Hoosier: Hickfromfrenchlick looks to go out a winner in Monument Circle

Hickfromfrenchlick will close out his sophomore campaign on Friday night as the logical favorite in the $225,000 Monument Circle at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The New York Sire Stakes champion and namesake of Indiana’s Larry Bird has captured eight straight races heading into the Monument Circle but faces some new competition while saddled with post eight.

The Monument Circle is part of a 12-race card at Hoosier that kicks off at 7:10 PM and features four stakes. The $220,000 Carl Erskine for 3-year-old trotters and the $120,000 USS Indianapolis and Crossroads for sophomore pacing and trotting fillies, respectively, accompany the Monument Circle as races 7 to 10 on the program.

“It doesn’t matter what size track he races on,” said Ray Schnittker, who has developed the son of So Surreal after purchasing him for $47,000 at the Goshen auction in 2017.

Hickfromfrenchlick has the services of Trace Tetrick as he looks to capture his third straight race in Indiana following a pair of sub-1:50 miles in the Pegasus and Circle City stakes events over the last two weekends. Never off the board in 14 starts this year, Hickfromfrenchlick has handled everything he’s met in 2019.

“He just wasn’t very sound last year,” said Schnittker, explaining why he didn’t nominate the colt to more Grand Circuit events in 2019. “I probably could have kept him eligible to the stakes at Yonkers but there were conflicts with the Sire Stakes.”

The Monument Circle field has three horses making their way back from Woodbine Mohawk Park and Breeders Crown competition. Semi Tough (post 3), De Los Cielos Deo (post 4) and Air Force Hanover (post 7) may find the going a little easier on Friday night. Semi Tough finished seventh in the Crown finale after cutting the early pace. De Los Cielos Deo paced his final quarter in 25 2/5 while passing much of the field and wound up finishing fourth. The Captaintreacherous-sired gelding’s form is hard to predict considering he followed up a very similar effort in the North America Cup elimination (25-second final quarter) with a lackluster performance as a 3-1 shot in the final back in June.

Air Force Hanover looks to bounce back from Crown disappointment. The son of Somebeachsomewhere didn’t qualify for the final after attacking with full speed in the elimination.

Top local conditioner Jeff Cullipher has a very fast horse in Dealer’s Table who landed the pole position. The altered son of American Ideal won an overnight here in September in 1:49 1/5 and repeated that clocking with a victory during The Red Mile Grand Circuit meet in early October. He displayed a wicked turn of speed once again in a division of the Circle City last week, setting sizzling fractions that saw him lead through three quarters in a 1:20 4/5 clocking before weakening in the stretch.

Trainer Ron Burke is never at a loss for talent and he’ll send out four in the Monument Circle. In addition to Semi Tough and De Los Cielos Deo, Burke brings Pyro (post 2) and World On Edge (post 6) into the fray. Pyro finished third in the $250,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes final behind Bettor’s Wish in September. He enters the Monument Circle following a 1:50 4/5 victory in a division of the Liberty Bell at Harrah’s Philadelphia on October 24.

Indiana-sired Rockie Got Framed has been first or second in 13 of his 21 sophomore starts this year for trainer Jamie Macomber. Rockie Got Framed drew the outside post nine. Rounding out the field is Highlandbeachlover from post five for conditioner Ernie Gaskin. A winner in a division of the Pegasus at Hoosier on October 18, the gelding paced to a personal best 1:50 clocking.

Schnittker’s stable has enjoyed a solid year. In addition to Hickfromfrenchlick he’s enjoyed success in the sophomore ranks this year with the $181K winning Branquinho. On the 2-year-old front Schnittker was at Pocono on Wednesday with a pair he’s pointing towards the Governor’s Cup (eliminations November 16) at The Meadowlands. “They were both very good today,” said Schnittker in reference to Captain Groovy and Lake Charles. Both colts were Pennsylvania eligible this year and Schnittker campaigned them in the “Stallion” series with intent. “Hopefully they’ll have good 3-year-old seasons,” Schnittker said.

Schnittker is looking forward to the return of Cant Say No, a son of Explosive Matter that won three of four races this year (his lone defeat a second to Real Cool Sam) as a sophomore. “He broke a bone,” said Schnittker, “But he’s healing and I think he’ll come back strong.”