by M. Kelly Young, Executive Director, Harness Horse Breeders of New York State

VERNON, N.Y. – The inaugural Empire Breeders Classic for 3-year-old New York-eligible trotters attracted 44 starters for the eliminations to be raced on Saturday, May 19, at Vernon Downs. A total of 16 colts drew into two $10,000 elimination fields and 28 fillies forced four eliminations.

Last year’s 2-year-old New York Sire Stakes Champions, colt Hitwiththeladies and filly Tessel, will both kick off their sophomore campaigns in this event before attempting to defend their Sire Stakes titles.

Hitwiththeladies drew post seven in race 10 for owner-trainer Allan McCarty. Last season the Giant Hit colt earned $195,468, largely in the New York Sire Stakes program, and won the final in dramatic fashion after breaking stride at the start.

“He went through the winter very well and he is ready to get back to racing,” explained the trainer. “He’s a lot heavier this year, he filled out and is more muscular, the changes you would expect to see between the 2- and 3-year-old seasons. His personality is great; he’s just a wonderful horse to be around.”

Although McCarty trains his colt year-round at Buffalo Raceway, he qualified Hitwiththeladies at Vernon Downs on May 8 in preparation for the Empire Breeders Classic. Regular driver Jack Flanigan was up for the 1:58.1 effort.

“I wanted to string him out a little on a big track (instead of Buffalo’s half-mile) and make sure we had everything set for this race,” explained McCarty of his 200 mile trek from Hamburg to Vernon Downs just to qualify. “He could have gone a lot faster, but he went to the three-quarters in (1:27.4) and the driver thought that was enough and let up on him the rest of the way.”

For Tessel, her start on Saturday will be a little more of a test as she is just recovering from being sick. She will start for Ann Yurenka of the Bill Bailey Stable from post four in the third race.

“We qualified her a couple times (at Vernon) and she wasn’t right and we scoped her and found out she was sick,” explained Bailey, who will also drive the filly for owners Paul and Pauline Nower and Doug Lasher. “Soundness-wise she is coming back well, but she didn’t grow much over the winter.”

With four eliminations of fillies, Bailey knows there is little room for error in the eliminations.

“It’s going to be tough. You basically have to finish one or two to make it into the final,” he said.

Nine fillies will start in the $150,000 estimated final with the first two finishers of each elimination and one third-place finisher drawn by lot advancing.

The Bailey Stable will also send out Nowerland Lightnin in the first race filly elimination and Jack’s Reef in the colt division against likely favorite Hitwiththeladies.

The Ray Schnittker Stable sends out the most starters with five fillies—Ada Girl, Chippewa Street, Hungadream, Julieannie, and Treasure Me Always—and colt New Hampshire Boy.

The advancing colts and fillies will all return for the finals of their respective divisions on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, at Vernon Downs.

This is the first year for the Empire Breeders Classic, which will amount to more than $600,000 in additional purses for New York-nominated trotters and pacers. The events are sponsored by Vernon Downs, Tioga Downs and stallion owners, along with additional added money from the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. Eliminations for pacing colts and fillies will be held May 20 at sister track Tioga Downs, followed by the finals there on May 27.