Hickfromfrenchlick emerged an open-length winner in the $100,000 Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace Saturday, July 14.
At the outset, the eventual winner—from post two—was off the gate. His next-door neighbor to the outside, Just Plain Loco, tried to leave but threw in steps. He eventually righted the ship, but was wide into the first turn.
Meanwhile, 4-5 choice World On Edge led into the first turn, only to break. That left first-time starter and 58-1 rank-outsider Can We Dance as the default leader from his outside post.
The bombardier put up intervals of :28 and :57, the latter as pole-sitting Hurrikane Kingklee tried to pull pocket, only to reconsider.
Nearing the 1:26.1 three-quarters, the field truncated as World On Edge broke again. Hurrikane Kingklee finally did dispose of the longshot leader while Hickfromfrenchlick was right behind. Hickfromfrenchlick inhaled the tiring front-enders in the final turn, opening to two lengths into the lane.
Hickfromfrenchlick then rolled home in his parimutuel debut, the final margin three-and-one-quarter lengths in 1:55.4. Just Plain Loco, who angled widest into the final turn, survived his race to finish second, with another first-starter Treasure Tom third. Hurrikane Kingklee and Can We Dance settled for the minors.
For second choice Hickfromfrenchlick, a $47,000 (Goshen, NY) son of So Surreal, co-owned by trainer Ray Schnittker, Nolamaura Racing and Thomas Spatorico, he’s won both of his purse tries. Driven by Mark MacDonald, he paid $5.30 to win.
“He shied from the car at the start,” MacDonald said. “I was fortunate with the breakers to get away where I did and just sort of sit there.
“When Danny [Dube, Hurrikane Kingklee] pulled, I was right behind him and he just sort of paced away. Ray [Schnittker] told me not to screw it up. A strange race. Glad we won.”
Saturday’s $44,000 Open Handicap Pace was won by odds-on Always At My Place, a $3.10 winner driven by George Brennan, in a season’s-best 1:50.3.
The Sunday, July 15 matinee goes at 11:28 a.m., with the first four ‘French’ trots going as both overflow-field and the added distance of a mile and a quarter.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)