In what was almost an exact replica of last year’s race,
Taggart, who drew the mount behind KZ Bezz this season, raced her the same way
that she was raced in the contest last year when Greg Decker, Jr. won the
event with her in the nearly identical time of 1:57.4.
Sent off the 6-5 favorite Taggart gained command
before the first turn and had a 1-1/2 length lead over Lady Belle and
driver Bruce Aldrich, Jr. as the quarter mile timer flashed :28.
Taggart got KZ Bezz by the half in :59, two lengths in front
of Lady Belle and that margin stayed the same when the two passed the third
stanza in 1:28:3.
From that point Taggart kept the pedal to the metal and KZ
Bezz began to open up daylight and she finished some six lengths ahead of Lady
Belle. Third place went to Hannah’’s Creek. driven by Peter Lutman, Jr.
Asked why he decided to send K Z Bezz to the lead when she
has been racing from behind in most of her previous starts.
“I thought she was the best in here so I wanted to put her
on the front end,” Taggart said. “I remember that’s the way she won this race
the race last year against similar company.”
Although KZ Bezz won five times last season this was
the 8 year old Dream Away mare’s first win in 21 trips to post this year.
KZ Bezz is owned by Tom McGuiness and Susan McGuiness of
Hicksville, NY. Trained by Mike McCauley she paid $4.60 for win.
Other drivers who competed included (in the order in which
they finished ) Billy Parker, Jr., Jimmy Marohn, Jr., Joe Ricco, Jr.,
Jimmy Doherty, Jr. and John De Simone, Jr.
A strange thing about this year’s Junior Free For All
probably went unnoticed by most people. But put this into perspective.
The race was one that was drawn only from the entries that
were in the box for June 17ths races just so eight drivers
who carry a ‘Jr.’ after their surname could compete the event which was meant
to pay tribute to dads and raced one day after the National Father’s Day
Holiday only because the Mighty M is dark on Sundays.
And of all the eight starters in this year’s Junior Free For
All, as luck would have it, only KZ Bezz competed in the race last year.
For the record, the horses and the drivers in the event were
chosen by a lottery drawing.
