by john manzi for NAADA
In his last start Ladys Big
Stormont raced with a blown tire and finished back but today (April 12) at
Monticello Raceway the 7-year-old Earl Of Stormont gelding went an overland
route after the half and rallied to a 1-1/4 length triumph in the fifth leg of
the NAADA Trotting Series for owner, trainer, driver Alan Schwartz. The veteran
trotter covered the mile course in a swift 1:58.3 to notch his second seasonal
triumph and 27th of his career.
Soul Train finished second
for Joe Lee while Bob Hechkoff garnered the show dough with Steal N Gas.
“He was giant today,” was
how Schwartz described the race that Ladys Big Stormont turned in this
afternoon. “He's been good before but today his race was his best in quite a
while.”
When the gate sprung
Hechkoff charged to the lead from post four with Steal N Gas and they lead the
field by the first stanza in :29.1. Meanwhile Schwartz angled his trotter to
the pylons on the first turn and was in fifth position when they passed the
quarter pole in :29.1, some six lengths behind Steal N Go's lead.
Schwartz was content to
follow the leaders around the paddock turn and once into the stretch he moved
Ladys Big Stormont to the outside and they began to move up in the:59.3 trotted
first half.
As the field passed the
third stanza in 1:29 the leaders were heads apart with Joe Lee, boxed in third
position along the pylons, desperately looking for daylight with Soul Train.
In the lane Ladys Big
Stormont trotted to the lead and then held off a rallying Soul Train for a
seasonal's best 1:58.3 clocking.
“I was really surprised that
he still was full of trot as we approached the finish line, “Schwartz said
referring to Ladys Big Stormont's victory. “We were out(side) a long way and he
usually doesn't make up ground at the end of a mile. But as I said earlier 'he
was giant today!'”
Sent off at odds of over 5-1
the winner paid $12.40.
The NAADA Trotting Series
will return to Yonkers Raceway for its sixth leg next Thursday, April 19.
