By john manzi for the Billings Series
Harness
racing's greatest traveling roadshow, the CKG Billings Amateur Driving Series,
moved on to Yonkers Raceway on Thursday evening, June 25 where two east region
divisions were contested before the betting card got underway. Not
surprisingly, Billings regional point leader “Hurricane Hannah” Miller once
again stuck it to the boys when she went wire to wire with Rev It Now to score
in 1:59.3 while the other split went to Billings president Tony “the Capo”
Verruso after he reined Sam’s Honeybee to a 2:01.3 victory.
Earlier
in the day Miller had a third place finish in a NAADA Trotting Series event at
Monticello Raceway, and as she’s done previously, traveled later in the day for
another amateur event at Yonkers Raceway.
Once
again behind her veteran Rev It Now she turned the tables on her competitors by
leaving from the pole position and taking command on the first turn.
“He
(Rev It Now) is a notoriously slow starter but he left out of the gate great
tonight,” Miller related.” I didn't expect to be on the frontend but a couple
horses made breaks leaving breaks, so I went to the lead and surprisingly he
was comfortable there.”
After
a soft :30.4 first quarter Rev It Now trotted by the half in 1:00.4 and then
began to open daylight on the field. At the third stanza Miller’s charge had
two lengths on the field which was opened to three at the wire. CSI
What’s My Name rallied from far back to be second for David “Poppa”
Glasser while “Bullet Bob” Davis took home the show dough with Wygant Prince.
With
her victory "Hurricane Hannah" now has 18 seasonal driving victories
but in the process she lost Rev It Now who was claimed after the race.
In
the other division Verruso used the same front-end strategy for his victory
with Sam’s Honeybee.
With
breaking horses around him as he left the gate Verruso immediately sent Sam’s
Honeybee to the lead and they got away with soft fractions of :30:4 and 1:02.4.
When Paul “the Coach” Minore moved Hallanet as the field approached the half
the pace then picked up.
Still
Sam’s Honeybee had a length and a half lead by the three quarters which was
opened to two lengths as they headed for home.
“We
needed every inch at that point because in the deep stretch Dave (Offenberg
with Whatnblazes) came flying at us but “Sam” held him off and we
won it by a neck,” Verruso said. In third place, three lengths farther back,
was Hallanet and Minore.
For
Verruso, it was his first win in Billings action thus far this season.
After
eight legs of the seven month Billings Series are in the books Hannah Miller’s
70 points is 20 better than runner-up Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff’s 50.
Verruso is currently third in points with 34 while Paul Minore and James “Jimmy
Boy” Marshall Iii, each with 29oints roun out the top five.
