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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

M1 - JIMMY TAGGART, JR. ONE WIN FROM 3000; JIMMY DEVAUX WINS THREE;A FLURRY OF CLAIMS RECENTLY



Eight days ago at Monticello Raceway  Zeke Parker notched his 11,000th career driving  victory. Another Mighty M teamster, Jimmy Taggart, Jr. is also en route to a personal milestone of 3000 career wins.

The day before Parker notched his 11,000th Taggart was 14 wins from 3000.He rushed  to the threshold with multiple victories over the four day racing week and on Tuesday, July 23 he found himself just one win shy of 3000.

On Tuesday, July 23 Taggart had a decent  afternoon with three seconds and three thirds but that one victory eluded him.

Were you pressing Jimmy?

“I don’t think I was but it (the 3000th win) certainly was on my mind,” Taggart said in response to the query. “It’ll come, maybe even today (Wed.July24). I’ve got nine drives and a few morning line favorites.”

Although Taggart didn’t win a race yesterday former Mighty M leading driver  Jimmy Devaux had three winners  and now had 113 here (fifth  best) at  to go along with the 81 he has at Saratoga Raceway which ranks him third on their leaderboard in races won.

One of Devaux’s  three winners was  with the $12,500 claiming pacer Stoman when he guided the 7 year old Market Report gelding to another gate to wire triumph this time in 1:56.

It was the pacer’s fifth consecutive victory and eighth  of the season. It also marked the third consecutive race in which Stoman was claimed.

Yesterday (July 23) Barry Charles plunked down $12,500 and  took him from Dominic Rafanelli. A week previous (July 16)  Rafanelli  claimed  Stoman (for the same amount) from Barry Franklin who initially claimed the pacer from him  for $12,500 on July 9.

Despite all those barn changes Jimmy Devaux was summoned to do the driving and he made each effort  a winning one.

“I’ve only catch-driven him in his last four starts. He’s a nice horse to drive and he loves to be on the front end and with his quick gate speed he can get there in a hurry.,” Devaux said referring to Stoman who has won his last five races in wire to wire fashion..

Devaux also won with the Barry Charles-owned-Art Genta ($15.00) in 1:57.4 and with Tom Riddle ($3.40) in 1:55.

Oddly Tom Riddle raced for the first time for his  new owner  Andrew Adamcyzk. Just last week Adamcyzky claimed him from Ed and James Hall for $7,500, the same amount the claiming pacer was in for on Tuesday afternoon.

It was Tom Riddle’s fourth consecutive victory and eighth of the year and first time Devaux had driven him.