by John Manzi for NAADA
YONKERS, NY-- The 2020 NAADA
racing season commenced tonight at Yonkers Raceway with two non-wagering
divisions presented prior to the betting card getting underway and when the
judges hung the official signs, Tony Verruso and Pearly Allen each emerged
victorious in their respective $8000 splits.
Verruso won with The Cuse Is
Loose in 1:59.2 while Allen scored behind veteran Wygant Prince in 2:00.1. Both
trotters scored from off the early pace and rallied late for decisive
victories.
Verruso and The Cuse Is
Loose started slowly while Joe Faraldo and Muzzy's Muscles cut the early
fractions and led the 6-horse field by the first stanza in :29.1 and by the
halfway point in 1:00.
Trailing in fourth place Veruso moved his charge off the
pylons and was out and challenging as the field headed to the half. Third at
that point Verruso then hustled The Cuse Is Lose and they took command as the
field rounded the final turn and headed for paydirt.
Aping Verruso's moves, John
Calabrese kept Wild Smile on the leader's back but The Cuse Is Loose proved to
much for his challenger and the 6-year-old Deweycheatumnhowe gelding went on to
a solid one-length victory. Wild Smile held on for second money while Pop I
garnered the show dough for Brett Beckwith.
The winner is owned by his
driver and trained by Ethan Sisco.
In the other division Wygant
Prince started from post four and after the start Pearly Allen settled him in
second along the pylons and was content to sit still while Melissa Arbia showed
the way with Finnick Odair. But when the field rounded the final turn Allen
moved the veteran trotter out to challenge and Wygant Prince rallied to a 2-1/4
length triumph in 2:00.1. Finnick Odair was second best while Southwind Dorian
chugged home in third place.
Paul Minore owns Wygant
Prince while Taylor Gower does the training.
Next Thursday the NAADA
10-race series moves on to Monticello Raceway.
