by John Manzi for the
Billings Series
Plains, Pa---In a
thrilling stretch duel Dave “the Rave” Offenberg got his venerable trotter,
Fiji, up in the final strides to collar Winwood Scout and driver “Buffalo Bob”
Davis to reel in the lions share of the $12,000 purse offered in the Billings
East Regional Final on Saturday night (Nov. 17) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun
Pocono.
In a field reduced to six
starters, Offenberg and Fiji departed from the pole position and watched as
“Buffalo Bob” Davis and Winwood Scout get in a speed duel with On The Podium
(“Yankee Joe” Lee) as the two leaders trotted by the first panel in :27.4. They
were still side-by-side as they headed for the halfway point with Lee looking
for room along the pylons but with Uriel and “Annie Get Your Gun” Stoebe tight
on his back second over, no room was to be had as the trotters along the pylons
kept all the holes closed.
When the field went by the
half mile pole Winwood Scout was on the lead with Fiji tucked in nicely in the
two hole and On The Podium and Uriel parked on the limb.
Winwood Scout was in command
as he passed the third stanza in 1:27.2 with On The Podium still second on the
outside. But when the field headed for home, Offenberg,,who was in the catbird
seat, rallied Fiji as On The Podium began to fade.
In the deep stretch it was
Winwood Scout and Fiji... and Fiji and Winwood Scout.., as the two trotters
battled all the way to the wire and after the judges posted the tight win-photo
the victory went to Fiji and Offeberg in a time of 1:57.1. Tony “the Capo”
Verruso, up behind Peoplesayimnogood, trailed the leaders throughout and
rambled home for the show dough.
Fiji is owned by Offenberg's
Allister Stables LLC and trained by Eric Abbatiello. It was the sixth victory
for Fiji this year which raised his seasonal bankroll to nearly $50,000. For
Offenberg he notched his fourth seasonal triumph and 55th of his
amateur career.
Offenberg now joins
“Marvelous Marvin” Raber who won the Midwest Region Final last week with Mikey
Hanover at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway and both drivers have earned the
privilege to draw inside post positions in the $25,000 Delvin Miller Memorial
Gold Cup Final at Yonkers Raceway on November 25.
