by
john manzi for NAADA
The
final leg of the NAADA Winter Trotting Series was contested at Monticello
Raceway on Wednesday afternoon (March 30) and once again both Bob Kenney and
Bobby Krivelin emerged victorious. Both gentlemen also copped the previous legs
at Yonkers Raceway on March 17. But this
time each reined a different horse home first; Kenney scored with Just Like
Lloyd in 2:00 while Krivelin won with Permanent Joy in 2:00.2.
The
afternoon fans were treated brilliant sunshine and a bright blue ski but
gusting winds and temperatures hovering around 58-degrees kept a chill in the
air.
In
the first split Bobby Krivelin worked himself a great two-hole trip with
Permanent Joy and he refused a parked-out Boysdroolgirlsrule (Joe Lee) any room
to move down along the pylons in front of him.
Nautilus
De Vie and Dave Yarock had surged to the lead with Krivelin and Permanent Joy
in hot pursuit and both trotters raced one-two around the double oval. During
the entire mile Boysdroolgirlsrule challenged while racing on the outside.
In
the lane Krivelin moved his charge to the outside of Nautilus De Vie as
Boydroolgirlsrule faded after his overland trip and Permanent Joy rallied to a
one- length victory. Sam’s Honeybee rallied from far back for third money.
Krivelin
was pleased when interviewed in the (race) paddock after the race. “He
(Permanent Joy) never gets a harness on him (between races). I keep him out in
a special pasture and only tow him along with another horse when we jog,”
Krivelin related. “He has a sore back so we like to keep the harness off him.”
Krivelin’s,
Hero Stable owns the winner and Krivelin also doubles as the trotter’s trainer.
He paid $4.80 for win.
For
the New York City food purveyor it was his fourth victory in series and he will
garner the trophy as the highest point-earner the nine-race NAADA Winter
Series.
In
the other split Bob Kenny took no prisoners and sent Just Like Lloyd down the
road and they made every pole a winning one en route to short head victory over
a stubborn Woody (Joe Lee).
In
that one, Just Like Lloyd drew off to an open-lengths lead with only Woody
within striking distance when they headed for paydirt.
Lee
stalked the leader and when he pulled Woody out to challenge in mid-stretch
they began closing in on the leader but they ran out of race track and finished
second in the photo.
Kenney,
an IT Technician from Belchertown, MA is a relative new comer to the amateur
driving scene although he has been with and around harness horses since his
then girlfriend Linda Parrotta introduced Bob to harness racing back in 1972 at
Hinsdale Raceway where her dad raced his horses.
‘At
that time Linda was my girlfriend and she still is after 42 wonderful years of
marriage,” Kenney said joyfully after he and Linda had explained Bob’s
introduction to harness racing while they walked back with the winner to the
horse’s paddock stall.
Kenney,
a big man at 6ft-5in, now has three wins, one second and three thirds this year
in just nine starts. With just 15 drives
since 2014 Kenney has reined seven winners.
The
winner, owned by Linda Kenney and The Di Stefano And Son Stable, and trained by
John DiStefano. paid $5.30 for win.
The
series $15,000 final will be raced at Yonkers Raceway on Thursday, April 7,
although a $6,000 Consolation, if it fills, is offered at Monticello Raceway on
Wednesday, April 6.
