“I called John Manzi (the track’s publicity director) last
week and told him I’d rather not drive in the St Paddy Pace this year,” Marohn
said. “I won the race last year and it was the third time I (had) won it so I
told him let the young guys go at this year.”
Marohn, a lifetime winner of 5299 races, was in the sulky
behind the 11- year- old New Zealand-bred gelding, Konjo N, when they coasted
home a one-length winner in a time of 1:59 which marked the fastest winning
time in the race since its inception back in 2001. That clocking erased the
former mark of 1:59:3 set when Ya Gotta Belief won the St. Paddy Pace for Jimmy
Marohn, Jr. in 2009.
The St Paddy Pace, usually the third leg of the Mighty M’s
Heritage Drivers Series, will be the second this year due to the postponement
of the Lady Godiva Pace, which has been rescheduled for Monday, May 14
The first leg of the series, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Pace was won by Bobby “Boonie” Williams when he reined Mt Vernon
Hanover to a 2:01.2 victory and as a result he automatically became eligible
for the series finale-- the All America Cup--to be presented in the early fall.
He’ll be joined by the winner of the St. Paddy Pace and the
future winners of the six other Heritage Drivers Series events planned
throughout the remainder of the season.
Other ethnic events slated to be presented this year will
feature races for drivers of , Jewish, British, Canadian, Italian, and German
descent.
According to Eric Warner the tracks director of racing he’d
like to add another ethnic leg to the series.
“We’d love to go with a race for drivers of Hispanic descent
if we could fill one,” Warner said. “We’ve tried in the past to no avail, but
now there seems to be more horsemen of Hispanic heritage involved
in racing.”
Although there may or may not be a leg for drivers of
Hispanic descent the St Paddy Pace will definitely be presented on Thurs.
March 15. That date was chosen because Monticello Racewayk is dark on Saturday,
March 17, St Patrick’s Day.
Any driver of Irish extraction who is interested in
competing in the St. Paddy Pace is urged to contact Warner in the race office
at Monticello Raceway by calling 845-794-4100 extension 557; or they can
contact the track’s publicity office at ext. 455.
