by M. Kelly Young, executive assistant, Harness Horse Breeders of New York

Monticello, NY — Sappho Blue Chip became the latest horse in the Ray Schnittker Stable to break a track record when the two-year-old trotting filly breezed to a 2:01.3 finish in a division of the $159,420 New York Sires Stakes at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday, September 6.

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Sappho Blue Chip, with Ray Schnittker driving, en route to a new Monticello track record of 2:01.3 for freshman trotting fillies.

“She’s a nice filly and hopefully she will draw well in the final and she’ll do well there,” said trainer and driver Schnittker, alluding to the $150,000 final on the Night of Champions that the filly has earned her way into on Saturday, September 17, at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

The Credit Winner filly went off at 1-5 odds and used a pacesetting trip to drop the previous track record of 2:02.1 set by Wesgate Freedom in 1997. She is owned by Schnittker with Steve Demeter, Frank Baldassare and Highland Green Farm.

Schnittker also won a Sires Stakes division with Gluteus Maximus in 2:03 to earn himself a stable entry in the final. It was the Credit Winner filly’s third victory of the year following wins in the Historic-Acorn and the Reynolds and second place finishes in the elimination and final of the Merrie Annabelle for Blue Chip Partners, Demeter and Wendy English.

“We were carrying the flag at the Meadowlands earlier in the year. We hoped to get home in time (to earn points) to make the final,” said Mike Kimelman of Blue Chip Partners. “She can race from anywhere, but she’s been racing on the front because she’s the big favorite and that’s were she’s landed.”

Quick Credit remained atop the point standings with her 2:02.4 victory and extended her winning streak to four. Regular driver Brian Mattison was up behind the Credit Winner filly for Kelley Racing Stable and Valley High Stable. Paul Kelley trains the filly who has now won four of her six career starts, and never finished worse than third, for $66,692 in earnings.

Jeff Gregory and the Conway Hall filly Stardust swooped around the final turn and the fading pacesetter to win the last division of the day in 2:02 — a new career mark and what would have been a track record if Sappho Blue Chip had not broken it earlier on the card.

It was the second Sires Stakes victory this year for the filly trained by Gates Brunet and owned by Ted Gewertz, Martha and Milton Frank and Deborah Brunet.