Two divisions of the fourth leg of the North American
Amateur Drivers Association trotting series went to post at Freehold Raceway on
Friday afternoon, April 5 and when the events were declared official Bobby
Kriivelin and Tony Verruso each emerged victorious in their respective splits.
Krivelin won with Gimme The Loot and Verruso hustled Northmedo Wine Guy home
first in their event.
When it comes to amateur racing the name Bobby Krivelin
needs no introductions. A three-time national Amateur Driver of the Year
Krivelin is always a force to be reckoned with whenever he takes time off from
his food sales business to jump on a seat behind a spirited steed and race for
the sport of it.
And for yet another time Krivelin out-foxed his competition
and scored his 155th career driving victory when he guided Gimme The
Loot to a convincing 2:01.3 triumph in their division. Perhaps out-foxed is not
the right term, but whatever it could be labeled, Krivelin took advantage of it
and worked himself a good trip behind the leaders in the early going and then
rallied to victory in the deep stretch.
When Bob Hechkoff gunned Get Packin to the lead as the
wings of the starting gate folded, Krivelin jumped in the three-hole on the
first turn and sat patiently until the backside the second time around.
Although Get Packin still had command, Hechkoff’s trotter braced for the
challenge from Gimme The Loot and the two raced side by side past the three
quarters and around the final turn.
When the straightened for paydirt Krivelin mildly urged his
trotter and Gimme The Loot responded and trotted away to a 1-1/2 length
victory over Get Packin. Paul Minore challenged the leaders with a three-deep
move as the field passed the third stanza but his trotter Wygant Prince
flattened-out in the lane and finished third.
It was the second victory in the NAADA Series for Krivelin
and Gimme The Loot after having won a division on March 21.
Owned by Alessandro and Marcello Spano, Gimme The Loot paid
$4.20 to win.
Verruso is another well-known name in the amateur circles
especially as president of the CKG Billings Driving Series and he too, needs no
road map when he sits behind a standardbred. He copped the second NAADA
division with Northmedo Wine Guy in a 2:04 clocking over the race track now rated
sloppy as the rain continued to fall in Freehold.
However, Verruso’s triumph was different than Krivelin’s in
that he made Northmedo Wine Guy did his trotting on the front- end.
After starting from the two-hole Verruso rushed his charge
to the lead and they had to endure challenges along the way; first and long,
from favored Rose Run Nash (Bob Davis) and later from Nowerland Nathan (Dave
Yarock).
But Northmedo Wine Guy rebuffed all comers and the veteran
trotter even drew off to a two length victory over Rose Run Nash who trotted
the last three- eighths on the limb. Some Kinda Spunky took home the show dough
for Alan Charles.
Owned by G B Racing Stables, Northmedo Wine Guy paid $5.00
to win and for Verruso, it marked his 49th amateur driving victory.
