Yes, the headline is correct. On Sunday, June 9, Ray Schnittker rode a winner in the Under Saddle Race at Historic Track as part of the National Historic Landmark’s matinee race card.
Schnittker was aboard Flex The Muscle and they turned down two others in a time of 2:06.2. The dash was the ninth and final race on the track’s second of three matinee programs. They finished 27 lengths ahead of Lemon Pepper, ridden by Jennifer Lowrey. Majestic Man went off-stride at the start much to the dismay of rider Mary Dolce Conte, and finished third.
Flex the Muscle, an $817,000 career winner with a career trotting record of 1:52.2 is co-owned by Schnittker with J & T Silva Stables and the Arden Homestead Stables and Schnittker.
Those who know Schnittker know that he has a penchant for riding his standardbreds. Among the stalwarts from his barn that have had saddles on them include the great Deweycheatumnhowe and the outstanding trotting filly Check Me Out.
“I won [an] under saddle race (with a standardbred) 20 years ago and it’s just something else in harness racing,” he explained. “I like putting a saddle on some of mine as part of their training program and I do that from time to time so they don’t get racetrack-sour.”
Schnittker, who has his large stable of horses at Historic Track, also drove two winners on the matinee card, both two-year-olds, one a trotter and the other a pacer.
The trotter, Caroline Street, a daughter of Conway Hall owned by Schnittker, Dr. Herbie Burns and Steve Demeter, won in all by herself in 2:07.4 as her two competitors broke stride and were distanced. The filly won last week in 2:06.4 with Ray’s assistant, Gareth Dowse, at the controls.
The pacer, Howabout Hanover, a two-year-old altered son of Somebeachsomewhere, made his racetrack debut and won in a time of 2:03.2. He is owned Schnittker, Charlie Iannazzo, Ted Gewertz and Steve Arnold.
(Historic Track)