MR - IMPOSTER A WINS 3RD CONSECUTIVE MACEDONIO SERIES LEG; MIKE FORTE HAS A HAT TRICK

Eight days ago Mike Forte joined the 3000-win club here and after he passed that milestone he’s been visiting the Monticello Raceway winners circle with regularity. He recently upped his win total to 3009 es assisted greatly by a hat trick on the Thursday card of January 19^th.

Imposter A’s  third consecutive win the Macedonio Series was Mike Forte’s third  driving victory on the card (Geri Schwarz Photo)

One of those victories was with Imposter A in the third leg of the Macedonio Pacing Series.  The Australian-bred 9 year old gelding was sent off at odds of 1-9 and scored an easy four-length triumph in a 2:00.2 clocking. In fact, Imposter A looked so good on paper prior to the race that there was no show betting in the event.

Imposter A  started from the pole position and was circled on the first turn but Forte quickly retook  the lead and Imposter A paced  unchallenged the rest of the mile and was an easy winner over  JK Hooty and driver Jimmy Marohn.

The victory was the third consecutive for the C & F Associates –owned pacer who’s trained by Elisha Lafreniere.

The Forte-Lafreniere connection was also victorious with Smarty Merit in a $10,000 claiming pace when Forte guided the Barbara Oppenheimer-owned 11 year old Chief Marty gelding to a 1:59:4 victory over the Jimmy Marohn, Jr.-driven, Jezal Theory A.

Forte’s third triumph on the Thursday card was the second consecutive behind Lew Miller’s trotter, Wayfarer in a time of 2:04.4 when they turned back Thergosmyvacation and river Bobby Pettito by a neck.

Space Chalet and  Alan Schwartz  rallied to a 2:01.3 triumph in a leg of  the Macedonio Series (Geri Shwarz Photo)

Though Forte won a leg of the Macedonio Pacing Series outstanding amateur driver Alan Schwartz won a pair in the event. Schwartz won with Tom Speron’s Space Chalet in 2:01.3 over Jessalilmixup and Mike Forte. Schwartz’s other victory was off the betting card with his own Doug’s Boy in a time of 1:59.3 over Scoot For Glory driven by Stephane Bouchard. It marked Doug’s Boy’s second consecutive triumph in series.

Bouchard also won a leg of the Macedonio Series when he reined Joe Azarow’s  Amazida home first in 2:01.1 and a fifth leg  saw Bruce Aldrich, Jr. guide Linda Boyd and Bruce Aldrich, Sr.’s  Classy Ivory to a  2:01.3 victory.

Next Thursday  the  top point earners in the Macedonio Series will compete in the Final while the next eight will  race in the Consolation.