Saturday,
June 11, was Ladies Night at Tioga Downs in the CKG Billings Amateur Driving
series when the ladies finished one-two in the $6000 trotting event, Monica
“the Norwegian Flash” Banca won the contest with Brandos Muscle Man and
“Hurricane Hannah” Miller was the runner-up with Shanghai Jack in the 1:57.1
trotted mile.
“It
was so much fun” Banca related after her three- length triumph. “We claimed him
(Brandos Muscle Man) at Yonkers (Raceway)
a while back but this was the first time I had the pleasure of driving
him. He’s such a classy old guy and the best horse I have ever driven.”
And
drive him she did. When the wings of the gate folded Banca sent her charge to
the lead from the five- hole and they gained command in the 28-second first
quarter with “Hurricane Hannah” and Shanghai Jack tucked in neatly in the
two-hole as they passed that stanza.
From
there, the ladies traveled one-two around the Tioga Downs five-eighths mile
oval with Brandos Muscle Man showing the way and Shanghai Jack tight on Banca’s
back. But as the leaders straightened for home Banca’s trotter opened daylight
on her immediate challenger and drew off to a three-length victory.
“I
thought it was kind of strange that we were sent off as the 1-9 favorite when
we weren’t even the morning line favorite in the race,” Banca related. “But my
horse was so good that all I had to do was sit still and he did the rest.
Brandos Muscle Man is such a classy old veteran that my 14-year old son sat up
behind him and trained him last week.”
After
finishing second “Hurricane Hannah” Miller told Banca that she wished the
ladies could be one-two every week.
Third
place in the Saturday night Billings contest went to Buck ID driven by John J
“Jersey Boy” Turok.
Banca
co-owns the Brandos Muscle Man with the Rock And Roll Stable. He’s trained by
Rick Dane, Jr. and the veteran trotter paid just $2.30 for win. For the former Norwegian miss it was her
third seasonal triumph and 14th since she started driving in the
U.S. in 2013.
