By john manzi for NAADA
After the first leg of the North America Amateur
Drivers Association-sponsored, France vs. USA International Driving
Competition, which was held at Yonkers Raceway on Tuesday(April 21),the
American team had vaulted to the lead on the strength of a wire to wire triumph
by America’s Monica Banca.
After the day was over and all involved were breaking
bread together, Joe Faraldo, chided to France’s Romain Poree that the US team
was ahead by seven points.
“We’re not worried, “Poree told Faraldo. Like good wine
we French get better with age.”
And did they ever.
On Wednesday afternoon, April 22 in the second leg of
the contest held at Monticello Raceway, Poree,a racing journalist and son
of a professional harness trainer, put on a driving clinic winning both races in
the France-U.S.A Friendship Competition and with one horse, a pacer by the name
of Bay Street, returned a $205.00 win payoff.
It also happened to be the first time that Poree had
ever driven a pacer, or as he called him "an ambler”. For the record,
only trotters are raced in Europe.
Amateur World Champion in 2010 and French Champion in 2009,
Poreewas perhaps more at home behind trotter, Wheres the Clicker, whom he
guided to victory in the other contest event.
But his triumph from the eight- hole with Bay Street had
the railbird’s eyes wide open.
After falling into sixth position on the first turn Poree
and Bay Street were content to follow the leaders. They were sixth at the
quarter; seventh at the half and eighth and last as they passed the third
stanza.
But on the final turn Poree moved his charge wide and
in the lane they came on like gangbusters-seemingly out of nowhere- and at the
wire they had collared the betting favorite Spencer B and USA teamster
Alan Schwartz,in a mile timed in 2:00.2. France's Sophie Blanchetiere, with
Caviart Jett, made it a three-horse photo but they were on the short end and had
to settle for third place.
Bay Street paid a whopping $205.00-$53.00 and $14.00
across the board. The pacer is owned by Ruth Ingham and trained by Vernon James.
In the other division Poree showed great driving
ability when he kept a fractious Where’s The Clicker well off the gate as the
field began motion and then eased his charge up to his pole position and they
got away trotting.
Despite the horse’s purported shenanigans, Where's The
Clicker went off asthe betting favorite in the race.
After a :29.2 first panel, set by Candid Man, driven by
fellow Frenchmen Christophe Roszak, the pace slowed as the field approached
the halfway point. So Poree moved his trotter first-up and was alongside the
leader in a 1:02 half.
Where's The Clipper cleared Candid Man after the three
quarters, Poree then braced for a hard charging Chuckie B, and driver Alan
Schwartz. However, Poree’s charge kicked ina 29.1 final stanza and they cruised
to a three-length triumph over Schwartz’s trotter in a time of 2:03.1. Candid
Man held on for the show dough.
The winner, owned by Mike Simons and Cary Greenberg,
paid$.80 for win. Mike’s son Shawn Simons is the trainer of record.
Living up to words expressed by Roman Poree on the first day
of the competition France went from seven behind to lead their American
counterparts by seven points after two days were in tghe books.
And as the point totals were being tallied, Poree turned to
Faraldo and said; ““I told you we’d get better before it’s over.”
With Thursday relegated to a sight-seeing bus tour of
New York City, the final leg of the Friendship Competition will be held at the
Meadowlands on Friday (April 24).
