Last year trainer Jim Campbell defied the odds in capturing both the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks at The Meadowlands. The Runthetable Stable and owner Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farm shared the spotlight, with Cool Papa Bell capturing the Hambletonian and Fashion Schooner taking the Oaks. This year Campbell is not likely to have a horse enter the Hambletonian or Oaks but perhaps the trainer will have a much improved opportunity to return in 2024 with a pair of Greenshoe-sired offspring from the same ownership groups, benefitting from breeding their mares to the first-crop stallion. Notably Smart Schooner, a winner last week in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Harrah’s Philadelphia and Greenspan, a colt that finished third but showed tremendous acceleration late, have the potential to become top horses. The low-keyed Campbell is happy with the progress the pair has shown and was surprised with Smart Schooner’s effort in his Sire Stakes score. “I was happy Tim [Tetrick] was able to get him to race from off the pace. On the final turn I would have been happy just to see him finish second or third,” Campbell said. When Smart Schooner powered past the field in the stretch and won in 1:56 3/5, it was perhaps the best effort by a son or daughter of Greenshoe this year. She’s the third foal from Cooler Schooner, a wickedly-fast filly Campbell trained back in 2013-14 that was hard to predict on the racetrack, making breaks at the most opportune times. Cooler Schooner, a daughter of Broadway Hall, did post a memorable 1:51 3/5 mile at Pocono in August of her freshman campaign going wire-to-wire in a record-shattering performance. Cooler Schooner was a high-strung filly and a constant problem for Campbell during her two years on the track. Surprisingly, owner Siegel elected to breed her to Greenshoe. More accomplished than her on the racetrack, Greenshoe had many moments where he was difficult to handle. Why breed a mare and stallion with such potentially harmful traits? “Mr. Siegel asked me what I thought about breeding Cooler Schooner to Greenshoe,” Campbell said. “Sure, there’s a chance you might get a horse that was difficult to handle, but there’s also a chance given the incredible speed each one had that you might get a very fast one too.” Campbell waited until April training down before making the decision to geld Smart Schooner. The first two foals of Cooler Schooner were also gelded, so it wouldn’t be fair to blame just the sire for the decision. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter “He was getting very difficult to handle, not just on the racetrack but in the stall as well. I was concerned about his caretaker,” said Campbell. “It’s amazing how quickly he changed after the procedure. “He’s actually a much happier horse now,” continued Campbell, who saw a difference in the barn before he saw it on the racetrack. “He’s also a bit smarter on the racetrack and he knows what he needs to do.” Smart Schooner willingly raced off the pace and closed well in his baby race debut at Harrah’s Philadelphia on June 27. He caught my eye in his racing debut a week later with Tetrick in the bike. Smart Schooner jetted right to the front and hit the quarter in 29 3/5. Tetrick was able to rate him through moderate fractions and then sprint home unopposed in a 1:57 4/5 mile. In the July 14 Sire Stakes race, Tetrick took Smart Schooner off the pace and appeared to have been out of contention when six lengths off the field through a pedestrian 59 1/5 opening half. Chasing excess cover through a 28 2/5 third quarter appeared to limit Smart Schooner’s chances of victory further, but on the final turn Tetrick tipped Smart Schooner wide and he exploded with a 27 4/5 individual final quarter and an easy victory. “We’re going to keep him in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes,” said Campbell. “If all goes well, he’ll go to Lexington and hopefully finish his season with the Breeders Crown.” There were a lot of pricey sons and daughters of Greenshoe purchased at auction last year but surprisingly Campbell has a pair of homebreds in his care and both have stakes talent. Greenspan was handled more carefully than his stablemate in the Sire Stakes last week and in this instance his trainer was ecstatic with the third-place finish. “I thought he raced great,” said Campbell of Greenspan. “I really don’t know what happened to him at Pocono in the All Stars [July 3 at Pocono]. Most horses get over the track, but he just didn’t like it.” Greenspan was also reserved off the pace and eight lengths in arrears through a 1:00 1/5 opening half. Driver Tim Tetrick waited until the stretch and Greenspan trotted a huge final eighth making up a ton of ground in the late stages. Greenspan is a Runthetable Stable homebred and first foal from the $100k winner Firm To Stay, a daughter of Chapter Seven.