Cassis rocks Goshen in 1:55.4

July 02, 2010

Cassis rocked the �Cradle of the Trotter.� Trainer Ray Schnittker's Cassis, a 3-year-old Hambletonian eligible son of Cantab Hall-Dirty Martini, on Friday trotted the fastest mile in the 172-year history of Historic Track in Goshen, N.Y. Cassis won the $25,443 Landmark Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters by 23 1/2 lengths in 1:55.4.

The previous Historic Track record was 1:58, set by older trotter Goalfish in 2005. Goalfish, who was the 2000 Yonkers Trot winner, established the mark in the annual Hall of Fame race with driver Mike Lachance in the sulky. The previous record for a 3-year-old trotter was 1:59.1, shared by gelding Mr. Hobbs and fillies Frisky Fergi, Stardust and Princessofhollywd.

Cassis, with Schnittker handling the driving, set the mark with fractions of :28.4 for the first quarter, :57.4 for the half, and 1:26.3 for three-quarters.

�He did it easy,� said Schnittker, who is stabled at Historic Track. �He�s really good on a half-mile (track). I told (driver) Tim Tetrick that this is the best gaited horse I�ve ever had getting around Goshen. On a half-mile track, he�s as good as anything I�ve ever had.�

Cassis has won seven of eight races this year (he finished second in the only race he lost) and has earned $163,888. He is owned by Schnittker, Kelk�s Inc., Arden Homestead Stable and Jerry Silva.

Schnittker, who trained and drove 2008 Hambletonian winner Deweycheatumnhowe, will send Cassis to the Stanley Dancer Memorial at the Meadowlands on July 17 and then the Hambletonian (eliminations July 31; final Aug. 7).

He joked if the Hambletonian was on a half-mile track, rather than the Meadowlands� mile oval, he would really like his chances.

�We�d be in good shape,� Schnittker said. �It would take a pretty good horse to beat him on a half-mile (track), I think. We might take him to Italy for the (Premio) Orsi Mangelli at the end of the year.�

Cassis was one of three Landmark winners for Schnittker. Highbeta Blue Chip won the $21,843 Landmark Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers by 2 3/4 lengths over Upfront Cosmo in 1:55.3 and O Lucky Me won the $14,093 event for 3-year-old filly pacers by 1 3/4 lengths over Sugarcoated in 1:56.

The remaining Landmark winner was Tala Lady, trained and driven by Brian Cross, in the event for 3-year-old filly trotters. She won in 2:01.4.

Tala Lady is owned by Tom McTygue, the former public works commissioner of Saratoga Springs, who usually owns only New York-bred horses. Tala Lady (Valley Victor-Grand Abby) is a Kentucky-bred and finished second in last year�s $300,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes championship for 2-year-old filly trotters.

�I bought the horse as a yearling, knowing there were only 40 fillies eligible to the sire stakes down there,� said McTygue, who is the part-owner of six New York-breds. �Everyone was busting on me for buying a Kentucky-bred when I�m a New York horse owner. But I was going to roll the dice and see if she could make it.�

Tala Lady, purchased for $15,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, has won two of 14 lifetime races and earned $91,684.

�We�re very happy,� McTygue said. �She�s been a very good horse for me. She�s carrying the load for us.� (HRC)

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