Monticello Raceway hosted the Catskill Amateurs on Thursday
afternoon October 12th, the 7-horse field went to post for a purse
of $3,900. Ken Heins aboard Crown Isle left hard from the rail as did Fox
Valley Leo and Monica Banca, going into the first turn Strong Signal and the
heavy favorite KJ Brent (Robert Krivelin) got tangled up in close quarters
forcing KJ Brent off stride. Heins played hard ball and gave Banca a taste of
the chilly Catskill Mountain air as the pair raced side by side past the ¼ in
27.3, they continued in tandem to the half in 57. The eventual race
winner Sand Benelli, at this point was last and gapped 15 lengths from the
leader. Down the backside Crown Isle and Fox Valley Leo continued to slug it
out, at this point the outer flow devolved. Crown Isle still firmly held his
ground as he took the field to the ¾ marker on 1:27, Fox Valley was getting leg
weary on the outside causing congestion forcing Lighting Strike and Sand
Benelli 3 deep at the paddock gate, as the early pace setters began to tire.
The pair skipped away from the rest of the field by 2 lengths at the top the
stretch, Bob Davis and Sand Benelli were able to get up in time to win over
Lighting Strike by ¾ lengths in 1:56, Blue Fin was 3rd. Sand Benelli paid
$33.80. Strong Signal finished third but due to the interference in the
first turn was DQ’d and was set back to last.
Bob Davis owns and trains the well-traveled Sand Benelli, an
11-year-old gelding by Panderosa who garnered his 3rd win of the
year.
