Sandwiched in an unusual time slot- between 5:30pm and
9:15pm- were six divisions of the $145,000 NYSS and five $12,700 splits in the
Excelsior Series, followed later by the tracks 45th annual
fireworks display.
On the race track the action was sparkling and every NYSS
division was in 1:57.4 or faster with Thirty Two Red’s 1:56 triumph the fastest
of the evening. Co-owner Ray Schnittker was in the sulky and sent
the son of Bettor’s Delight to the front from the six hole and
cruised to an easy :59 half mile clocking. Up the backside when Tim Tetrick
sent Doctor Butch out for the chase the fractional times sped up and a
real horse race ensued. Around the final turn Tetrick had Doctor Butch in
high gear which forced Schnittker to get after his colt a bit. And Thirty Two
Red dug in and kept Doctor Butch at bay to score a 1:56 victory.
With many of the co-owners around for the picture
presentation Schnittker, who has been known not to get too high on his
up-and- coming youngsters was gushing about Thirty Two Red.
“He’s a really good colt and he might be the one to
get me over the top,” a smiling Schnittker told everyone within ear-shot.
“I think they’re gonna hear a lot from him this year.”
But Schnittker’ colt wasn’t the only one that impressed. In
the first $24,248 division Jeff Gregory, driving I’m The Real Major for
the first time, needed every bit of a sizzling :56.2 final half to collar the
leader Story Book, driven by Larry Stalbaum, and then go on to a length
victory in 1:57.4.
It was the son of Art Major’s second consecutive
lifetime win and Gregory had a grin from ear to ear.“He’s a little guy but he’s
real handy and he does whatever you ask of him,” he said. “He’s got a
real big motor.”
Scalped, another son of Bettor’s Delight got into a real
‘dog-fight’ with Deny Deny Deny when the two colts raced head-to head from the
three quarter pole to the wire. In the lane it wasn’t clear who the winner
would be but after urging from Jason Bartlett Scalped held off Deny Deny Deny
and Tim Tetrick by a neck in a 1:57 clocked mile.
After a :59.2 half and a 1:29.1 third quarter clocking
the pace really quickened when Tetrick’s colt challenged
Bartlett’s and the two leader s sped to a :27.4 final quarter.
“He (Scalped) was pacing along leisurely and only got
interested when Tim’s colt came at us,” Bartlett said. “We were working
hard (on our colts) through the stretch and we battled all the way to the
wire..”
In yet another NYSS split Swift As A Shadow, another
son of Bettor’s Delight, enjoyed two-hole journey before popping out off
the pylons in the lane and rallying to a 1:56.4 triumph for Tim Tetrick.
Pace-setter Deal Maker and Larry Stalbaum were second.
" He’s just a little guy,” Bartlett pointed out in the
winner’s circle, “but he’s got a world of speed.”
However the final results might have been different if
the John Campbell-driven Odds On Equuleus stayed at his work on the final
quarter. “We were making a big charge past at the three quarters but when
my colt saw the draw gate and he tried to run out,” Campbell said of the
colt who was making his first start on a half mile track. “ He’s got lots of
talent and he’ll get over that.”
Bartlett won another NYSS division with Americasgottalent in
1:57.1 . The son of American Ideal was a head winner over Framed Art and
John Campbell.
Tertick also won another NYSS split when he reined
Tijuana Party-a son of Badlands Nitro- to a head victory over A Bettor
World, (Jason Bartlett) in a 1:57.4 clocking.
The winners of the Excelsior Series splits were :LaRussa StL
(Jason Bartlett) in 1:58.2;Clustercuss(Mark MacDonald) in 1:59.2;Scirocco Billy
(Greg Merton) in 2:00.3; Ten Cents A Shine (John Stark, Jr.) in
2:01 and Not My First Rodeo (Mark MacDonald) in 2:02.
