by Steve Jones with John Manzi for Goshen Historic Track
Goshen, NY — Two-year-old world champion and Dan Patch Award winner, Huntsville, is preparing for his 3-year-old campaign at Goshen Historic Track in Goshen, N.Y. The colt may be a Pennsylvania-bred but he has New York connections all the way. He was bred by Ray Schnittker of Middletown and Charles Iannazzo of Tappan, his co-owners, along with Ted Gewertz of New York and Steve Arnold of Purchase. He raised at Steve Jones’ Cameo Hills Farm in Montgomery.
Huntsville‘s career began at the Meadowlands on June 4, 2016, he debuted with a winning effort in 1:54.2, with a last quarter in :26.3 . He marched through his 2-year-old season by winning three Pennsylvania Sire Stake events, including the final in 1:51.1. He headed to Lexington and won a division the Bluegrass in 1:53 and the following week at the Red Mile, he tied the world record for 2-year-old pacing colts, winning a division of the International Stallion Stake in 1:49.
After that it was back to the Meadowlands, where he won the elimination and final of the Breeders Crown, winning the final in 1:49.1 , a new track record for 2-year-old pacing colts. On the season, he had seven wins and four seconds, in 11 starts with earnings of $689,814 and was voted the 2-year-old pacing colt of the year by USHWA
According to trainer and co-owner Ray Schnittker, the colt’s connections are aiming for the 2017 North American Cup at Mohawk Raceway in early June.
“But prior to that Huntsville will probably make his first seasonal start in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes on May 21,” Schnittker said. “Of course we’ll tune him up in qualifiers at the Meadowlands before he begins his 3-year-old season.”
Huntsville is by Somebeachsomewhere out of Wild West Show by Western Hanover.