1:53 at the Meadowlands on July 19 after scratching sick from the $35,000 Hambletonian Oaks Prep over the same oval on July 26.

Campbell admits her season hasn’t exactly been what he expected from the talented filly.

“In her first couple races this year, we were trying to educate her a bit,” he said. “One race (the Delvin Miller) she was locked in and had nowhere to go. The race before that she blew the last turn at Pocono. We were hoping for some better results, but the good part is she did learn how to race in the hole and behind horses. We just had a hard time getting the right result for the end of the race.”

Although Campbell had hoped to have another race under her belt before Saturday’s engagement, he was pleased with her form in the qualifier and is happy with how she is coming into the Oaks.

“At the time we didn’t know the qualifier would be her actual prep, but it was good and I was happy with her,” he said. “She came up just a little sick for the Oaks prep, it wasn’t anything serious but we didn’t want to take any chances with her.”

Cooler Schooner has regained her health and only she knows whether she will display the ability, raw speed and determination that made her the fastest 2-year-old trotter in the history of the sport.

“I have been very pleased with her all week,” Campbell said. “It’s not a question of whether she can go with these horses, but whether she will be on her ‘A’ game. We hope that is the case and this would be the perfect time to start receiving the results at the end that we have been seeking all year.”

$500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, Race 12, 4:41 p.m.
1-Designed To Be-Brian Sears-Julie Miller-2-1
2-Cee Bee Yes-Marcus Miller-Julie Miller-20-1
3-Vanity Matters-Scott Zeron-Jonas Czernyson-30-1
4-Harley Momma-Corey Callahan-Jim Raymer-15-1
5-Take The Money-Dave Palone-Julie Miller-12-1
6-Tweet Me-Brett Miller-Don Swick-30-1
7-Lifetime Pursuit-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter-5-1
8-Heaven’s Door-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt-9-2
9-Cooler Schooner-John Campbell-Jim Campbell-12-1
10-Nitro Nittany-Howard Parker-Jim Raymer-30-1
11-Shake It Cerry-Ron Pierce-Jimmy Takter-5-2
*Shake It Cerry starts in second tier