By john manzi for NAADA
Monticello,
NY--It was bombs away in the NAADA trots at Monticello Raceway on Thursday
afternoon (Sept. 28) when both winners ,each starting from the seven-hole,
sparked exorbitant payoffs.
In
the first division Tony Verruso scored a 2:02.3 triumph with Sam’s
Honeybee and returned a $76.50 mutuel while in the second split Paul Minore
guided his old warhorse Wygant Prince to a 1:59.3 victory which really
lite up the toteboard when the veteran trotter paid $130.50-$27.40 and $14.20
across the board.
When
the gate sprung in their split, which was arguably the better field of the two,
Minore sent Wygant Prince away swiftly and they gained command midway around
the first turn and then led the field by the first quarter in :28.3.
Once
on top Wygant Prince marched steadily forward unchallenged by the half in :59.
and past the third stanza in 1:29 before any realistic challenge developed. And
when did it came from Tony Ciuffetelli with favored Tropical Storm BI.
But it was too late as Minore’s trotter crossed the finish line like an even
money favorite. Third place went to Brandos Music Man, driven by Monica
Banca.
“I
don’t always get a chance to ask him to leave because of various circumstances
but today I took a shot and it proved to be fruitful,”Minore, a retired high
school track coach, said referring to Wygant Prince. “He’s been racing real
good lately so I thought I’d take a chance and seek the front. It turned out to
be a winning move.”
Minore
owns the winner, a 10-.year old SJ’s Photo gelding, who with this victory raised
his lifetime earnings to over $365,000. He’s trained by Taylor Gower.
The
other split was a ‘dogfight’ all the way to the wire as Tony Verruso’s Sam’s
Honeybee showed tremendous grit in the deep stretch.
After
getting away sixth some nine lengths off the leader Verruso erased three of
those lengths as Sam’s Honeybee passed the halfway point, but still in sixth
place. With a big a sweeping move up the backside Sam’s Honeybee had on
her trotting shoes and when they came off the final turn they were second on
the far outside and then took command and braced for the challenge which came
from Cassa’s Image (Jennifer Lappe)
With
both drivers all-out urging their horses in the deep stretch Sam’s Honeybee
prevailed by a head. Joe Lee and Woody were right there but had to settle for
the show dough.
“My
mare was really game in the stretch and we battled all comers right to the
wire,” Verruso said of Sam’s Honeybee. “She’s always tough in the lane and she
showed it today.”
Sam’s
Honeybee, dismissed by the wagering public paid, $76.50-$18.80 and $6.10 across
the board. She’s owned by Verruso and trained by Carl Gillespie.
