It
was Joe Lee day at Monticello Raceway on Thursday May 11. The New York Yankees
assistant locker room manager won both divisions of the NAADA Trotting Series
at the Sullivan County oval. He won the first split, race six on the betting
card, with Hidden Identity in a 2:00.4 clocking and then came back to score an
easy 1:59.3 victory behind Tim Lizzie in race eight.
Known
as “Yankee Joe” in amateur driving circles because of his professional vocation
Lee had a smile a mile wide after he handed the lines to trainer Bruce Aldrich,
Sr. when he got off from Tim Lizzie’s sulky.
“This
is my first driving double”, he said gleefully. “And my parents were here today
to see it which made the whole afternoon just that much better.”
In
the first NAADA trot Lee was up behind the betting favorite Hidden Identity
from the pole position and he sent the 10-year-old Angus Hall gelding to the
lead and they led the field by the first stanza in :29.3.
They
were in front past the half in 1:01 and from there it was catch me if you can
and no one could as Hidden Identity had enough in the final strides to hold off
“Hurricane Hannah” Miller and Rev It Now in the 2:00.4 clocked mile. Permanent
Joy was third for Bobby Krivelin.
“He
was super today,” Lee said after reining Hidden Identity to victory. “We got a
breather going to the half and because of that he was strong all the way to the
wire,” Lee said after his driving victory and then pointed out that it was the
trotter’s third consecutive victory.
Owned
and trained by Tom Milici of Montgomery, NY. Hidden Identity scored his fourth
seasonal triumph and paid $3.90 for win.
The
second division reeled out completely different than the first. Despite leaving
from the pole position Joe Lee and Tim Lizzie got away slowly in the six-horse
field.
After
two trotters broke stride before the start Tim Lizzie settled in fourth
position and Lee was content to stay back from the lead as Bobby Krivelin and
Current Crisis showed the way.
As
the short field headed up the backside the second time around Lee, still in
fourth place, reeled his charge to the outside and then went three-deep and
they were in front before the final turn. From there it was all Tim
Lizzie as he finished a comfortable two lengths ahead of Current Crisis in the
1:59.3 trotted mile. Third place went to Pocket Passer with Tony Verruso
at the controls.
“With
the short field I was content to follow the leaders because I know my horse has
a good kick at the end of a mile and I was especially comfortable since there
were fast fractions up front,” Lee said.
“The
last time I drove Tim Lizzie he got steppy as we headed to the three quarters
and then he finally made a break. But this time I was intent to not let that
happen again and he was hitting on all four once Lizzie got in high gear and we
had no trouble passing horses and cruised to an easyvictory"
Owned
by Woody Hoblitzell of Destin, Fla and trained by Bruce Aldrich, Sr. Tim
Lizzie paid $17.20 for win.
However,
no sooner had the eighth race finished Joe Lee was off to his real job at
Yankee Stadium where the Bronx Bombers are playing against the Houston Astros
tonight
