Powerful Huntsville Pace ready
July 8, 2017,by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands
East Rutherford, NJ — Huntsville is ready for The Pace.
The Ray Schnittker trainee had no trouble winning the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace Elimination Saturday night (June 8) at The Meadowlands, stopping the clock in 1:48.4. It was 2-1/4 lengths back to Blood Line with Santafe’s Coach third. (See The Pace draw below)
Huntsville established a new lifetime mark of 1:48.4 in his Meadowland Pace elimination win on Saturday evening.
With Classic Pro, Downbytheseaside and Miso Fast having accepted byes to next week’s $738,550 Pace final, seven spots were up for grabs in the elimination. In addition to the top three finishers, Mac’s Jackpot, Talent Soup, Filibuster Hanover and Boogie Shuffle earned berths for The Meadowlands signature event.
“We wanted to race because we didn’t go to Pocono (for the Hempt) and we didn’t want to go into the Meadowlands Pace being off so long,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick of the decision to race Huntsville rather than accept one of the byes. “He was good tonight, plenty of go. He was on the left line a little again, but Ray will have him ready. He trained great the other day, wasn’t on the line, so he’ll have the quirks worked out of him.”
Huntsville, listed at even-money on the morning line for next week’s final, sat third in the early going before taking the top just after the quarter. The son of Somebeachsomewhere sprinted the third quarter in :27 to reach three-quarters in 1:22.2 before a final quarter of :26.2 enabled him to establish a new lifetime best.
Huntsville paid $2.20 as the 1-9 public choice and lifted his lifetime stats to 11 wins in 17 starts and earnings of just over $953,000.
HAMBO READY: Hambletonian favorite Walner made his much-anticipated return to the races in a conditioned event earlier on the card and the Linda Toscano trainee spoke loud and clear about his standing as the top 3-year-old colt in training, crushing an overmatched field by 7-1/2 lengths.
Lisa Photos
Walner stops the clock in 1:51.1, equaling Ariana G’s seasonal mark for a 3-year-old trotter.
Tetrick, who won five times on the program, got the son of Chapter Seven away third around turn one but quickly moved the 2016 Breeders Crown champion to the top where he cut easy fractions of :28.1 and :56.1.
Walner went into sprint mode to the three-quarters, extending his lead to five lengths as he hit that station in 1:23.2 before powering home in a final quarter of :27.4 to complete the mile and equal Ariana G’s 1:51.1 seasonal mark for a 3-year-old on the trot. Sweet Thing was second with Winter Harbor third.
“He’s ready to rock,” said Tetrick. “It feels like I’m driving a Corvette with a Mack Truck engine. I had the whip tucked. I never asked him to go one bit. He’s got a full stakes schedule from here on. He had a little bit of a slow start this year but I think he’s going to make up for it.”
A LITTLE MORE: On the undercard, Roses Are Red winner Lady Shadow tuned up for next week’s Golden Girls by winning a fillies and mares invitational in 1:49 at odds of 1-5. She paced her back half in :53.3 and stayed unbeaten in five starts this year. … Total handle on the card was $2,689,967. … Racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m. with Meadowlands Pace Night Saturday going 45 minutes earlier, at 6:30 p.m.
THE 2017 MEADOWLANDS PACE FIELD
Here is the field for the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old open pacers on July 15 at the Meadowlands Racetrack with post position, horse (driver, trainer) and morning-line odds:
1. Blood Line (Mark MacDonald, Jimmy Takter), 5-1
2. Mac’s Jackpot (David Miller, Jim Campbell), 15-1
3. Boogie Shuffle (Scott Zeron, Mark Harder), 30-1
4. Huntsville (Tim Tetrick, Ray Schnittker), 1-1
5. Downbytheseaside (Brian Sears, Brian Brown), 4-1
6. Miso Fast (Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke), 10-1
7. Filibuster Hanover (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 10-1
8. Santafe’s Coach (Corey Callahan, Leo Iordan), 20-1
9. Classic Pro (Trevor Henry, Dr. Ian Moore), 15-1
10. Talent Soup (Eric Abbatiello, Bruce Saunders), 30-1
Scheduled post time: 9:34 p.m.
