The multiple stakes winner and betting favourite, Jezzy, found herself in an unenviable position on Saturday, July 30 in her Hambletonian Oaks elimination. As the starting gate rolled down the stretch the “Trotting Queen of the New York Sire Stakes” had spotted the field nearly 15 lengths and was trying to play ‘catch-up.’<--break-->
Miraculously, and despite being dead last at the half and back 12 lengths, the tough filly with the big engine powered down the stretch passing horses and finished fourth, beaten just five lengths. For her tremendous comeback effort she will be rewarded with a post position in the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks on Saturday, August 6 at the Meadowlands.
Jezzy’s actual race time in the Oaks elim was listed as 1:54.3, with an individual last quarter in :27.4. However, her breeder and co-owner Jeff Gural proclaimed that she probably trotted in 1:52.
“I looked back in horror, I was in a state of shock,” explained the man who is also credited with saving the Meadowlands. Gural continued, “She has never made a break, but the hopeless reality was that she was back 15 lengths.”
Ironically, Gural’s Little E LLC, the stable name he utilizes for his breeding operation, is now the only breeder with a finalist in both the Hambletonian Open and Oaks events this year.
Jezzy’s road to the Hambletonian Oaks has been a fun, yet grueling journey for the swift daughter of Credit Winner. Prior to last Saturday, in a 10-week span she had won a perfect eight-out-of-eight starts. All of which were stakes races. In fact, she tied the stakes record in the $237,714 Hudson Filly Trot at Yonkers in 1:56.3h, and took a new record of 1:55s at Vernon while winning the $238,225 Empire Breeders Classic. The talented lass also won the Simpson, Coaching Club Trotting Oaks, and two New York Sire Stakes – all from post position seven!
It all started when the filly sold for $70,000 to Ray Schnittker at the 2009 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. When approached by Schnittker to keep a quarter, Gural gladly agreed.
“We have had some horses together before and always got along good,” noted the successful conditioner.
Jerry Silva and Ted Gewertz rounded out the yearling’s partnership. Since then, the future Hall-of-Fame trainer has called Jezzy “the second best horse I have ever had.”
“She was very, very good the first three weeks we broke her,” explained Schnittker between training trips at his home base at Goshen Historic Track. “Then she got sick like most colts and fillies do. She had an allergic reaction to the SMZ’s [antibiotics] we were giving her. She had no platelet count so we took her to Cornell [University Veterinary Hospital]. I thought she had cancer, I never thought
we would see her again.”
Schnittker continued, “Then all of a sudden they figured that out, which is very rare, and three months later she came around again. That is why she was not staked to too much at two.”
“She had some knee issues last year so her regular mid-week routine is to swim and be turned out all night long with two other fillies. Sometimes she will be ridden. I have had some good luck with my older horses and of course Dewey [Hambletonian winner Deweycheatumnhowe] with this, and it seems to work for [Jezzy] also. When I get one that I think is above average and I think it can help them, I do that.”
Above average indeed, as a two-year-old the filly posted 10 stakes wins in 11 starts. Her only defeat came in the New York Sire Stakes final, where she finished second beaten just one length at the wire after cutting the mile.
When questioned about any training adjustments for this week, co-owner and trainer Ray Schnittker remarked, “She is kind of a nervous, high-strung filly...like most Credit Winner’s are. She does not need much work, she’s coming right back. We don’t do much with her. She has only trained once this year, so I may or may not train her a slow mile this week. She just raced so she is fit and tight. I may just ride her one day.”
Following the Oaks elim, there was plenty of added attention surrounding the filly’s demeanor behind the gate.
“She has done this before, she got a little pacey. You have to keep her closer to the gate; Tim [Tetrick] has not driven her that much. He has driven her a few times; I think if he had her up closer to the gate she would have been perfect. She has always been good like that for me. I don’t think we will have any problems next week.”
An inquiry into what makes this filly so special evoked the following response from Schnittker, “She has a great mouth, nice to drive, very comfortable and easy to drive. She can come from behind and when she sees another horse in front of her she wants to get her.”
About her future plans as a four-year-old, the optimistic conditioner offered, “Hopefully we will race her at seven or eight. She will be around for a while I think!”
(Meadowlands Racetrack)