by john manzi, for NAADA
Yonkers, NY—After
watching the visiting Italian amateur drivers make a good showing in the
Hambletonian Amateur Trots at the Meadowlands on Friday (Aug. 2), the NAADA v.
Italian Amateur Friendship Competition got underway at Yonkers Raceway on
Monday night (Aug. 5) with two races on the betting card. And when the judges
hung the official sign after each contest was completed NAADA's John Calebrese
had won both events.
Calebrese scored an
eye-opening 1:53.2 victory with the Erv Miller-trained Normandy Beach in the
pacing contest and Calebrese came right back to score a 2:00.1 triumph in the
trot behind the Bill Adamczyk pupil, Blue Swan.
Both races comprised the
daily double on the Yonkers Raceway betting card.
In the trotting contest
Calabrese started from the four-hole and coasted along the pylons in fifth
position as NAADA' s Tony Verruso cut swift fractions of :26.2; :56.3 and 1:25
with Our Regal Ideal N. But when the field headed for paydirt Calabrese angled
to the outside and Normandy Beach zipped the lead and coasted home an easy
1-1/2 length winner over Our Regal Ideal N. Italy's Michele Bechis finished
third with Hudsonandbernard.
The winner, a 5-year old
altered son of Somebeachsomewhere, is owned by the Rock and Roll Stable. He
paid $13.00.
In the trotting event
Calebrese had the odds-on favorite Blue Swan from the four-hole and trailed in
fourth position until he moved first-up at the half to challenge the pacesetter
Muzzy's Muscles , driven by Joe Faraldo. With Muzzy 's Muscles on the inside
and Blue Swan on his chin-strap on the outside the two trotters were one-two by
the third stanza. Although Muzzy's Muscle got first call at the top of the lane
he faded as Blue Swan trotted clear and gamely held-off Merry Hanover (Jacopo
Brischetto ) and Tech Titan, with Enrico “Vino” Colombino at the controls.
Blue Swan, owned by William
Chin, paid $3.90 for win.
NAADA has been hosting
Italian amateurs from the Venice area with the final two contests tomorrow at
Monticello Raceway.
