Taggart’s first triumph was behind Marlene Horlacher’s ,
Brian’s Return (1:58) in the first race and followed with a 1:58.4 victory with
Richard Ruffles’, Master N D Skies in the fourth. His hat trick victory
came behind another Brian Horlacher-trained pace rin the ninth race, Rare
Display. Owned by Frank William Horlacher, the 7-year-old Artsplace
gelding scored in a time of 1:57.1.
Trainer Brian Horlacher, a race secretaries delight,
started seven horses from his barn that afternoon all of which are stabled
off-track. The others finished 3rd, 4th, 5th,
and 7thand all were driven by Taggart.
That day, too, Jordan “the Kid” Stratton returned to
the track that vaulted him into the big time. Although he only drove in
three races he had a win and two seconds. His victory came in the pacing
feature when he guided Lowell Schoonmaker’s Eagle Now to a 1:56.1 triumph
over the Zeke Parker-driven Gone Baby Gone.
During the 2008 campaign here the talented youngster won 362 races
and became the
youngest reinsmen to win the driving title in the 50+ years that
the raceway has been in existence. That year he finished with 630 victories,
ranking him fourth in North America. Since then Stratton, now 24
years of age, went on to drive 485, 306, and 228 winners in the following
seasons and this year has already booked 66 . And earlier this season he passed
the 2000-career win plateau and currently has 2030 driving victories to his
credit. Since 2009 most of Stratton’s drives have been at Yonkers Raceway
against some of the most talented drivers in the country.
