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Wednesday, May 9, 2018

SPANIARD AMATEURS HUMBLE NAADA AT YONKERS RACEWAY ON TUESDAY


by john manzi, for NAADA

Yonkers, NY ---The North American Amateur Drivers Association has been busy of late and it probably will be for the next four months or so, not only offering weekly driving contests at Yonkers Raceway and Monticello Raceway but also hosting their European counterparts in International driving competitions.

With the current NAADA trotting Series continuing and with a recently completed international driving competition against the Hungarian amateurs, tonight at Yonkers Raceway began the first of a two-track international driving competition, this time with the Spaniards from Palma de Mallorca.

And what now seems to be the norm, the visiting amateurs competed on the betting card against NAADA in two races at the Hilltop oval and when the dust had settled the Spaniards humbled the USA squad winning both events. The first was captured by Pau Moll with a 44-1 shot Swift As A Shadow in 1:56 and returned a whopping $90.50; $31,00 and $11.40. Not to be outdone fellow Spaniard, Jaime Riera, hustled Showmeyourguns ($4.10) home first in 1:57.3.

Two things of note in the two race competition tonight was that Pau Moll drove a pacer for the first time since they only race trotters in Europe. And Jaime Riera gained the drive behind Showmeyourguns because the horse that he was scheduled to drive was scratched and NAADA's vp Alan Schwartz graciously gave his mount to visiting Riera.
In his contest Pau Moll left cautiously from the six-hole and was content to trail the field to the half and then consistently moved forward and in the final strides his Swift As Shadow collared Sammy The Bull N, driven by fellow countryman Francisco Ramis. NAADA's Joe Lee was third with Golden Gesture.

“They told me I had the worst horse in the race but he went good for me and I was surprised when my horse was stronger than Francisco's at the finish,” Moll said, then hesitated for a moment and emphatically added,” I like driving the pacer.”
Swift As A Shadow is owned by Christopher Temming and trained by Michael Temming.

Up behind the betting favorite in the second contest event Jaime Riera started from the pole position with Showmeyourguns and was content to allow NAADA's Monica Banca to cut swift early fractions :27.4 and :56.3 with Cresurrey before steadily closing a 10-length gap. By the time the field passed the third stanza Cresurrey's lead was three lengths and closed to two at the top of the stretch. In the lane Banca's trotter's strides weakened and with mild urging Riera got his charge up in time for a neck triumph. Third place went to Winning Princess in to NAADA's Jennifer Lappe.

“Alan (Schwartz) gave me a good horse and he went a strong race,” Riera said. “But I wasn't sure that we won it and when the judges posted my horse's number as the winner I felt real good.”
Showmeyourguns is owned and trained by Tom Milici.
On Thursday, May 10, the final two races in the Spain vs USA Friendship Competition will be contested at Monticello Raceway. They'll be joined on the nine-race card by the ninth leg of the current NAADA Trotting Series.