Shnitzledosomethin keeps growing on trainer Dylan Davis. Literally.
“Physically, to me, he’s still getting bigger,” Davis said about the six-year-old male pacer, who has earned $817,583 in his career. “If you saw him up close, you wouldn’t think it was possible for him to get any bigger. But to me, each year he gets a little heavier, a little wider, a little more girthy I guess is the best way to put it. He’s massive.
“He’s very heavy but his gait is unbelievable,” he added. “I don’t ever recall training a horse as heavy but as graceful as he is.”
Shnitzledosomethin races in Saturday’s $27,500 Winners Over/Open at The Meadowlands. So far this year, the stallion has two wins and two seconds in five starts. He was eighth in his most recent start, parked from post seven at Yonkers.
“He was a little unfortunate; Yonkers is the toughest half-mile track in the world when you’ve got the outside,” Davis said. “But overall, he’s come back great. He seems to be as sharp as he’s been. I don’t remember him being much better than he is right now.”
Shnitzledosomethin, who has won 22 of 72 starts, was a Breeders Crown runner-up in 2017 and finished second in Indiana Sire Stakes championships at ages two and three. He won four of 15 races last season with a campaign interrupted in March by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I thought I had him peaking at the right time around the middle of March, and the next thing you know, we shut down,” Davis said. “I just couldn’t get him on his toes. He’s a horse that has to work. If he’s not working, he’s heavy, he’s lazy. I just could never get him into form.”
Davis is pointing Shnitzledosomethin toward the Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers. The six-round event begins March 15.
“He loves a half-mile track,” Davis said. “As long as the draw goes okay, I think he fits with the best ones out there.”
Also in action for Davis on Saturday at The Meadowlands is four-year-old trotting male Swan In Motion. The stallion joined Davis’ stable at the end of 2020 after being purchased at the Standardbred Horse Sale’s Mixed Sale for $65,000 by Howard Taylor.
Swan In Motion, trained previously by Jamie Macomber, was an Indiana Sire Stakes champion last year and runner-up at age two. He has won nine of 30 races and $422,185. This season, Swan In Motion has a win and two seconds in five starts. He competes in Saturday’s $15,500 conditioned trot at the Big M.
“I’m very happy with him so far,” Davis said. “I was kind of familiar with the horse from watching him race in Indiana. He seems to be living up to expectations of what we bought him for. He’s always trotting hardest at the wire. He’s not wicked quick off the gate but he does get home pretty good, with a lot of will. He’s got a very good attitude.”
Racing begins at 6 p.m. (EST) at The Meadowlands. The Big M and TrackMaster have teamed to regularly provide free past performances for each race card. Past performances can be found here on The Meadowlands website.
(USTA)