by john manzi for
NAADA
Yonkers, NY--When Alan Schwartz claimed
Ladys Big Stormont for $12,500 in early July of last season he knew he was
purchasing a quality trotter and after owning the Earl of Stormont gelding for
over a year and a half the trotter has returned his purchase price ‘four fold’.
Tonight
(December 1) at Yonkers Raceway, in the $15,000 NAADA Trotting Series Final,
Schwartz and his trusty steed kept all comers at bay and went on to score
a neck triumph over Wygant Prince and driver Paul Minore in 2:00. Another neck
behind the leaders in third place was Peter Kleinhans and Toss Cartwright
After
starting from the five-hole Schwartz sent Ladys Big Stormont toward the front
as the wings of the mobile gate folded but Dave Yarock had the same idea with
Mr Ridgetaker and they gained command midway around the first turn. Schwartz
and Ladys Big Stormont then settled in along the pylons in third position
directly behind Pail Minore’s Wygant Prince and the three trotters raced in
file order past the first stanza in :28.4
Yarock
then led the field by the halfway point in :59.4 and although Schwartz was
anxious he waited until they straightened up the backside to move Ladys Big
Stormont.
“When
I pulled him he shot up alongside Yarock’s trotter and we raced head to head to
the three quarters and around the final turn and we finally cleared to the lead
as we headed down the homestretch,” Schwartz related.
But
trouble was coming when Minore moved Wygant Prince to the passing lane and
Peter Kleinhans rallied Toss Cartwright on the outside and the
three trotters charged side by side for paydirt
.
“My
horse was real gritty and he turned back the challengers and we held on
for a neck victory over Paul’s trotter. Peter’s horse finished third ,”
Schwartz said.
To
say that Ladys Big Stormont is currently at the top of his game would be an
understatement. In his last eight races the venerable trotter has five wins and
three seconds and for the season Ladys Big Stormont reached the winners
circle 11 times. Add that to 10 seconds and four thirds and the
6-year-old Earl of Stormont gelding raised his seasonal earnings to over
$55,000.
