Top $$ at Vernon on Monday

Memorial Day will showcase more than $516,000 in total purses at Vernon Downs. The 12-race card on Monday will feature the finals of the Empire Breeders Classic for 3-year-old trotters and the Conway Hall for trotting mares.

The inaugural Empire Breeders Classic for colts and geldings will carry a purse of $153,125 and is carded as race nine. The contestants were decided in eliminations held last Saturday and the winners had the opportunity to select their post positions for the final.

Allan McCarty, owner and trainer of defending New York Sire Stakes champion Hitwiththeladies, selected post two for his charge with regular pilot Jack Flanigan up. Ray Schnittker, trainer, driver and co-owner of the other elim winner, New Hampshire Boy, selected post three.

Hitwiththeladies has an imposing reputation, winning nine of 11 career starts and earning more than $200,000. Schnittker admits that the likely betting favorite will be tough to beat, but believes New Hampshire Boy, who is seeking his first big victory, may have a shot.

“He surprised me a little bit last week,” said Schnittker of the five-length victory. “I was a little surprised how easy he went around Ray Remmen’s horse (Bet To Win) after the half.”

To win this week, New Hampshire Boy must oust eight competitors and shrug off his own bad racing history. The son of Credit Winner suffered from an infected hock, flipped pallet and bad attitude last year. In spite of that he earned a respectable $39,000, but never won a race.

“It was an aggravating year,” explained Schnittker. “He would get close to being alright but there were always problems.”

Over the winter the colt underwent throat surgery at Cornell University, his hock healed on its own and he was gelded.

“So far he’s been breathing a lot better and his attitude has improved. He was flipping his pallet walking to the track, which is bad, so maybe since he can breathe better he’s just happier to race,” concluded Schnittker.

Also starting in the colt and gelding final are three horses sent out by local trainers: Jack’s Reef from post six for the Bill Bailey Stable, Turf Winner sent out of post seven for trainer-driver Howard Okusko Jr. and Contrary starting from post eight for Dan Daley.

In the $180,625 Empire Breeders Classic final for fillies, the Schnittker Stable will start the trio of Chippewa Street (post one), Treasure Me Always (post two) and Julieannie (post five). Taking on that contingent are elimination winners Conway Maid, a winner of six of eight starts this season, and Oh Oh Its Magic, who finished in a career mark 1:57 last week.

Oh Oh Its Magic, owned by breeder Carolyn Atherton and trained by Carl Gillespie, has been perfect in her two starts this year after a less-than-magic conclusion to her 2-year-old season. The Credit Winner filly was a leading New York Sire Stakes contender but was knocked out of the final by sickness and couldn’t compete in the year-end championship.

Now fully recovered and stronger, Atherton says her filly is ready to take on New York’s best in the Empire Breeders Classic and is well staked outside of New York throughout the year.

“All indications are that she will do well this year and we’re really looking forward to that,” she said.

Her connections chose to start Oh Oh Its Magic from post four in the 11^th race.

Also in the final are local fillies Creditability for trainer Bill Andrews (post six) and Lady Conway for Okusko Jr. (post seven).

The $133,000 Conway Hall final, carded as the seventh race, features the top older mares currently racing. Buck I St. Pat, who this spring as a 4 year old has stamped herself a leader in this division, will be taking on eight other contenders, including $1.7 million winner Passionate Glide and Mystical Sunshine, who has bankrolled nearly $1.5 million in her career.

Post time for the special Monday afternoon matinee is 1:15 p.m. (HHBNY)

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