Schulhofer keeps run going

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Randy Schulhofer says he can't wait to get to Saratoga. The way he's going this summer, one would think he wouldn't want to leave Belmont Park.

Nine days after winning his first New York graded stakes with Owsley in the New York Handicap, Schulhofer sent out Whitmore's Conn to upset the Grade 2, $150,000 by 1 3/4 lengths over Staging Post. It was a head back to Moon Solitaire, who got third by a neck over Startac.

"I'm walking on air," said Schulhofer, who took over the training duties from his father, Scotty, who retired on Jan. 1. "I can't wait to get to Saratoga. It's like a dream."

Schulhofer is 9-7-7 from 37 starters at this meet with two graded stakes wins.

Whitmore's Conn, a New York-bred son of Kris S., was winless is six previous stakes tries, but he had finished third in two Grade 3 races behind the talented Sharp Performance last year. Whitmore's Conn won his first two starts this year against open company, but encountered some trouble in the restricted Kingston Handicap when he raced too close to the pace.

In a June 21 allowance race, Schulhofer instructed jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to take Whitmore's Conn off the pace and make a run and he finished well to be second. Saturday, Bridgmohan had him in sixth position for the first mile before launching a wide bid leaving the three-eighths pole. Whitmore's Conn swept past Moon Solitaire inside the sixteenth pole and won handily.

Whitmore's Conn covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:13.43 over firm turf and returned $31.80 to win.

"The biggest part was getting him to relax," Bridgmohan said. "He's better when he can sit back and just come with one run. He jumped into the bridle at the half-mile pole and when I asked him to kick he really came home."

Schulhofer said he would like to run Whitmore's Conn next in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga on Aug. 10.

* Apprentice Victor Carrero won four races on Saturday's card, giving him 32 winners for the meet. He won the opener the Above the Crowd ($8.30), the fifth aboard Pretty Brassy ($7.70), the sixth with Lord Burleigh ($40.40) and the finale with Carson Grove ($39.80).