by
john manzi, for NAADA
Yonkers,
NY ---The North American Amateur Drivers Association has been busy of late and
it probably will be for the next four months or so, not only offering weekly
driving contests at Yonkers Raceway and Monticello Raceway but also hosting
their European counterparts in International driving competitions.
With
the current NAADA trotting Series continuing and with a recently completed
international driving competition against the Hungarian amateurs, tonight at
Yonkers Raceway began the first of a two-track international driving
competition, this time with the Spaniards from Palma de Mallorca.
And
what now seems to be the norm, the visiting amateurs competed on the betting
card against NAADA in two races at the Hilltop oval and when the dust had
settled the Spaniards humbled the USA squad winning both events. The first was
captured by Pau Moll with a 44-1 shot Swift As A Shadow in 1:56 and returned a
whopping $90.50; $31,00 and $11.40. Not to be outdone fellow Spaniard, Jaime
Riera, hustled Showmeyourguns ($4.10) home first in 1:57.3.
Two
things of note in the two race competition tonight was that Pau Moll drove a
pacer for the first time since they only race trotters in Europe. And Jaime
Riera gained the drive behind Showmeyourguns because the horse that he was
scheduled to drive was scratched and NAADA's vp Alan Schwartz graciously gave
his mount to visiting Riera.
In
his contest Pau Moll left cautiously from the six-hole and was content to trail
the field to the half and then consistently moved forward and in the final
strides his Swift As Shadow collared Sammy The Bull N, driven by fellow
countryman Francisco Ramis. NAADA's Joe Lee was third with Golden Gesture.
“They told me I had the worst horse in the race but he went good for me
and I was surprised when my horse was stronger than Francisco's at the finish,”
Moll said, then hesitated for a moment and emphatically added,” I like driving
the pacer.”
Swift As A Shadow is owned
by Christopher Temming and trained by Michael Temming.
Up
behind the betting favorite in the second contest event Jaime Riera started
from the pole position with Showmeyourguns and was content to allow NAADA's
Monica Banca to cut swift early fractions :27.4 and :56.3 with Cresurrey
before steadily closing a 10-length gap. By the time the field
passed the third stanza Cresurrey's lead was three lengths and closed to two at
the top of the stretch. In the lane Banca's trotter's strides weakened and with
mild urging Riera got his charge up in time for a neck triumph. Third place
went to Winning Princess in to NAADA's Jennifer Lappe.
“Alan (Schwartz)
gave me a good horse and he went a strong race,” Riera said. “But I wasn't sure
that we won it and when the judges posted my horse's number as the winner I
felt real good.”
Showmeyourguns
is owned and trained by Tom Milici.
On Thursday, May
10, the final two races in the Spain vs USA Friendship Competition will be
contested at Monticello Raceway. They'll be joined on the nine-race card by the
ninth leg of the current NAADA Trotting Series.
