2019 was a
very good year for Michael Merton, the 47-year-old Monticello native earned his
first ever Leading Dash winner title at his hometown track Monticello Raceway
with 267 wins, former Monticello Raceway dash winner Bruce Aldrich Jr. finished
2nd with 235 wins, followed by the young Austin Siegelman with 228
trips to the winner circle. The Monticello native was reared in the backstretch
of Monticello Raceway as a youngster and is no stranger to the Catskill
Mountain oval. Merton hit the road hard this summer as he also won the
leading dash driver at Tioga Downs with 82 wins. Between Monticello Raceway and
Tioga Downs, Merton amassed over $1,440,971 in purses and 349 wins.
Merton’s combined season tally of 382 ranks him 16th in the nation
for wins
Bob Lounsbury earning his 4th overall leading
trainer title at Monticello Raceway with 93 wins, Gary Messenger was second
with 80 wins. Bob Lounsbury also won the leading training award in 2013, 2014
& 2015. He also ranked nationally, in 2013 and 2015 he was the % leading
trainer in North America for trainers having over 500 starts. The Bob
Lounsbury Stable earned over $305,797 in 330 starts, an average of $926 per
start for the 2018 season at Monticello Raceway.
