Winning races is nothing new for Dein “the Jupiter Gem” Spriggs. In his amateur career, the two-time USHWA Amateur Driver of the Year has won over 400 times. Last night (Saturday, August 29), the real estate mogul from South Florida added two more to his career total after having won both Billings races at Charlottetown Driving Park on Prince Edward Island.
But living up to its claim as an international amateur driving competition, the C.K.G. Billings Series also offered a trot last night in the U.S.A. at Tioga Downs in New York’s southern tier, where Dave “Steady As” Yarock emerged victorious.
Eight top class amateur drivers winged their way to P.E.I. for the always enjoyable races there, which also includes a great comradery with the local officials and local horsemen. Besides Spriggs, the U.S.A. participants also included Billing Series point-leader “Hurricane Hannah” Miller and last year’s Billings Series Gold Cup winner “Mighty Matt” Zuccarello.
In the first Billings split, pace, Hannah Miller sent All Out to the lead from the five-hole and they were challenged nearly every step of the mile. After Zuccarello had Caughtfoolinaround a head in front on the outside at the halfway point, they tired, and although All Out got a short breather up the backside when he turned for home, he was all out, and Dein Spriggs and Windmere Express, shadowing Miller’s pacer throughout the mile, rallied in the final strides to notch a neck victory in a 1:59.4 clocking. Eyes Of Glory finished third for “Bullet Bob” Davis.
Owned by Windmere Farms, the winner returned a $16.80 mutuel.
In the second Billings event, also a pace, Spriggs never had a bit of trouble after he sent the odds-on favourite, Red Magician, to the lead from two-hole and they rebuffed all others en route to a 1:59.1 triumph. However, in the deep stretch, the winner had to reach down for more to hold off a fast-closing Whitesand Artist and driver Bob Davis at the finish. Draven Seelster garnered the show dough for Dave “the Litigator” Glasser.
Owned by Dan and Ronnie Rennie, Red Magician paid $3.70 for win.
Meanwhile, back in the States, Yarock added insult to injury in his Billings event at Tioga Downs when his trotter, Mr Ridgetaker, made a break at the start and then went on to score an eight-length victory in the 1:58 mile.
Mr Ridgetaker overtook the pacesetter, Gimme The Loot (Bobby “Rapid Rail” Krivelin), at the halfway point and then trotted away from his competition for an easy victory. Sams Honeybee, with Billings Series president Tony “the Capo” Verruso at the lines, rallied from far back to finished second in a tight photo over third-place finisher Gimme The Loot.
The race winner, owned by his driver, returned a $7.30 mutuel payoff. For Yarock it marked his 54 amateur driving victory in a career, which began in 2007.
Next up for the Billings drivers will be a contest at Scioto Downs on Friday, Sept. 4, followed by a return trip to Canada in mid-September at tracks in Ontario.
(With files from C.K.G. Billings Series)