The C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series saw action in
both regions this past weekend with Kelly “Sky” Walker prevailing in the
midwest at Raceway Park on Sunday September 1 and the
following day Bobby “Rapid Rail” Krivelin winning at Plainridge Racecourse in
the east.
Both sportsmen are previous Amateur Drivers of the
Year; Walker in 2011 and Krivelin, 2012 and 2001.
Walker’s victory came at the expense of five others when
he guided Love ignites to a come-from-behind neck victory in a time of
2:00.1 while a patient pocket-trip enabled Krivlein to prevail over seven
others in 1:59.
At Raceway Park, Walker, with Love Ignites, started along
the pylons and played hardball parking both “Lawbook Larry Farley’s
and “Trader Bud” Hatfield’s trotters by the quarter in :29. But
neither Farley, with Rewrite the Rules and “Trader Bud” with Wolf’s
Jan, cleared and they remained two and three wide heading toward the
halfway point which was timed in :58.4.
After everyone settled in along the pylons, when the
field headed up the backside “Marvelous Marv” Raber and
Tabulator rallied from fifth position to the lead at the
third stanza in 1:28.2 with Walker and Love Ignites in hot pursuit.
In the lane, Love ignites was the strong horse and the 4
year old Sand Vic gelding collared Tabulator at the wire for a head victory in
a time of 2:00.1. Dolea Delight and Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford took home
the show dough in that one.
Love Ignites , owned and trained by Walker, paid $4.80
for win.
Walker, off to his best start in his relatively short
amateur driving career, notched win number 11 to go along with 17 seconds
thus far this year. And it was Walker’s 83 winning drive in
just 485 career starts.
On Labor Day at Plainridge Racecourse, Bobby
Krivelin had a picture perfect trip behind pace-setter Famous image and
driver “Mike “ I Ain’t Finished” Eaton and in the lane he came calling.
Eaton hustled Famous Image to the lead from
the three-hole and once on top he kept the pedal to the metal and they
trotted by the quarter in :28 and the half in:57.4.
Krivlein, comfortable in the two-hole with Budlightning ,
was probably licking his chops as he followed the leader and waited
patiently for the long homestretch to appear but once
it did Famous Image didn’t come back to Krivelin as much as he had
hoped.
Still Krivelin was able to strongly urge
Budlightning through the stretch and the two-hole covered trip paid off
as the veteran Sierra Kosmos gelding got up in the final strides
to photo-out Famous Image in a 1:59 clocking.
Budlightning, owned and trained by Diane Hellen, paid
$7.00 for win. For Krivelin, it was seventh winning drive of the season and
the 148th of his amateur career.
