During the 2009 season, the last time the Mighty M presented
the Monticello Marathon, Pembroke Prayer and driver Mike Micallef
established a new world record at that distance when they toured the double
oval in a time of 3:40. Pembroke Player erased the former standard of 3:42.4
set the previous year by Lively Moment, also at Monticello Raceway.
On Wednesday afternoon, December 19 trotters from near
and far will have a chance to get their name in the record books when the
Mighty M will once again will present the odd- distance 1-3/4 mile race.
Over the years Monticello Raceway has pioneered some
odd-distance contests and the track is still home to two world records.
On May 7, 2000 amateur driver Paul Minore drove Another
Blizzard to a 2:15:3 victory over a distance of 1-1/8 miles which still is the
current record for a trotter on a half-mile track. And the 3:40 mark alluded to
above will be the record that the entered horses in this years Monticello
Marathon will be shooting for in mid-December.
“Not knowing what caliber trotters might enter we are
offering a purse somewhere between $3000 and $6000 according to the ability of
the horses entered.” noted Eric Warner, the tracks Director of Racing.
“Obviously if we get better class trotters the purse will be higher.”
Warner is now in the process of rounding up trotters for the
Monticello Marathon. Anyone interested in competing, or for further information
please contact Warner in the race office at 845-794-4100 ext. 557; or call the
track’s publicity office at 845-794-4100 ext. 455.
