One More Laugh will face three challengers in Saturday’s $250,000 Art Rooney Pace for three-year-old male pacers at Yonkers Raceway

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The highly regarded gelding, trained by Ray Schnittker, is coming off an eighth-place finish in the $300,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on May 22. One More Laugh went off stride at the start; the third time in four races he has made a break at Pocono Downs.

In 10 lifetime races at other tracks, he has eight wins and two second-place finishes.

“He’s made a break at the same spot,” Schnittker said. “I don’t know; maybe it’s something at the track. Maybe he’s seeing something. I’ll try something different the next time I’m there. He’s never made a break, never even thought of making a break, anywhere else.”

One More Laugh got the attention of the racing world with a 1:49.2 world-record victory in last year’s $600,000 Governor’s Cup at Harrah’s Chester. His wins also included the $200,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championship.

“He’s as good as any horse I’ve driven,” driver Tim Tetrick said. “He’s got guts. That mile he went at Chester (in the Governor’s Cup), hardly anyone talks about it, but it was amazing. That was one of the best miles I’ve ever seen. He was first up and parked (outside) the whole way. For a two-year-old to win in 1:49.2 with the back half (mile) in :53.2 is amazing. He was awesome that day.”

The Rooney field also includes Hes Gorgeous, Tobago Cays and We Will See.

Hes Gorgeous, trained by Linda Toscano for owner Ken Jacobs, was last season’s New York Sires Stakes champion. He is winless in two races this year, but has won nine of 13 lifetime starts and banked $251,706.

Tobago Cays, a son of Rocknroll Hanover-Bunny Lake, has won once in 15 career races and earned $72,621 for owner Brian Nixon. We Will See has won four of 13 lifetime races and earned $79,301 for owners Shannon DePinto and Earl Smith.

One More Laugh’s trip to Yonkers will be his first race around a half-mile oval, although Schnittker’s stable is based at Historic Track in Goshen, New York, which also is a half-mile track. With only four horses entered in the Rooney, eliminations were not necessary, so Schnittker lost a chance to race at the track prior to the final.

“I kind of wanted to race there, but I guess less starts by the end of the year will probably help us out in the long run,” said Schnittker, who owns One More Laugh with Mathias Meinzinger and Jerry Silva. “I trained him real fast at Goshen and he came out of that great. He’s doing very good. I guess you can’t draw bad when it’s only a four-horse field. Hopefully, we’ll be all right.”

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.