By Shawn Wiles
It is only fitting that on a weekend when we pause and honor
those that have served and perished in our country’s Military, that the aptly
named Omaha Survivor would prevail against all odds. He gallantly battled back
from a break behind the gate and spotted the field 15 lengths at the start, at
the ¼ pole the charter had him 11 lengths behind the leader. Now in full charge
he was parked 4th on the outside at the 1/2, still taking the
overland route on the outside, at the ¾ mile marker he ranging into contention,
parked first over from the fraction setting Shark Treasure. Omaha Survivor
briefly save some real estate and dove in the 2 hole ever so briefly, at the
top of the lane Mike Merton pulled the right line and the veteran 11 year old gelding
gallantly charged thru the lane in spirited stretch drive in the middle of the
track to be victorious in 1:58 giving Mike his 4th win of the
afternoon. Omaha Survivor is trained by Dolores Basilone for owner Greg Gardner
of Sheridan MI.
Mike Merton took advantage of the
absence of Monticello Raceway’s top leading drivers Bruce Aldrich and Jimmy
Taggart Jr. and drove 5 winners on the afternoons 9 race card. The UDRS stat
building day started in the second half of the early double, scoring with Last Chance
T, he came right back in the 3rd to win with Brooklyn Benny in
1:56.3. He finished 2nd in the 4th race. In Race 5
he scored with Omaha Survivor. He also won with Conrad Hanover in race 7
($3.30) and Mungo in the 8th race ($19.20)
D.R. Ackerman also had a training
driving double on the card, reigning Magic Tail, a 3 year old daughter of
Muscle Massive to a 2:03 win and Uncle Hanover (Muscle Hill) in 1:59.1.
On Monday May 30, Monticello
Raceway will be dark Monday for Memorial Day, live racing resumes Tuesday thru
Friday with a 12:50 post.
