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Sunday, December 03, 2000

Sometime very soon, perhaps before you read this, Doug Snyder will drive his 5,000th career winner. Snyder, 49, a native of Fremont, Ohio who began his career in Illinois, has been one of the leading drivers at Ladbroke at The Meadows for much of his career.

He went into Friday's card with 4,994 dash victories and riding a hot streak that included 10 victories in a little over a week.

According to the United States Trotting Association, Snyder will be the 38th driver nationally to reach the 5,000-win plateau.

The milestone has been a longtime goal of Snyder's and yet one of which he wishes he weren't so aware.

"I look forward to accomplishing it but I don't look forward to waiting for it. Roger Huston started announcing it this past week," Snyder said.

"When you get to a spot like that it seems forever to get it done."

Snyder, the son of a horseman and brother of Meadows trainer Dane Snyder, said he never dreamed of winning so many races when he made his maiden drive on a cold February night in Chicago in 1971.

Rather, it was after many years of enduring the bad-weather nights, accidents and injuries that Snyder realized what a milestone like that would mean to him. Over the years he has had broken ribs, legs, knees, shoulders and suffered a few concussions.

"But," he added, "I was lucky enough that I could keep on going."

He never considered anything else.

"After an accident, a reporter asked me what I still looked forward to, and I said I wanted to race long enough to win 5,000," he said. "Now it looks like I can win a lot more."

Snyder said the 5,000 has come more quickly than he expected, thanks to the hot streak. "For some reason, I was afraid of getting stuck at 13, but it went right by," he said.

He plans to take more time to savor the 5,000th.

Belmont winner retired

Another potential handicap star has been retired to stud before reaching the age of 4. Owners Bob and Beverly Lewis have retired Commendable, upset winner of this year's Belmont Stakes, to stand at stud at Mill Ridge Farm near Lexington, Ky. Now the property of a syndicate, Commendable has a $15,000 stud fee.

Commendable won only two of 12 career starts, but he was a good money-winner, earning $907,470 over two seasons of racing.

After his Belmont triumph, he was winless in four starts. Those finishes included a fourth in the Dwyer, an eighth in the Haskell Invitational, third in the Travers and second in the Super Derby.

5 new Grade I stakes

The committee that grades thoroughbred stakes races according to difficulty and prestige has elevated five races to Grade I status for 2001. That brings the total of Grade Is -- the most prestigious level -- to 101.

The American Graded Stakes Committee graded a total 478 races for next year, four more than this season.

Only one of the new Grade Is goes around two turns -- the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, at 9 furlongs the traditional stepping stone to the Travers Stakes.

The others, all 7 furlongs or shorter, include the Forego Handicap at Saratoga for older sprinters; the Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters at Belmont Park, and two Santa Anita events: the Ancient TitleBreeders' Cup and San Carlos handicaps, both for older sprinters.

Salvi leaving LRN

Nick Salvi, racing analyst for the Ladbroke Racing Network, is resigning as of Jan 1. Salvi is also the executive director of the American Classic series for top harness horses.