stakes Recaps

Historic Track hosted seven Landmark Stakes on Monday (July 4), with locally based trainer Ray Schnittker winning two of the Grand Circuit events.

Schnittker won the $8,350 Landmark for 2-year-old male trotters with Civil Union and the $7,575 Landmark for 3-year-old female pacers with Caviart Carmel.

Civil Union, a son of Muscle Hill-Girl With A Past from the family of millionaire Dejarmbo, won in 2:03.2 with Schnittker in the sulky. Caviart Carmel, a homebred daughter of Always B Miki-Caviart Cameron, won in 1:57.2, also with Schnittker handling the driving. She was a Virginia Breeders champion last season.

Other 3-year-old winners Monday were K J Phillip (Andover Hall-Susi’s Image) in the $10,500 Landmark for male trotters in 2:05.2 for driver Jim Taggart Jr. and trainer Gary Messenger and Money Matters (Explosive Matter-Missy Money Bags) in the $5,660 Landmark for female trotters in 2:05.1 for trainer-driver Aaron Lambert.

Remaining winners among 2-year-olds were Vibrance (Betting Line-Moonlit Dance) in the $7,025 division for female pacers in 1:58.3 for driver-trainer Steven Rybka; Bullvillespandemic (Bullville Powerful-Not A Bullville) in the $12,950 Landmark for male pacers in 1:59.2 for driver Joseph Chindano Jr. and trainer Stephen Crevani; and My Belfast Angel (Muscles Yankee-Vixen) in the $6,375 Landmark for female trotters in 2:10.3 for trainer-driver Andrew Adamczyk.

With one Grand Circuit win under his belt, Stretch The Line might get the chance to go for another in the upcoming MGM Springfield Stakes at Yonkers Raceway.

Stretch The Line won Friday’s $11,350 Landmark Stakes for 2-year-old male pacers at Goshen Historic Track, going gate-to-wire in 2:00.2 with Tyler Buter at the lines for trainer Erv Miller. It was Stretch The Line’s first win in his second start. He went off stride on June 23 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

A gelding by Huntsville out of Jessalilmixup, he was purchased for $16,000 at the Goshen Yearling Sale. In addition to going off stride in his first start, Stretch The Line made a break in his first qualifier on June 9. He returned a week later to win a qualifier in 1:55 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

“I think he’s a pretty nice colt,” Miller said. “Early on, I turned him out because I didn’t like him very much. I thought he was just so-so. I gave him six weeks off and he came back a different horse. He’s been good ever since, other than the mistakes he made.

“He was a little immature. Getting started the first time, like a 2-year-old, he got behind the gate and was a little too keyed up. We made some bridle changes, some hobble changes, and hopefully we’re off on our way.”

Miller now has the Springfield in his sights for Stretch The Line. Eliminations will be July 9 and the final is July 16.

“I think so,” Miller said about sending the horse to Yonkers next week. “That’s why I brought him here. I wanted to see how he was for that race.”

Historic Track hosted eight Landmark Stakes for 2- and 3-year-old pacers and trotters.

The $9,900 Landmark for 3-year-old filly pacers was won by Let ‘Er Buck in 1:54.4 with Mark MacDonald driving for breeder-owner-trainer Ray Schnittker. The time was the fastest of the day.

A daughter of Betting Line out of Wild West Show, Let ‘Er Buck was victorious for the second time in eight starts this season and fifth time in 19 lifetime races. Let ‘Er Buck, a half-sister to Dan Patch Award winner Huntsville, has earned $123,822.

The $8,650 Landmark for 3-year-old filly trotters was won by Cantkeepmiasecret in 2:02.3 for owner-trainer-driver Angus MacDonald. By Conway Hall out of Art Of Deception, she won for the second time in 10 starts this season and fifth time in 17 career races. She has earned $19,575 lifetime.

Velvet Style won the $10,850 Landmark for 2-year-old male trotters in 2:00. Jason Bartlett drove the Credit Winner-Velvet’s Katie Bug colt for trainer Mark Ford and owners George and Rose Bonomo. He was bred by Stephen Dey III. Velvet Style has two wins in three races, earning $11,817.

The first $4,763 division of the Landmark for 2-year-old filly pacers was won by Shes A Bullville in 1:59.2 with Jim Devaux driving for breeder-owner Crevani Farms and trainer Stephen Crevani. The daughter of Bullville Powerful out of Not A Bullville won for the first time in three starts.

The second division went to Su Su Sussudio in 1:59 with Renaldo Morales III driving for trainer Randy Taft. The filly, by Third Straight out of Daughterofdarkness, was making her career debut for breeder-owner 4 Rose Stable.

Mullinax won the $10,575 first division of the Landmark for 3-year-old male pacers. He was clocked in 1:57.2 with Bartlett driving for trainer Ford. Mullinax, by American Ideal out of Up Front Kellie Jo, is owned by Bill Varney. He was bred by Ford and Ed Mullinax. Mullinax, last year’s New York Sire Stakes Excelsior Series champion, won for the first time in 2021 and seventh time in 19 career races. He has earned $133,343.

The second division was won by Bare It Hill in 1:55.3 with Bartlett in the sulky for trainer James Minton, who owns the Racing Hill-McGrin N McBare It gelding with Heather Minton. Unraced at 2, Bare It Hill picked up his fourth win in nine starts. He has earned $27,079. He was bred by Larry Miller.

Racing continues Saturday with New York Excelsior Series events for 3-year-old pacers and a Billings Series trot for amateur drivers. On Sunday, the track hosts Excelsior Series races for 3-year-old trotters and the Hall of Fame Trot.

