Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford is hot. In his last six
starts the talented amateur driver has had three wins and a second.
His first win over the last four days was at Lexington’s Red
Mile on Thursday (Sept. 26) when he won the Billings Trot there with his own
Magglio in 1:56.1. despite making a break at the start. Like the
eight other Billings members, he was looking forward to race north of the
border on the weekend.
“It’s great that we are getting a compete in Ontario
again,” said Oldford, the Billings Series vice president. “And speaking
for the entire Billings membership we’re very appreciative of the opportunity.
”
Since he was traveling to Canada for Billings competitions
on Sunday and Monday Oldford didn’t waste any space in his horse van and
brought with him some of his other trotters, two of which he raced on Saturday
at Hiawatha Horse Park. There he won an overnight trot with his own Miss
Texas in 1:59.2 and finished second in another overnight trot with Dojea
Delight.
The battling Billings boys ventured to Canada to compete in
two races at Grand River Raceway on Sunday and at Mohawk Racetrack on
Monday for two more contests.
At Grand River Raceway Oldford used the front-end route with
his 4-year-old trotter Garbarino to win his split but they had to
hold off a fast closing Monroe Eden and driver Vladimir “Butch”
Melnichenko to score by just a head in a 2:01.4 clocking . Farther back
in third place was Tony “the Capo” Verruso with King Tut.
That victory was the 15th winning drive for
Oldford this year and the 79th of his amateur career which didn’t
start in earnest until 2006. It was the third season triumph for Garbarino who
paid $4.60 for win.
The other Billings split at Grand River Raceway was a pace.
In that one “Dynamite Dave” Drew and Cold Shadow used a second over
trip behind Howie “the Horse” Gelfand’s Lyons Trick and luckily for
Drew Gelfand’s cover carried him to the three quarters at which
point he moved out to challenge.
Lyon’s Trick and Cold Shadow raced side by side
around the turn and when they straightened for home Drew’s charge
opened daylight and then held off a pocket-sitting River
Walk, driven by “Mighty Matt” Zuccarello. Third place went to “Butch”
Melnichenko with Undersky El Passo.
Lyon’s Trick, owned by Wilbert Weatherall, paid $12.70 for
win. Although Drew has only driven seven times this year this marked his third
victory of the season and the 29th of his amateur career.
