by john manzi
On
the pleasant and sunshiny afternoon of June 8th amateur racing took
center stage at Monticello Raceway with two amateur club events dotting the 12
race card. The first, a NAADA trot ,saw Bob Krivelin bide his time and rally
Permanent Joy to a 1;59.2 victory while in the second, a Catskill Amateur Club
pace , went to Monica Banca and Jay Bees Grin N and in a 1:58.3 clocking. Many
of the participating drivers are members of both amateur clubs.
Krivelin,
a three-time National Amateur Driver of the Year, worked out a good journey
with his 9-year-old Trot For Joy gelding and was the strong horse in the lane.
When
the wings of the mobile gate folded Paul Minore sent Wygant Prince to the lead
and they cut the early fractions trotting by the first stanza in :28.3 with
Permanent Joy comfortable in third position.
Wygant
Prince was on the front end as the field trotted by the half in :59.1 with
none of the trailers taking a shot at the leader. As they trotted by the
three quarters in 1:29.2, Krivelin and Permanent Joy took aim at Wygant Prince
but they didn’t clear until they came off the final turn but when they did
Krivelin’s charge took command and trotted on to a one length triumph over Fox
Valley Steffen (John Kokinos), who was later disqualified for a racing
infraction. Third place finisher Flirting Duesy, driven by Tony Verruso, was
moved up the second and fourth place finisher Wygant Prince was granted the
show dough.
Krivelin,
no stranger to the winners circle, was quick to comment that Permanent Joy
didn’t have a harness on him since he last raced on May 18.
“I
keep him at my farm in Goshen and tow him because he’s not easy to handle when
he’s harnessed-up,” Krivelin said.” But in a race he’s a sweetheart and you can
drive him with two fingers.”
Sent
off at odds of over 5-1 Permanent Joy notched his third seasonal triumph and
his 33rd of his racing career. And for Krivelin it was his 208th
winning drive.
The
Catskill Amateur Club pace went Monica Banca after she gave Jay Bees Grin N a
covered journey until the top of the stretch and then rallied her pacer down
the passing lane to score a 1-1/2 length triumph over Joe Lee and TKR’s Metro
Specs in a 1:58.3 clocking. Lightning Strike finished third for John Kokinos.
After
the race Banca said that she felt fine but prior to the event she admitted that
she was nervous. But if she was a bit tense she didn’t show it as she gave her
pacer a picture-perfect trip and rallied the New Zealand-bred gelding to his
fifth seasonal triumph.
It
was the first time that she sat behind Jay Bees Grin N and for the talented
horse-woman , originally from Norway, it marked her second win in just three
seasonal starts and her 16th driving victory in her career
which began in 2013.
The
winning horse is owned and trained by Rick Dane. Sent off the odds-on favorite
from the two hole Jay Bees Grin N paid $3.60 for win.
