Paul Minore won the first division with For Goodness Lindy
in a time of 2:00.4 while Tony Verruso copped the second split behind Sam’s
Honeybee in 2:01.3.
For Minore, it was his first winner in the series but it was
Verruso’s second consecutive victory having also won the Freehold Raceway
-leg on March 25th with Sam’s Honeybee, remarkably in the same exact
clocking as tonight.
Both victories resulted from near perfect journeys .
“I had an easy trip,” Minore admitted. “The race couldn’t
have been more perfect for me.
“I left out of there and got position behind the one
horse (Some Kinda Spunky, driven by Johnny Kolkowski) and had a two-hole
journey to nearly the three quarters. When he (the leader) tired I
moved my horse to the front and the rest was easy.”
For Goodness Lindy went on to a two-length triumph over
Photo Rules, driven by Monica Banca. Dave Offenberg took home the show dough
with Whatnblazes.
Minore co-owns the winner with Taylor Gower of Allentown, NJ
Verruso had nearly the same racing luck, although he sat
third most of the mile until he moved Sam’s Honeybee in the deep stretch and
the 7 year old Victory Sam mare kicked in a :29.1 final stanza to collar the
pace-setter, Tremendous Hit and driver Bob Hechkoff, and prevail by a
head in the close thee- horse photo.
Also in that charge to the finish was Benn’s Starlet and
driver Bobby Krivelin but they were third best, albeit by just a head.
“With short field he (Hechkoff) got away with a soft (first)
half and when we headed for home I was still a couple of lengths behind and
wasn’t sure we’d catch him. But I headed to the passing lane and my
mare dug in and his horse came back to us a bit and we caught him in the final
strides,” Verruso explained. “It was close with three of us on the wire.”
Verruso, of Whitestone NY, owns Sam’s Honeybee.
The next leg of the three-track series will be contested at
Freehold Raceway on Saturday, April 13.
