by john manzi for NAADA
The Doctor in... at least he
was on Thursday at Yonkers Raceway.
On that cool crisp
March 22nd evening Dr Kokinos took no prisoners when he sent Here Comes
Numbers down the road and made every pole a winning one en route to a solid
three- length victory in the second leg of the NAADA Trotting Series at Yonkers
Raceway which was presented before the betting card got underway. Second place
went to Tough Get Going driven by Joe Faraldo. Dave Yarock took home the show
dough with Hidden Identity who finished some 10 lengths off the winner..
Kokinos and Here Come
Numbers took charge when the gate sprung and they had command as they passed by
the first stanza in a swift :28.4. Once on top Kokinos kept the pedal to the
metal as Here Comes Numbers proved to be too much for his competition and they
cruised to an easy 1:59.3 victory.
According to Faraldo, who is
the president of the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA), he
asked Kokinos why he went such a stiff first quarter to which Faraldo said
Kokino replied “once I got him in high gear there was no way I'd be able to
take him back. And besides, he was comfortable and full of trot”.
In the NAADA series last
week at Monticello Raceway Tony Ciuffetelli's Better To Be Lucky was victorious
and Monica Banca's Master Of Excuses was close second but tonight at the Hilltop
oval both trotters made breaks during the mile and finished fifth and sixth
respectively.
Here Comes Numbers, a
10-year-old altered son of Here Comes Herbie, notched his second seasonal
triumph and his 30th of his racing career where he massed purses in excess
of $352,000. He is currently owned by Patrick Laiso and Jennifer Lappe nd
trained by Lappe.
The 10-race NAADA series
continues next Thursday at Monticello Raceway.
