When you’re hot you’re hot, and Bobby “Rapid Rail” Krivelin
is proof of that. The talented amateur driver won the $12,000 Eastern Regional
Final Wednesday night (Nov.12) at Mohegan Sun Pocono with his Hero Stables’
Permanent Joy in a time of 1:57 over the swift five-eighths mile oval.
But you say one victory doesn’t make him ‘hot’? Well how
about this: it was Krivelin’s second consecutive triumph in amateur driving
competition having won the $14,000 Final of the North American Amateur Drivers
Association over Yonkers Raceway’s double oval last Thursday with Current
Crisis, another of his trotters that he enjoys driving. And in his last
five races against fellow amateurs Krivelin has three wins, one second, and one
third.
In the Eastern Regional finale Bob “the Headhunter”
Hechkoff gunned his Tagmaster to the lead when the wings of the mobile gate
folded and then played hardball parking favored Rebel Strike driven by
“Mighty Matt” Zuccarello and they raced side by side past the first stanza in
:28 and by the half in :58.
Krivelin took advantage of the parked pair and moved
Permanent Joy to the outside up the backside and trotted by everyone as
they passed the three quarters in 1:27.1.
Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford was locked in behind the
tiring leaders with Celtic Merchant and could do nothing as Permanent Joy
trotted to the lead. Oldford shook lose in the lane but it was too late to be
able to catch Krivelin but his CelticMerchant did earn the place money. Teezer
Bree, with Tony “the Capo” Verruso aboard, came from far back and they weaved
between horses in the lane to garner the show.
Sent off at odds of over 5-1, Permanent Joy paid $13.40 for
win.
After the race was completed the group went to the dining
room and broke- bread which is customary among the amateur drivers.
According to Oldford, the trot at Pompano Park on Thursday,
Nov. 13 will be the final preliminary event prior to the Billings $25,000 Gold
and $15,000 Silver Cup Finals and winner there could possibly earn a berth in
the rich series finales.
