“I know we’ve been taking our chances by continuing with her
(Tracys song) in the $7500 claiming ranks here at Monticello but recently a
storm seems to be brewing about claiming her,” Lounsbury said.
“Since we don’t want to race against the boys and Monticello
doesn’t offer claiming races for mares higher than $7500, we decided to take
her out of town and try our luck at Tioga (Downs).“
Although they found out that Tioga Downs doesn’t have
claiming races for mares higher than $7500 either , the racing office
there uses the classified system and they write races for mares
only which was the Lounsbury and Fugere’s deciding factor.
“’Tracy’ was classified C2 and has drawn post position four
in the fourth race which is strictly for fillies and mares,” Lounsbury related
. “ The morning line rates her at 5-1 and since we’ve never raced her on
a five-eighths(mile track) it’ll be hard to truly assess our chances. But one
thing is for sure, win or lose, we’ll still have her in the barn after
the race.”
Tracys Song, as most know, leads North America in races won
this year with 18, and incredibly they are all consecutive victories. She
erased the Monticello Raceway mark for most win in a row when she scored her 16th
victory on May 20.
When Greg Merton drives her race on Saturday it will be only
the second time that Bruce Aldrich Jr. won’t handle the driving chores.
When Tracys Song won the 12th race on June 3 for
her 18th consecutive triumph Pat Beeler was at the controls because
Aldrich was hurt a terrible accident earlier on the card. (Aldrich wasn’t
seriously hurt and was back driving two days later).
“Though Greg (Merton) has never driven her before, he’s a
good driver and he know the track there at Tioga so we’ll hope for the best on
Saturday,” Lounsbury added.
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