by john manzi for NAADA
It’s
not that Wygant Prince hasn’t been a valuable commodity but in recent seasons
the 10 year old has had only one win in 57 previous starts ,but the altered son
of SJ’s Photo put on his trotting shoes Friday night (June 30) in the NAADA
Trot at Yonkers Raceway and turned the tables on those who have previously kept
him out of the winners circle
With
owner, and longtime amateur driver Paul Minore at the controls the former high
school coach took advantage of the two hole and sent his charge to the lead
when the wings of the mobile gate folded and Wygant Prince led the field
by the first stanza in :29.1. Perhaps by keeping a steady pace no one took a
shot at the leader as the field approached the halfway point where the timer
flashed 1:00.2.
First
to move was Hannah Miller with Rev It Now but they never ranged alongside to
leader as Wygant Prince kept at his work and he was still in command as the
field passed the third quarter in 1:29.3. However,in the lane Alan Schwartz,
who was cruising along in the catbirds seat moved Ladys Big Stormont off the
pylons to challenge for the lead but Wygant Prince was not to be denied and
trotted on to a one length triumph in a 1:59.2 clocking over Schwartz’s
charge. Rev It now faded but hung on for third money.
Despite having been lean in the win column over the past two seasons still Wygant Prince scored his 27th career victory and raised his lifetime earnings to over $350,000. And for Minore, who began his amateur driving career in 1994, he scored his 89th driving victory
