Dewey coasts; Snow White breaks stride

June 27, 2008

Deweycheatumnhowe, the early favorite for the $1.5 million Hambletonian, kept his perfect record intact as he won his 2008 debut in 1:53.3 on Friday night at the Meadowlands, but his female counterpart Snow White broke stride while leading her stakes and finished up the track.

Driver-trainer Ray Schnittker steered "Dewey" to his 11th straight win in the $79,100 Dickerson Cup, race three on the card. Schnittker settled Dewey in fourth around the first turn, then unleashed a backside brush that took them to the top in :55.3. Dewey kicked away from the field entering the stretch, but Schnittker had to call upon the colt again in the final strides to hold off the late run of his entrymate, Kajan Kooker. Sent off the 1-9 favorite, Dewey paid $2.10.

�I wasn�t worried,� Schnittker said of the half-length margin. �He was just coasting along. I tapped him and then he just took off again. No matter how many times you qualify, the first start back is always the toughest. He put in a good mile last week and sometimes they bounce a little after a qualifier like that. He�s a good horse, but he is going to get beat at some point.�

Dewey went undefeated in 10 starts as a freshman and set a single-season earnings record of $936,191 for a 2-year-old trotting colt. He is the early favorite to win the $1.5 million Hambletonian on Aug. 2. Dewey will make his next start in the July 4 eliminations for the Stanley Dancer Memorial Trot.

Schnittker co-owns the son of Muscles Yankee-Trolley Square with Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo, Frank Baldassare and the Deweycheatumnhowe Stable [Walnut Hall Ltd. and Jerry Silva].

When Snow White broke into a gallop on the final turn, it paved the way to victory for One Tough Lass in the $68,110 Coaching Club Trotting Oaks.

Driver Tim Tetrick and One Tough Lass sat in the pocket behind Snow White as she led the field to the half in a lukewarm 57 seconds. However, the 1-5 shot Snow White broke stride on the final turn, allowing Tetrick and One Tough Lass to pull away to a 7-1/4 lengths victory in 1:56.2.

One Tough Lass [$7.80], trained by Ross Croghan, posted her third in 11 career starts. The daughter of Muscles Yankee-Timberlassie is owned by Jon Erdner and William Neumeister.

�I though Snow White was a little suspect going into tonight,� Croghan said. �I heard rumors. I figured if she were going to have an off night, we would win.

�She is a real nice filly,� Croghan said of One Tough Lass. �She should have taken her mark last year, but she went offstride at Lexington when she was on top [on the lead in a race Oct. 3]. She kind of just stumbled that day. It was just one of those baby things. She trained back super.�

Snow White, the 2007 2-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year, failed to regain stride and finished a distanced fifth. It marked only the second time in 14 career starts that she failed to finish on the board.

�She was never trotting comfortably, the whole mile,� John Campbell said of Snow White�s miscue. �She was a little unsure of herself at the gate. I just couldn�t keep her at it.�

Snow White was also rank while scoring down before her race, and in her warm-up earlier on the night.

Croghan also sent out Knock Three Times to a 1:51.2 victory in the $68,100 Ladyship Stake for 3-year-old filly pacers. David Miller guided the daughter of Western Ideal-Deer Valley to her fourth win in seven starts this season. She also captured the $200,000 Thomas D�Altrui Miss New Jersey on May 31. (Meadowlands)

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