by Dustin Ross, for Tioga Downs

Nichols, NY — The gait of the trotter was highlighted on Saturday night (July 21) at Tioga Downs in the second day of the Tompkins-Geers. Two divisions for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters, two divisions for 3-year-old filly trotters, and five divisions for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters were all featured the 12-race card.

Fred Brown Photography

Too Salty was a 1:55.2 winner on Saturday for Ray Schnittker.

In the second division for 3-year-old colt trotters it was Too Salty who proved to be too much for the field of six competitors. Ray Schnittker wasted no time putting the son of SJ’s Caviar on the engine through fractions of :28, :57.4 and 1:26.3 before sprinting home in :28.4. The mile of 1:55.2 lowered Too Salty’s own national season’s record that he established at the Meadows in the Keystone Classic of 1:55.3.

Don Bartling owns the trotter, who was unraced at 2 but has won six of his 10 starts in his sophomore year.

Princetonian and Howard Parker sat the two-hole trip but could gain no ground on the winner. It was a disqualification that placed That’s Hall Folks in the show spot.

Mr Hobbs made his pari-mutuel debut a winning voyage for trainer Ron Gurfein and driver Mike Lachance. The 2-year-old son of Conway Hall was a $145,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, Pa.

Gurfein and Lachance teamed up for another victory from post position nine with 2-year-old Conway Hall son Stand Guard. The trotting colt is owned by Brittany Farms and Reality Stable. Stand Guard was a $75,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale in Kentucky.

Classical Mary and Richard Stillings took the second division for 3-year-old trotting fillies for owners Steve Stewart and Dr. Andrew and Linda Fabian. The filly by Muscles Yankee has made over $50,000 in 2007 by posting a record of four wins and three seconds in seven seasonal starts.

Roger Hammer and Pizzazzed scored in a division of the Tompkins-Geers for 2-year-old colt trotters. The freshman son of Kadabra equaled his lifetime mark with a front-end score in 2:00, with a back half trotted in :58.4. The $15,000 spent for him as a yearling in Lexington seems well worth it as Pizzazzed has already banked over $17,000 in just three career starts.

Two of the “ship-in drivers,” Mike Lachance and Richard Stillings, along with Mike Simons, posted driving doubles on the night’s 12-race card.