by John Manzi for the
Billings Series
Freehold, NJ—Tony
“the Capo” Verruso bided his time in fifth position in the early going then
when he approached the three quarters he rallied longshot PL Layla to the lead
and coasted home an easy 2:01 winner in the Billings Trot at Freehold Raceway
on Saturday, afternoon, May 4 and rewarded his faithful with a $62.80 win
mutuel.
Uriel and Annie “Get Your
Gun” Stoebe cut the early fractions but yielded to Boss Du Fosse and driver
“Smokin'Joe” Faraldo as the field approached the third stanza. However,
Faraldo's charge tired in the lane and finished out of the money.
Meanwhile, PL Layla and
Verruso, third at the three quarters, took command as the field rounded the
final turn and then held off hard -charging Landonfitz and driver Dave “the
Rave” Offenberg to score the daughter of Glidemaster's second seasonal triumph.
Third place went to Cheeky Little Minx in rein to “Joltin' Joe” Pennacchio.
After five starts on bigger
racetracks with limited success perhaps the return to the half-mile oval was to
PL Layla's liking for in early March she was victorious at Freehold in 1:59.4.
The race marked the return
of two-time “Amateur Driver of the Year , “Hurricane Hannah” Miller, but her
Jacks To Open started from post seven, had major road trouble, and finally
finished fifth.
The Glidemaster 4-year-old
mare, trained by Danielle Dailey, is owned by Joe Scanio and Bart Fooden.
The Billings Series returns
to Freehold Raceway on May 11.
