“Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo won the Eastern Region C.K.G. Billings Trot at Plainridge Racecourse on Monday, September 7

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Faraldo, a lawyer by trader, and president of the SBOA of NY as well as president of the North American Amateur Drivers Association and a longtime owner, got of his seasonal schneid after he reined Steve Reid’s and Deborah Hoadley’s Winning Prince to a 2:01:4 triumph over the five-eighths mile oval in Plainville, Massachusetts.

Over The Wire was second for Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff while Perfect Gerry took home the show dough for George “the Brooklyn Cowboy” Casale.

After Over The Wire grabbed the lead as the field headed to the quarter pole Faraldo ducked Winning Prince in behind Hechkoff’s trotter and they shadowed the leader until the three-quarter pole at which point Faraldo moved Winning Prince to the outside. They took command at the top of the lane and Winning Prince went on to a three length triumph.

Faraldo, who recently returned from an International Amateur Driving Championship at the racetrack in Taranto in Puglia, Italy, was joyous after his victory.

“I finished third with him at Rockingham Park [last year] after collaring Scott Woogen’s horse at the top of the stretch. But when Winning Prince saw how far it was to the finish line he said “I guess not’,” Faraldo laughed. “But this time when he grabbed the lead at Plainridge and looked that much shorter [in the] stretch he kept right at his business.”

For “Smokin’ Joe” it marked his 125th career driving victory.

(Monticello Raceway)