During each of the past few seasons, Monticello Raceway has had races for drivers of different ethnic heritages, and this year was no exception. Known as the Heritage Drivers Series, the event will culminate in a finale with the horses entered being handled by the winning drivers of each ethnic preliminary ethnic leg.
Dubbed the 'All America Cup,' the series final will be raced at Monticello on Thursday, November 11.
The Heritage Drivers Series 2010 began in January and continued with a different ethnic event each month until eight different races were contested.
“When we first presented this series of races, we were going to name the final the 'United Nations Pace,' but we decided to instead include the words 'All America' since America is made up of people of many different heritages,” explained Monticello Raceway Director of Racing Eric Warner.
“For the past few seasons we presented the All America Pace, but this season we will give the winner a beautiful cup-like trophy, so we decided a name change to the All America Cup would be more precise.”
On September 2, after Jimmy Marohn reined the winner of the last ethnic event -- the Godfather Pace for drivers of Italian descent -- the stage was then set for the winners of each of the eight preliminary legs to return and battle in the series final.
Jordan Stratton, who earlier this season won the Munich Mile for drivers of German extraction, will be the defending champ after having won last year’s All America Pace with Bolero Artifice.
Besides Marohn and Stratton, others that earned a berth in the All America Cup include: George Polk, Jr. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pace, for African American drivers); Jennifer Lappe (Lady Godiva Pace, for female drivers); John Gilmour (St. Paddy Pace, for drivers of Irish descent); Alan Charles (Passover Pace, for drivers of Jewish heritage); Ken Devaux (Maple Leaf Pace, for drivers of Canadian descent) and Greg Merton (Mayflower Mile, for drivers of British extraction).
However, if one of the ethnic race winning drivers is unable to participate then the runner-up in their event will get a chance to compete in the series finale.
(Monticello)