NAADA Splits To Miller, Hechkoff

Published: May 22, 2015 12:02 am EDT

Hannah Miller and Bob Hechkoff each won their respective divisions in two NAADA Trotting events Thursday afternoon at Monticello Raceway.

Miller scored behind Pembroke Snapshot in 2:00.4, while Hechkoff was victorious with Saint Pattys Doll in a 2:01.4 clocking.

In their split, hot-handed Miller gunned Pembroke Snapshot for the lead from the eight-hole but had to settle in the cat-bird seat behind Dave Yarock who got away quicker with Nautilus De Vie. When they passed the first stanza Nautilus De Vie tripped the timer at :28.4 and from there Yarock and Miller raced one-two until they headed for home. In the stretch Pembroke Snapshot proved to be the stronger horse and he trotted on to a one- length triumph over Nautilus De Vie. Peter Gerry finished third with Candid Man.

“When we rounded the final turn I was ready to use the passing lane but my horse drifted out so I let him and when we straightened for home I was confident that we would be the best,” Miller said.

As the trotters navigated through the lane Miller sat calmly as Pembroke Snapshot overtook the leader to scored his third seasonal triumph.

Asked why she sat relatively still in the sulky Miller quickly replied;” He (Pembroke Snapshot) doesn’t like to be hit with the whip and he gives all he has without it.”

Owned by the Nick Surick Stable and the JL Benson Stable, the winner returned a $3.40 win mutuel.

In the other division Hechkoff used the front end route to notch a head victory with Saint Pattys Doll holding off a hard-charging Samswinner, driven by Joseph Lee, for a neck triumph. Confronted by road trouble throughout the mile Hannah Miller finished third with Rev It Now.

In a rare occasion in an amateur race the winner was claimed for $18,000 by the Rob Harmon Stable.

However, Hechkoff remained philosophical after losing his mare.

“I was looking for a trotter to race in the amateur races and bought her at Pompano Park a few weeks ago,” he said. “I hated to lose her so quickly but that’s the game. You know there’s a lot of guys buying horses for the amateur races and we help fill races on the betting cards of the tracks at which we race.”

Hechkoff’s RHB Ventures was the owner of record and Kyle Spagnola was the mare’s trainer. She paid $4.40 for win.

(Monticello Raceway)

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