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Monday, April 15, 2013

NAADA - DAVE OFFENBERG WINS NAADA TROT AT FREEHOLD

Dave Offenberg  and his trotter Whatnblazes out-footed the pace-setter  Benn’s Starlet  and driver  Tony Verruso to the wire  to prevail in the fifth leg of the North American Amateur Drivers Association’s Charity Trotting Series at Freehold Raceway on Saturday afternoon, April 13.

In a race where there were no standouts, Offenberg and his  3-1 shot Whatnblazes scored  a gutsy neck victory over Benn’s Starlet and  Verruso in a very creditable time of 2:00.1. Third place went to For Goodness Lindy and Paul Minore who were winners in the previous leg held at Yonkers Raceway on April 4th.
“I started from the four-hole and Brad (Rathbone with Killer Whale) left  from the two-hole and I fell in behind them on the first turn,” Offenberg related. “Then up the backside Tony (Verruso with Benn’s Starlet who was sitting third), made a move to the front and took the lead.

“He stayed there by the half and up the backstretch the second time around I came first-up(with Whatnblazes) and we charged alongside Tony’s horse and we raced as a team from there to the finish  and my trotter finally wore down Tony’s  horse and we got the victory.”
Whatnbalzes is owned by  Offenberg’s Allister  Stables  LLC and trained by Eric Abbatiello.  He paid $8.20 for win.

It was the first series triumph for both Offenberg, an owner of an office machinery sales company, and his 7 year old Duke of York gelding. Now with his victory Offenberg finds himself second on the series leaderboard with 22 points, some nine behind  Tony Verruso  who has won two legs in the charity trotting series.
At series end--and there are still four more preliminary legs--the top eight drivers in points will get a chance to compete in the $14,000 series finale at Yonkers Raceway on  May 23rd.

When the winner of that race is crowned NAADA will again make a sizable donation to a deserving charity, as they have done in previous years.