By john manzi for the CKG Billings Series
“Lawbook
Larry” Farley, a recently retired attorney from Toledo, Ohio, scored his first
driving victory in this season’s CKG Billings Amateur Driving Series on
Wednesday night, July 6, when he guided Patient I D to a 2:00.1 wire to wire
triumph in a Midwest region trot at Northfield Park.
A
veteran of over three decades of amateur driving Farley, like many others in
amateur racing, also owns his stock and employs a professional trainer when he
was doing due-diligence in his chosen profession.
In
the Billings trot tonight at Northfield Park Farley took advantage of starting
from the pole position and gunned his trotter to the lead when the wings of the
mobile gate folded.
“It
appeared that a few others were good on the front-end so I wanted to leave and
make sure I had a good position as we headed to the first quarter,” Farley said
by telephone after the race. “We got a good assist when Heza Rube (the odds-on
favorite) made a break as we headed to the quarter.”
Still
Farley and Patient ID didn’t have a cakewalk of it when the favorite went off
stride. Celtic Merchant and Steve “You’re Never too” Oldford supplied
relentless pressure from the get-go but Patient ID was up to the test and
although she needed to trot to a :58.3 half to keep all comers at bay, the
veteran 4-year old Band’s Gold Chip mare hung tough along the pylons turning
back a multitude of challenges.
As
the field rounded the clubhouse turn and headed for the three quarters the
parked-out trotters began looking for positions along the pylons as Patient ID
kept going forward.
“I
got a bit concerned on the last turn because my mare wasn’t strong on the bit,”
Farley said."As we headed for home I was closely watching Ned (Hodkinson
with Mutinyonthebounty) who was making a move at me on the outside and I hardly
noticed Tim Miller (with Vaya Con Dios) charging on the far outside as we
headed for the finish line. Luckily
Tim’s horse ran out of racetrack and my mare was a one-length winner over
Tim’s.”
Although
Patient ID had three previous seasonal victories this was the first time Farley
drove her to victory.
“She’s
a nice mare, good gaited, and a pleasure to drive,” Farley said referring to
Patient ID. “She’s a real sweetheart.”
Farley
owns Patient ID who paid $19.20 for win. She’s trained by Calvin Holler.For
Farley it was his 54th amateur driving victory.
