by John Manzi for the American Harness Drivers
Club
Freehold, NJ---, For the second time in
less than a month Tony Verruso and Slated To Win scored a victory in the
American Harness Drivers Club trot at Freehold Raceway Today they were
victorious in 2:00.1.Just three weeks prior Verruso guided the 5-year-old Uncle
Peter gelding to a victory in an earlier leg of the trotting series also at the
New Jersey double-oval.
When the gate sprung in today's contest Verruso
gunned his trotter to the lead from the six-hole and they looped Always A Good
Time (Joe Faraldo) who had started from post four.
“My horse leaves good and I fired him up when the
gate sprung and he trotted to right around Faraldo's horse and we had command
before the quarter,” Verruso said via phone after the race. “Once on the lead
he was on the bit so I let him ramble.”
“After a :29.4 first quarter Always A Good Time
seemed content to be on the limb and Joe (Faraldo) wasn't pushing the pace so
we got by the half in one-minute flat,” Verruso added.
The leaders remained one-two by the three quarters
as the timer flashed 1:30.3. However, when they rounded the final turn and
straightened for home Always A Good Time started to fade and Tony
Beltrami hustled Big Smoove up alongside Slated To Win and the two were joined
by Dark Pool (John Calabrese) and the three battled all the way to the wire.
At the finish Slated To Win was a length better
than his rivals and went on to a 2:00.1 victory. Big Smoove was second best and
Dark Poole was a head farther back for the show dough.
Slated To Win is owned by George Beck and trained
by Symon Spicer. He paid $9.60 for win
