Heckhoff was an easy winner in his six-horse split with
Tremendous Hit who nearly ran away and hid on his competition covering the mile
distance in a time of 2:00.2. Georgie Newell finished second with
Winterleebrook some four lengths behind the winner. Bob Krivelin finished third
with Ace High Hall.
“It was an easy win for us,” Hechkoff related. “Faraldo’s
horse broke early and starting from the rail I controlled the race.
Tremendous Hit is an old veteran and he knows just what to do and with
the easy fractions I knew we’d be tough to beat.”
Black Watch’s 2:01.3 triumph gave Mike Weiner his
first driving victory since 2000 although it should be noted that Weiner hadn’t
driven competitively until he had a second place finish with Black
Watch last week at Freehold Raceway.
Weiner and Black Watch got the lead very easily and
took advantage of the five horse field posting a :31.1 opening stanza and a
pedestrian 1:03 to the halfway point. But a :28.3 third quarter kept the
competition at bay and the 8-year-old Credit Winner gelding cruised
to a 1-1/2 length victory over Sir Kensington and driver Harvey Stein.
Tony Ciufettelli took home the show dough with Alpine Dauntless.
The three-track trotting series was initially set to
get underway at Monticello Raceway on April 5 but all races were cancelled due
to the Mighty M’s precautionary measures against the strangles outbreak
that besieged Saratoga Raceway.
However, the next leg of the NAADA Series will be at
Monticello Raceway on Thursday April 12. Following legs with be contested at
both Yonkers and Freehold Raceways.
