By john manzi
It
was only one start but for Francesco Laosa a chance to drive a pacer proved
fruitful when the Sicilian professional finished second in the one race that he
drove at Monticello Raceway on Thursday, June 22.
According
to his friend Marco Barone who doubled as his interpreter, the Italian speaking
professional driver and his wife Carola are celebrating their honeymoon with a
two week holiday in North America. And through some help from friends
LaRosa made a connection with Monticello trainer Dan Gill who offered him
a drive behind one of his pupils, Park it Park It, a 4-year-old altered son of
Big Bad John.
Sent
off at odds of 8-1 from the three hole in race five LaRosa allowed John
DeSimone and Eye Candy to take the lead and then was comfortable with a
two-hole trip all the way. However, in the lane Park It Park It flattened out
and couldn’t gain on the pace-setter and finished second a length behind Eye
Candy in the 1:57paced mile.
Asked
how it felt to drive a pacer LaRosa replied through his translator, Barone:” It
was smooth and steady,” and then added “the pacer was easier to handle than a
trotter.”
A
winner of a few hundred races in his homeland the opportunity to drive a pacer
was special to the 30 year LaRosa since only trotters are raced in Italy, and
for that matter all though continental Europe.
LaRosa
and his dad handle a considerable stable based in Palermo, Sicily. Their horses
compete at racetracks inPalermo, Siracusa, Garigliano and Naples as well as
various racetracks in southern Italy.
After
the Monticello race Francesco and Carola, along with Mario Barone and his son
Rylee, were headed to the Big Apple . After a short stay in New York City the
LaRosa’s will be on to California and then to Cancun, Mexico before returning
home to Sicily The Barones will leave NYC and head back to their home
in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
