It seems like 1:54.3 is a final race time that 4-year-old
stallion pacers like to adhere to at Monticello Raceway. On Tuesday (July 8)
Only The Lonely joined two others in the Mighty M record books when the son of
Western Ideal-Lonesome Day reeled-off a wire to wire triumph in 1:54.3 in his
first pari-mutuel start this season. That mile equaled the record held by both
All My Life (2005) and Lover Boy (2012).
Marcus Miller was in the sulky for trainer Nick Surick and
sent Only The Lonely to the lead from the seven-hole and they were in command
before the quarter mile was paced in :28.2. From there Miller was just buggy
ridding as they passed the half-way point in :57.3 and then they came a final
half in :57.0 to win by a one and –a- quarter lengths over Memory Game and
driver Mike Merton.
Only The Lonely came into the race off a 1:52.1 qualifier at
Gaitway Farm with his trainer at the lines on June 23. Surick watched
today and was pleased with his horse’s mile. “He won in 1:50 and a piece last
year and earned over $96,000 and he went a real good mile here in his first
start this year. He We didn’t want to face the ‘bearcats’ in his first start
back so I called Eric (Warner Monticello Raceway’s director of racing) and he
told me he had a race for non-winner of seven races lifetime so we decided to
bring him here for his first pari-mutuel start, Surick said and then added,“He
(Only The Lonely) went a good mile today on the half-mile track here and he
looked like himself. He’s a nice horse and we’re looking for a year from him.”
Co-owned by Surick, KDM Stable and the J.L. Benson Stable
Only The Lonely paid $3.50 for win.
Marcus Miller and Nick Surick teamed- up again in a later
race and were victorious with Yanoyanomenow in a time of 1:55.0
However Only The Lonely’s 1:54.3 wasn’t the fastest mile on
the hot and humid afternoon. Trainer Bob Lounsbury’s CC Stormy was victorious
for Bruce Aldrich, Jr. in 1:54.1. The same combination scored again with
Dreamluck in 1:54.4.
Also on the card the winningest horse in North America,
Diamond Tiara now in a new barn, faced the boys for the first time this year
after winning 17 times against her own gender, and she didn’t fare well. She
finished off the board for the first time in 23 seasonal starts.
