With soft rain steadily falling negotiating around the racetrack and seeing exactly where one was going called for strict concentration to the business at hand. But harness drivers are pros and they rise to any occasion.
Take Billy Dobson for instance: He barely had time to clear the mud from his eyes between the 10 races that he was programmed to drive in that day, and although the going was extra tough Dobson remarkably reined five winners on the card.
In his first start that afternoon Dobson finished fifth but then won the next two races; the third with Danielle Dailey’s Oh I Wish in 2:04.1 and then the fourth behind Durazzano Stables Flak Jacket N in 2:03.1. After a few more races where he was off the board Dobson stuck again with Jeff Pocaro’s Rick’s Jackpot in 1:59.3 in the ninth race.
After a second place finish in the11th Dobson then won the final two races on the card. He won the 12th with Sherif Cunmulaj’s Honor The Cash in 2:04.3 and then copped the 13th with a come-from behind charge in 2:02 with Al Annunziata’s Fox Valley Michael.
 |
| A muddy Billy Dobson posing for a winners circle photo after winning with Fox Valley Michael (Geri Schwarz Photo) |
“Hey, it was no pleasure to be driving today. The racetrack was a muddy mess and with the water on the surface the mud was flying and it was really hard to see where you were going,” Dobson said. “But if you want to drive horses for a living you must take the bad with the good.”
At this same time last year Dobson was challenging for leading driver honors here at Monticello Raceway and he stated that he wanted to be the leading driver during the 2011 season at the Mighty M. And he might have been if he stayed, but when Saratoga Raceway opened Dobson moved his base of operation there and won that tracks driving title.
