Goshen, NY – Dave Palone, the winningest driver in harness racing history, captured the Mr. and Mrs. Elbridge Gerry Memorial Hall of Fame Invitational Trot on Sunday (July 6) at Goshen Historic Track, teaming with Reel Em In to a 1:57.4 win.
Reel Em In pushed forward for a three-hole ride behind Manclane (driven by Wally Hennessey) through a :29.1 first quarter before tipping first-over with just over a lap to go. After Manclane rated a :59.2 half, Reel Em In switched gears, surged clear of a fading Manclane past three-quarters in 1:28.4, and opened 3-1/2 lengths on the field midway around the far turn. The 8-year-old Crazed gelding was kept to his task through the homestretch and prevailed by just over a length. Hurrikanestpatrick and Yannick Gingras circled three-wide around the far turn and closed stoutly for second; Luke’s Bar and Chris Ryder narrowly took third over Southwind Banshee and Lauren Harmon.
“He was a little bullish scoring down,” said Palone of Reel EM In, who scored the 28th win of his career for trainer Robert Dill and owner Anthony Mazzeo. I wanted to be first-over, and when he got out there, he liked his work. He felt good, so I let him clear up the backside, and then I thought he was home. He’s a nice little horse.”
For his career, Palone has 21,260 career wins and over $164 million in purse earnings.
“It’s always fun, especially against this caliber of talent,” added Palone about making the nine-hour trip from Scioto Downs, where he raced Saturday (July 5), to compete in the Hall of Fame Trot. “It was worth it.”
After recording a conditioning grand slam on Saturday, Ray Schnittker scored four more training wins on the stakes portion of Sunday’s card, sweeping all four Landmark Stakes for 2-year-olds. Schnittker drove Midnight Party to a 1:59.4 win in the $7,075 filly pace, Casper The Ghost to a 1:57.2 score in the $10,500 male pace, and Royally Bred to a 2:09 victory in the $4,800 filly trot; Mark MacDonald steered the other victorious Schnittker trainee, Press, to a 2:03.4 win in the $7,400 male trot.
A trio of $20,000 New York Excelsior Series trots for 3-year-olds rounded out the program, with Devious Babe (1:58, Jordan Stratton driving for Julie Miller), Gangsta Talk (1:58, Tyler Buter, Norman Morford) and Global Twist (2:00.3, Jason Bartlett, Nick DeVita) winning their respective events.