by John Manzi, for NAADA
YONKERS, NY ---Two
divisions of the sixth leg of the NAADA Fall Trotting Series is now in the
books sfter the judges declared each official, Joe Faraldo and Melissa Arbia
walked away with the lions share of their respective $8000 divisions.
Faraldo won his heat with
Tough Get Going in 2:02.1 by the shortest of noses while Arbia copped her split
after rallying Finich Odair a head triumph in a 1:58.3 clocking.
After starting from the three
hole Faraldo ducked to the pylons and was content to allow Joe Pennacchio and
Cheeky Little Miss to cut the fractions. Once on top Pennacchio was unhurried
and got his trotter by the quarter in soft :30.2 and the half in 1:02.1 despite
keeping Glenferrie Dreamer (Paul Minore) on the limb.
Meanwhile Faraldo sat chilly
with Tough Get Going until the top of the lane where he rallied his trotter and
both he and Pennacchio's Cheeky Little Miss charged to the wire.
“We won it but it was by the
shortest of noses. In fact it was so close that I wasn't sure my horse won
until they posted the order of finish on the infield tote board “I'm telling
you it (the victory) couldn't have been by more than an inch,” Faraldo
explained.
Even with his overland trip
Glenferrie Dreamer took home the show dough.
Tough Get Going is owned by
Faraldo and Richie Banca and trained by Banca. For Faraldo who was National
Amateur Driver of the Year in 2000 it marked his sixth victory this season.
The first event was nearly a
carbon copy of Faraldo's victory. In that one Arbia and Finnick Odair benefited
by a two-hole trip as Paul Minore and Wygant Prince kept Bob Hechkoff and Five
Towns parked from the three-eighths as they raced one-two until the three
quarters when Five Towns began to tire.
After traveling along in the
two-hole while using the leaders for cover, when Arbia asked Finnick Odair for
more the veteran trotter responded and got-up in the final strides for a head
triumph over Wygant Prince. Five Towns hung on for third money.
The winner, a 4-year-old
altered son of Cantab Hall, is co- owned by his driver along wuth Joe Bongiorno
and Jennifer Bongiorno. The latter is the horse's trainer.