- Thirteen declare for Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 04, 2017)
Thirteen sophomore pacers were declared for the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace which, per race conditions, resulted in byes being offered to and accepted by the connections of Downbytheseaside, Classic Pro and Miso Fast as three of the top 2017 money winners. The remaining 10 horses will race in a $50,000 single elimination race on Saturday (July 8) with seven of those advancing to a complete a field of ten for the $700,000 final on July 15.
- Meadowlands and Yonkers to host Grand Circuit action this weekend (Wednesday, July 05, 2017)
Grand Circuit races will be contested this Friday and Saturday at the Meadowlands, and on Saturday at Yonkers.
- Walner to take first step on Hambletonian path (Wednesday, July 05, 2017)
Walner is ready to start on an abbreviated road to the Hambletonian. The returning Dan Patch Award winning trotter makes his delayed 2017 debut Saturday in a conditioned race at the Meadowlands, where he and regular driver Tim Tetrick will face seven rivals.
- Mac’s Jackpot aims to raise the ante in Pace elim (Thursday, July 06, 2017)
Jim Campbell hopes Mac’s Jackpot can cash in with a strong performance in Saturday’s Meadowlands Pace elimination. Mac’s Jackpot is among 10 horses in the $50,000 elimination at the Meadowlands Racetrack, where the top seven finishers will advance to the $700,000 final on July 15. They will be joined in the final by three bye recipients based on seasonal earnings: Downbytheseaside, Classic Pro, and Miso Fast.
- Pace elims and Graduate finals top Saturday Meadowlands card (Friday, July 07, 2017)
The Meadowlands Saturday night (July 8) card is loaded with fast horses racing for big money.The track’s signature race, the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, drew 13 declarations resulting in a single 10-horse $50,000 elimination race. The top seven finishers from that race will join Downbytheseaside, Classic Pro and Miso Fast who were granted a bye into the $738,550 final on July 15.
- Classic Pro takes free (legged) ride to Meadowlands Pace (Monday, July 10, 2017)
Classic Pro might be the easiest horse to identify in Saturday’s $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for 3-year-old pacers, but not because of any markings or equipment — or even a number — on the colt. It is because what Classic Pro will be missing: hobbles.
- Marion Marauder, Lady Shadow, and Walner headline Pace undercard stakes (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
Nearly $3 million in Grand Circuit stakes will be contested on Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace night, Saturday (July 15) with an early post time of 6:30 p.m.
- Bowden hopes for no bad “Blood” in Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
Adam Bowden is never quite sure what to expect from Blood Line. Last weekend, the colt finished second to award-winning Huntsville in the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace elimination, completing the mile in 1:49.1 with a :26.3 last quarter. In his previous start, Blood Line went off stride at odds of 2-1 in his elimination of the Hempt Memorial and failed to advance to the final. Needless to say, Bowden is hoping for more of the former than the latter in Saturday’s $738,550 Meadowlands Pace final for 3-year-old pacers at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
- SNY to provide live coverage of Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace (Tuesday, July 11, 2017)
The 41st Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace will air live on SNY, Saturday (July 15) from 9–10 p.m.
- Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace Night at a glance (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)
Here is the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace Night at a glance.
- Pace Night highlights at The Meadowlands (Friday, July 14, 2017)
The Meadowlands presents “The Greatest Night in Harness Racing” this Saturday with the 41st edition of the track’s signature race, the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, for a purse of $738,550. There is an early 6:30 p.m. post time on Saturday.
- Schnittker/Tetrick look for another Meadowlands Pace triumph (Friday, July 14, 2017)
Trainer Ray Schnittker and driver Tim Tetrick have enjoyed success previously in the Meadowlands Pace, winning in 2010 with One More Laugh, and have a chance to add another trophy to their collections when award-winning Huntsville faces nine rivals in Saturday’s $738,550 edition of the Meadowlands Racetrack’s signature event.
- Stars to shine on Saturday at Meadowlands (Friday, July 14, 2017)
There will be no shortage of award-winning horses on the track Saturday at the Meadowlands. The star-packed card features eight stakes events, with at least one Dan Patch Award winner in each. In fact, all told there will be the recipients of a combined 22 Dan Patch and O’Brien awards in action Saturday night at the Big M.