by john manzi for NAADA & CADC
Monticello,
NY--It was Ladies Day in the amateur contests at Monticello Raceway on
Thursday (Oct. 5) when two of three races were won by members of the gentle
sex. Jennifer Lappe won the Catskill Club’s Pace and Monica Banca copped the
second leg of the NAADA trots. Only a victory by Dave Yarock in the first NAADA
Trot saved face for the boys.
Lappe,
who had harnessed 63 winners as a trainer thus far this season enjoyed her
third driving victory of the year when she guided Lightning Strike to a 1:57.2
triumph finishing a head better than Fox Valley Leo, driven by Monica Banca
Lappe
and her pacer started from the pole position and enjoyed two hole journey
behind Fox Valley Leo until overtaking him in the deep stretch.
“It
always helps when you have the rail because you have lots of options,”Lappe
said after her victory.”I sat patiently and it all worked out.”
Bob
Davis took home the show dough in that contest with Sand Benelli.
Lightning
Strike is owned and trained by Bill Mintz. The veteran 9-year-old Cam Terrific
gelding paid $12.20.
Sent
off as the odds-on favorite in their NAADA Trot Banca once again used the
front-end route with Brandos Muscle Man but this time Banca’s charge didn’t
falter in the lane and went on to a solid one length triumph in 2:00 over Tim
Lizzi.
Although
driver Joe Lee and Tim Lizzi stalked the leader throughout the mile they didn’t
have enough in the tank to overtake the leader.
“He’s
a tough old horse “,Banca said with a smile in the paddock after the race was
completed.”He just wants to go and I just kept feeding him his head and when he
was challenged in the stretch he dug in and would let Tim Lizzi pass him.”
Peter
Kleinhans finished third with Toss Cartwright.
Banca
co-owns the winner with the Rock & Roll Stable. With his victory the
9-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding raised his career earnings to over $480,000.
He’s
trained by Rick Dane, Jr. It was Banca's eighth driving victory this year.
Although
both Lappe and Banca had a mount in the first NAADA Trot the girls couldn’t
deny Dave Yarock his day in the sun as both finished out of the money in that
event.
When
the gate sprung Yarock set sails with Mr Ridgetaker and they made every pole a
winning one en route to a 1:59.2 victory. Despite being stalked by Ladys Big
Stormont and driver Alan Schwartz ,Yarock wasn’t going to be denied.
“He’s
really a handful and he’s not the best gaited trotter around, either. I had to
hold him together right from the start and keep from fighting him so he wouldn’t
make a break,”Yarock explained. “He’s a fast horse but not an easy one to
manage.”
Schwartz’s
trotter finished a length behind the winner in second place while Sam’s
Honeybee rallied from far back to garner the show dough.
Yarock
owns Mr Ridgetaker who’s trained by Dawn Devaux. He returned a $13.20 mutuel.