First post is 1 p.m. (EDT). Admission is $5, with children ages 12 and under free.

Loyal Fox Hanover made his first win of the season a memorable one, winning Sunday’s $16,150 Landmark Stakes 3-year-old open trot by 4-1/2 lengths over Askmelater Hanover in a track-record 1:57.3 at Historic Track. Sloanie finished third.

The previous track record for a 3-year-old trotting gelding was 1:58 set by Keenan in 2011.

Askmelater Hanover led through the first half of the race before Loyal Fox Hanover took a slim lead at three-quarters. The two trotters battled around the final turn before Loyal Fox Hanover pulled away nearing the wire.

“I wasn’t sure if he was going to get around the half-mile (track) but he liked it,” trainer Chuck Sylvester said. “He got around there very good. I’d say that was one of his best performances of the year.”

Loyal Fox Hanover had four wins and four second-place finishes in 10 starts last year, earning $76,118. He finished second in a division of the John Simpson Memorial and concluded last season with a victory in a division of the Liberty Bell. This year, though, he was winless in nine starts heading into the Landmark.

“We were pretty high on him all winter and he’s been pretty disappointing to us,” Sylvester said. “He could trot as much last year as he’s been trotting this year. For some reason, he didn’t pick up any speed. He’s just been steady. Last year, he battled every time. This year, he hasn’t tried very hard. Maybe this is what he needed.”

Ray Schnittker drove Loyal Fox Hanover for Sylvester. Loyal Fox Hanover, a son of Andover Hall out of Lady Luck Hanover, has won five of 20 career races, earning $98,833. The gelding is owned by Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey Arnold, Paul Bordogna, and Sylvester. Hanover Shoe Farms bred the winner.

Other Landmark Stakes winners were Levine in the $16,550 3-year-old open pace, Rodeo Beach in the $7,900 3-year-old filly pace, Credit Con in the $12,000 2-year-old open trot, and Mullinax in the $10,500 2-year-old open pace.

Jason Bartlett drove Levine and Mullinax, two of his seven wins on the day. He also won five New York Sire Stakes County Fair finals.

“I knew some of the horses I had were pretty good and I had some good post positions too,” Bartlett said. “But you can’t expect you’re going to win seven on the day, that everything is going to go perfect. I just was in good spots.”

Levine won by 6-3/4 lengths over 2019 New York Sire Stakes champion Cigars And Port in 1:54. He took the lead following a first-turn skirmish with Stop Action and Cigars And Port and rebuffed a first-over challenge from Cigars And Port on the backstretch en route to victory. Always On The Hunt finished third.

“He has really good gate speed,” Bartlett said. “He’s very quick and he’s very good in the turns. I knew when I got to the front as easy as I did that he would be tough to beat. He was very good. And Scott Zeron owns that horse, so I had a lot of pressure on me.”

Levine is owned by driver Zeron, who was unable to attend Sunday’s Historic Track races because of commitments at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which was hosting the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championships and consolations for 3-year-olds.

It was Zeron’s connection with Levine’s full brother, Pointomygranson, that led to the purchase of Levine for $24,000 at the 2018 Lexington Selected Sale. Zeron had driven Pointomygranson to multiple New York Sire Stakes wins the previous season.

“Scott really liked Pointomygranson,” trainer Megan Scran said. “That is what attracted us to (Levine). He’s really come into himself as a 3-year-old.”

Levine, a gelded son of American Ideal-Sangaal bred by Ken Solomon, has won four of seven races this year and five of 16 lifetime, earning $55,955. He is the points leader in the New York Sire Stakes Excelsior “A” Series.

Mullinax won his Landmark Stakes by 5-3/4 lengths over Stop Staring in 1:57.4. He’s A Snob finished third.

Fourth through the first half of the race, Mullinax charged forward from there and became the race’s fourth and final leader.

“He’s been very good,” Bartlett said. “I love that little horse. He got beat last week because he was very sick. I knew today that I just needed a clean trip. There was a lot of movement to the half and some of those horses were struggling in the turns. I attacked in the turn and cleared pretty easy. He won very easily.”

Mullinax has won three of eight races and $27,152 for owner Bill Varney. He was bred by Mark Ford and Ed Mullinax, who passed away in 2018. Ford trains the colt.

“He’s very versatile, quick, and has a great attitude,” Bartlett said. “I’ve been racing him from the front and today he won from off the pace just as well. He’s just a handy little horse and that’s what you need on the New York Sire Stakes circuit.”

Schnittker returned to the winner’s circle for the Landmark for 3-year-old filly pacers after driving Rodeo Beach to victory in 1:55.4. Flirty Forty finished second and Hurrikanemyshannon was third.

Rodeo Beach led through the first quarter before yielding the top spot to Flirty Forty, who guided the field to the three-quarter point. Rodeo Beach moved to the outside coming off the final turn and paced to a 3-3/4 length triumph.

Schnittker owns Rodeo Beach with Arnold and Bordogna. He bred the filly, a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere out of Wild West Show, with Charles Iannazzo. She is a full sister to Dan Patch Award winner Huntsville as well as six-figure earners Cowboy Terrier, Stevensville, Wild Bill, and Branquinho.

Rodeo Beach has won two of 11 races this season and three of 19 lifetime, earning $31,086.

Credit Con held off a late charge from Seven Nation Army to capture the $12,000 Landmark Stakes 2-year-old open trot by three-quarters of a length in 2:00.4. Manuka finished third.

Cory Stratton drove Credit Con for trainer Todd Buter and breeder/owner Lee Sitto. The victory was the first for the gelding, a son of Credit Winner out of Jesse’s Con, in six career starts. He has won $31,080.