by john
manzi for the Billings Series
Paul “the Coach” Minore is hot. He now has won three of his
last four starts in amateur competition with his latest victory coming in the
prestigious CKG Billings East Region Mid-Season Final at Yonkers Raceway on
Thursday evening, July 23 when he guided his own Wygant Prince to a 2:00.2
victory, a triumph made even more impressive since it came after starting from the eight-hole. It was their second
consecutive triumph together after having been victorious in a time of 1:58.3
in a Billings leg at Saratoga Raceway on
July 12.
The $12,000 Mid-Season Final at Yonkers was for drivers who
were the top point earners thus far in the year-long amateur driver’s series.
The contest went to post as a non-wagering affair prior to the first race on
the betting card.
If Minore was somewhat dejected after having drawn post
position eight no one could tell when he gunned his trotter for the lead as the
wings of the mobile gate folded and they showed the way by the first stanza in
a swift :28.4.
After a :31.1 breather Wygant Prince passed the halfway
point relatively unchallenged. However, competition came as they headed up the
backside but Minore and his charge continued unfazed and they passed the three
quarters alone on the lead as the timer flashed 1:30.2.
As Wygant Prince headed for home he had opened up another
length on his competition and cruised to
a two-length triumph over Gimme The Loot and driver Bobby “Rapid Rail”
Krivelin. Third place went to Pembroke
Snapshot, driven by the series top point-earner, “Hurricane Hannah” Miller.
It was the fourth seasonal triumph for the winner, an
8-year-old altered son of S J’s Photo owned by his driver, and trained by
Taylor Gower. For Minore, it marked his
fifth seasonal driving victory and 84th of his amateur career.
On Friday (July 24) the Mid-west Region Mid-Season Final
for the top point earners in that division, will be contested over the
five-eighths mile oval at The Meadows.
