MR - BOBBY “BOONIE” WILLIAMS WINS DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PACE

Bobby “Boonie” Williams pulled a stunning upset when he stalked the odds-on favorite with Mt Vernon Hanover and then rallied his pacer down the center of the track to win the 12^th edition of Monticello Raceway’s  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace  on Tuesday, January 17 in a time of 2:01.2.



Bobby Williams rallies Mt Vernon Hanover to victory in the final strides (Geri Schwarz Photo)

For Williams, who has competed in all of the Dr. King Paces, it marked his first victory in the event.

With favored  CC Make A Buck on the front end, driver Cedric Washington seemed to be having things  his own way with a slow first quarter in the making until Jonathan Oney moved Fifth Street out from fourth position to challenge for the lead. Once alongside the leader the pace then quickened and the  next quarter was paced in 29 seconds.

Up the backside both CC Make A Buck and  Fifth Street raced head -to- head past the third stanza  and into the final  turn at which point Williams, who was traveling along in fourth position found racing room and moved to the outside where the harder ground was on the rain-soaked racetrack.

Once they straightened in the lane and headed for home  Williams began to urge  Mt Vernon Hanover  and the pacer got up in the final strides to defeat CC Make A Buck by a neck  while Fifth Street hung on for third money.

Eric Warner, race secretary (left)  joins  in  the blanket presentation after Mt Vernon Hanover’s triumph. (Geri Schwarz Photo)

Upon his return to the winners circle Williams had a smile a mile long. “I’m a happy man and I’m especially honored to have won the race named for the great Dr. King,” he said.  “Seems like it was a long time coming, and it was, but now after winning it, I feel real good.”

Mt Vernon Hanover is owned by Ruth Ingram of Bloomsburg, Pa and trained by Vernon James.  He paid $11.80 for win.

JD Lewis finished fourth with Rawhide N; Dennis Watson was fifth with Come On  Honey; Big Native finished sixth for  Cedric Washington; seventh place went to Bold N Brazen with George Newell, Jr. aboard ;  and Paul Moore brought up the rears with Catherine’s Colt after making a break at the start.

The race was the first of the Mighty M’s Heritage Drivers Series -2012. Later events throughout the season will be for other ethnicities.