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Saturday, June 25, 2016

DAVE “LINEMASTER” EHRENBERG WINS BILLINGS TROT AT SCIOTO DOWNS

      by john manzi for the Billings Series

In harness racing there’s such a thing known as a good trip; or sometimes referred to as a perfect journey. It is this that can be a great equalizer and the result of getting a good journey can be victory  often despite the horses odds when the race starts.

Case in point: T K’s Jelly Belly who was sent off at odds of 44-1 in the Midwest region Billings trot tonight (Friday) at Scioto Downs and came away with a upset triumph.

A horse that starts from the pole position usually deserves watching because they already have a position along the pylons. For some reason T K’s Jelly Belly got no respect in the 10-horse field but it was his driver, Dave “Linemaster” Ehrenberg who laughed last. And for that matter so did those who wagered on him when they received a $91.00 mutuel payoff.

When the gate sprung Ehrenberg, a veteran of many Billings wars and a prominent Ohio owner, send his trotter away and held the pylon position and allowed Ned “the Insurance Guy” Hodkinson and Mutinyonthebounty to take command and in the process shut out Celtic Merchant and driver Steve “You’re Never too” Oldford who was looking for a hole.

Hodkinson kept the pedal to the medal and sent his trotter through speedy early fractions mostly caused by Oldford’s parked out horse. After a :28.2 first quarter they passed the halfway point in in :57.3 with Ehrenberg and T K’s Jelly Belly tucked in tightly behind the leader. 

Mutinyonthebounty and T K’s Jelly Belly were one-two and lengths in front of the field as the three quarter timer flashed 1:27.4. In the lane Ehrenberg and T K’s Jelly Belly rallied to a head triumph over Mutinyonthebounty in a 1:58.1 clocking. Third place, some three lengths in the rears, was Patient I D driven by “Lawbook Larry” Farley.

It was the second win for the 4-year-old daughter of Victory Sam who’s owned and trained by Terry Milhoan.   Across the board payoffs were $91.00- $36.00 and $11.20. The 1-5 exacta paid $1349.80.


Next Billings action will be at Goshen Historic on Saturday, July 2.