from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Undefeated Deweycheatumnhowe tops the list of 23 trotters now in pursuit of harness racing’s greatest prize, the $1.7 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands.

A trio of $70,000 elimination races on Saturday, July 26, will decide the 10 finalists that will compete for the $1.5 million jackpot on August 2. The top three finishers in each elimination, plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest career earnings, will advance to the Hambletonian Final.

Post time is 7:00 p.m. on July 26. In addition to the action on the track, WMTR presents a concert by The Magic Moments in Paddock Park. Kings Super Markets will collect food items for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey throughout the Hambletonian Festival. Any guest bringing a non-perishable food item for live or simulcast racing on July 26 will receive free admission and a Hambletonian or Meadowlands souvenir item.

Deweycheatumnhowe, trained and driven by Ray Schnittker, enters the Hambletonian eliminations with a perfect 13-race record. He drew post four in the second of the three $70,000 eliminations, race five. In his final Hambletonian prep, he cruised to a 1:53.2 victory in the $350,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 11. The defending divisional champion was perfect in 10 starts in 2007 and set a single-season earnings record of $936,191 for a 2-year-old trotting colt. The colt is three-for-three this season for Schnittker and co-owners Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo, and the Deweycheatumnhowe Stable (Walnut Hall Limited, Frank Baldassare and Jerry Silva).

Emerging star Crazed headlines the third elimination, race eight, from the rail. In his final Hambletonian tune-up, Crazed crushed the competition by 9-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4 last week at the Meadowlands. Trained by Frank Antonacci, Crazed has won three of four starts this season.

Snow White leads the class of 21 fillies who will contest the $850,000 Hambletonian Oaks. She will start from post six in the second of three $35,000 elimination races that will decide the field for the $750,000 Oaks Final on August 2. As with the colt’s event, the top three in each elimination and richest fourth-place finisher advance to the final.

Despite a rocky start to the season, Snow White breezed to a decisive 1:54 victory in the $300,000 Del Miller Memorial for trainer Kevin Lare and driver John Campbell on July 11. She finished 2007 as the fastest (1:52.4) and richest ($1,252,646) freshman filly trotter in history, punctuating her 11-for-13 season with a Breeders Crown trophy.

Hambletonian eliminations

1st Elimination – Race 2
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Atomic Hall-Eric Goodell-Trond Smedshammer
2-Make It Happen- Ray Schnittker-Ray Schnittker
3-Guida Muscle-John Campbell-Bob McIntosh
4-Celebrity Secret-Tim Tetrick-Staffan Lind
5-Fuel My Muscles-John Campbell-Randy Beeckman
6-Velocity Hall-David Miller-Jonas Czernyson
7-Surtees Hanover-Johan Untersteiner-Roger Walmann

2nd Elimination – Race 5
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Dennis-Cat Manzi-Roland Mallar
2-Azur-Jim Morrill, Jr.-Verlin Yoder
3-Ace High Hall-Daniel Dube-Mark Ford
4-Deweycheatumnhowe-Ray Schnittker-Ray Schnittker
5-Big Apple Deli-John Campbell-John Simpson, Jr.
6-Blue York Yankee-Brian Sears-Trond Smedshammer
7-Pine After Pine-Ron Pierce-Jonas Czernyson
8-Helens Colt-Eric Goodell-Floyd Hardiman, Jr.

3rd Elimination – Race 8
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Crazed-Tim Tetrick-Frank Antonacci, Jr.
2-Napoleon-Stephane Bouchard-Noel Daley
3-Big Boy Lloyd-David Miller-Ken Rucker
4-Lucky Jim-Trond Smedshammer-Trond Smedshammer
5-Spam Spade-Andy Miller-Julie Miller
6-Clerk Magistrate-Trevor Ritchie-Per Henriksen
7-Kajan Kooker-Michel Lachance-Ron Gurfein
8-Muscle Mass-Brian Sears-Erv Miller

Hambletonian Oaks Eliminations

1st Elimination – Race 1
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Celebrity Tribute-Brian Sears-Staffan Lind
2-Finix Hanover-Ron Pierce-Steve Elliott
3-Winky’s Magik-Yannick Gingras-Per Henriksen
4-Two Nts With Her-Tim Tetrick-Torgeir Hagmann
5-Saorse-Louis Baudron-Marie Ortolan
6-Lantern Kronos-Brian Sears-Jimmy Takter
7-Fancy Vacation-Andy Miller-Anette Lorentzon

2nd Elimination – Race 3
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Girlie Tough-Rick Plano-Rick Plano
2-Stage Show-Brian Sears-Jim Campbell
3-One Tough Lass-Tim Tetrick-Ross Croghan
4-There’s A Way-Andy Miller-Anette Lorentzon
5-Diana Hall-Ron Pierce-Francisco Del Cid
6-Snow White-John Campbell-Kevin Lare
7-Credit Victory-Trevor Ritchie-Harald Lunde

3rd Elimination – Race 6
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Creamy Mimi-Brian Sears-Trond Smedshammer
2-Alphabet St-Larry Stalbaum-Arild Eggen
3-Star Gazer-Yannick Gingras-R. Dustin Jones
4-Satin Pillows-Tim Tetrick-Mark Silva
5-No Pain No Gain-David Miller-Jonas Czernyson
6-Prada Hall-Trevor Ritchie-Harald Lunde
7-La Dolce-Joe Pavia, Jr.-Kevin Johnson