CIUFFETELLI, GLASSER; BILLINGS WINNERS AT YONKERS

America’s greatest traveling roadshow, also known as the C.K.G Billings Amateur Driving Series, moved on to Yonkers Raceway for a pair of trots and when the events were declared official “Tough Tony” Ciuffetteli and David “Poppa” Glasser each emerged victorious in their respective divisions. Ciuffetelli won his split with Shelikescandy in 1:59 while Glasser scored with Mack’s Gold Band  in a 2:00.1 clocking. The races were sent off as non-wagering affairs prior to the first race on the betting card.

Both gentlemen drivers have had hot hands of late; Ciuffetelli winning for the fourth time in his last five starts while Glasser has three wins and a second in his last seven outings.

In his division “Tough Tony” now a retired corrections officer, got the evening started after settling in fourth position on the first turn and he stayed there as Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff cut the fractions with Justtherighttouch.

Justherighttouch had the field by the first stanza in :28.1 and he was two lengths in charge by the halfway point in :58.1. With no moves from the rears the trotter again got first call as the field  passed the three quarters in 1:28.4. “Hurricane Hannah” Miller and Jack’s to Open tight on Hechkoff’s back waiting to move. At the top of the stretch Ciuffetelli and Shelikescandy, who were in fourth position three lengths off the lead, began to rally and 5-year-old Chocolatier mare got up in the final strides to collar Jussttherighttough to win by a neck in 1:59. Jack’s To Open was another neck back in third place in the three horse photo.

The winner is owned by Terry Vanvulkenburgh and trained by Gary Lavine.

Strangely, the Gary Levine-trained Mack’s Gold Band won the second Billings split, this time with David Glasser aboard.

In that contest Glasser took no prisoners and sent the 6-year-old Band’s Gold Chip gelding to the front and gained command as the field passed the quarter pole as the timer flashed :29. From the Glasser kept the pedal to the metal and his trotter cruised on to an easy four length triumph over Wygant Prince and driver “Coach Paul” Minore. “Yankee Joe” Lee garnered the show dough with HS Certified. Glasser subbed for Buffalo Bob Davis who wasn’t able to make it to Yonkers for the race tonight.

“Bob told me that if I could get him (Mack’s Gold Band) to the front he would be very tough to beat”, Glasser, president of a litigation support company, related via email. “I looked at his replays from earlier in the year at Saratoga and saw when he did get the front and he was a monster. And he was just that tonight.”

 Rarely does an owner win two Billings a trots on one card but tonight Terry Vanvulkenburgh accomplished that feat.