by John Manzi for NAADA & The Catskill Amateur Club.
To
more amateur races were on tap again at Monticello Raceway on Thursday (June 4)
afternoon on 4the heels of the two the Sullivan County oval presented the
previous day.
Steve
Oldford won the NAADA Trot with Starsaboverallerage in a 2:00.3 clocking while
Matt Zuccarello copped the Catskill Amateur Club pace with Minnesota Hanover in
1:58.
“I
came all the way in from Michigan anticipating to drive in three races today
but the other two races I was hoping to race get in didn’t fill,” Oldford said
after his victory with Starsaboveallerage. “But winning the one I was in made
the whole trip worthwhile. People who know me know I’d fly to the moon if I
thought I could win a race there.”
Oldford
had the betting favorite in the NAADA trot and he drove him like he was the
best. He gunned his trotter to the lead from post four and parked Saraboo, and
driver by Paul Moore in a relatively soft :30 quarter.
Knowing
that Saraboo was no threat after being parked out Oldford used Moore’s trotter
as a shield of sorts, which made it tougher for any horse from the back of the
pack to challenge the pace.
Hannah
Miller had a live horse in Rev It Now but the road trouble they endured cost
them a chance at victory.
She
had to wheel her trotter three- deep at the three quarters to get around the
parked horse but Starsaboveallerage had drawn off to a substantial lead and by
the time Rev It Now had cleared traffic Oldford’s trotter was safe and he
cruised home an easy 1-1/2 length winner. Miller’s charge was second best while
Chuckie B and Alan Schwartz completed the trifecta.
Starsaboveallerage,
trained by Allen Sisco, paid $3.90 for win.
The
other amateur event, sponsored by the Catskill Club, was vehicle for Matt
Zuccarello to score his second driving victory in two days at the Mighty M. (He
won a division of the Spain vs USA Friendship Competition yesterday).
In
today’s contest Zuccarello sent Minnesota Hanover to the lead from the pole
position and they had clear sailing to the half which was paced in :59.1. At
that point challenges came first from CCs Lover N and Allen Sisco followed by
Rise Above It with Hannah Miller. But Zuccarello had Minnesota Hanover far
enough in front to rebuff and late charges.
They
cruised home a solid one length winner over CCs Lover with Rise Above It two
lengths farther back in third place.
“Last
week we had to pace a :28.2 first quarter to get the lead and he (Minnesota
Hanover) was tired at the end of the mile. This time when we passed the
(first) quarter in :29.4 I knew my horse would have something in the tank for
later,” Zuccarello explained.
Zuccarello
also owns the winner who’s trained by Dennis Laturza. Minnesota Hanover
returned a $21.40 win mutuel.
