“Chip” becoming shining star at The Spa

Trump De Vie, known as “Chip” in the barn, is a three-year-old son of Devious Man and the Conway Hall mare, Executive Decision. He has had eleven lifetime starts but has really proven to be a shining star in his sophomore harness racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel with five wins in five starts.

Every week, the gelding gets faster. His latest win in 2:00 was a career mark. Jackie Cantine trains for Jeff Cantine and Sandra Shein, and Frank Coppola, Jr. is his regular driver.

Trump De Vie was purchased at the Goshen Yearling Sale by Charles “Chip” Foster and was nicknamed Chip after him. Chip had five starts in sire stakes and overnights as a two-year-old, with trainer Cheryl McGivern and driver Mickey McGivern. The Cantines and Sandra Shein purchased Chip in August of 2022.

“Chip was still a colt when we bought him and he hit puberty hard right after we got him,” Jackie said. “He was tough to handle. Our first start with him he ran all over the racetrack.”

At the suggestion of driver, John Stark, the Cantines had the colt gelded.

“Inside of two weeks he was a totally different horse,” Jackie said.

The Cantines turned Chip out for a few months, and when they brought him back into training he did everything right. Jeff trained Chip down until it was time to train with the race bike. That’s when Frank Coppola Jr. entered the picture. The Cantine’s and Coppola have been friends for over 35 years. They frequently go out to dinner together and Jeff and Frank play golf.

“Frank volunteered to train him in the bike for us,” Jackie said. “He also volunteered to qualify him. When we said he could drive him if he wanted, he said sure.”

Coppola, who has been “chipping” away at his 6,000^th career driving win, is now only 25 wins from this milestone.

“Right from the start he was nice,” Coppola said. “He’s just a levelheaded, good gaited horse. He’s very handy to drive and he will leave or follow a horse. He’s good on the car. He is just a very nice horse.”

Jackie added, “So far Chip’s been going out and doing what he needs to do. Frank has done a wonderful job teaching him. He has been better behaved and more focused on the track than he was last year for us. As the competition gets tougher, we’ll see how fast he is.”

Jackie said that Chip is a pleasure in the barn. “He loves to give kisses and he hasn’t met a treat he doesn’t love. We are in an outside barn, so he loves to watch everything going on. He doesn’t really play with his toys because he prefers to watch what’s going on outside. He loves to go home and see his buddy, I’m Not Vanilla, our retired pet, and play in the paddock.”

The gelding gets three meals a day with his favorite being Sentinel LS grain. He also gets plenty of treats and all the hay that he wants. He jogs four miles a day between races and if he misses a week of racing, he trains a slow trip three days out.

“He has been my first horse to win three in a row, then four, then five,” Jackie said.

In addition to Chip, the Cantines have Sweet El Diablo (aka Peanut), a three-year-old pacing gelding who races at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Peanut is also owned in partnership with Sandy Shein. The Cantines have one retired horse at home, I’m Not Vanilla, AKA Rocky.

“He is the one that all others are measured against,” Jackie said.

Trump De Vie, “Chip,” is off this week, but will be back next week.

by Jessica Hallett, for Saratoga Raceway