Two years ago Jimmy Marohn, Jr. won the Rising Star Award at Monticello Raceway and in the following years he was well on his way to prominence

as an outstanding catch-driver. But his rise toward the top was stalled earlier this year on January 13 when he sustained a broken collar bone in a freak accident in a morning qualifying race.

Up until three weeks ago he was still recuperating and then he was off to rehab for a week.

“It seemed like forever until the doctors OK’d me to start back again,” Marohn said. “After the week of rehabilitation I went every day to the Meadowlands to jog and train for John McDermott. I‘m back now ready for action and hopefully to pick up where I left off.”

Jimmy was also quick to shout out a big thank you to Vapco - an equine products company - whom he said made his road to recovery faster.

“You probably won’t believe this,” he continued, “but they (Vapco) sent me a big package of their products, one of which was a bone supplement, and I took daily. It was mineralized bone and I really believe that it was responsible for my quick recovery.”

Marohn, 28, the son of longtime top catch-driver Jimmy Marohn (Sr.) passed the 1,000th win plateau last year and his 177 winners here ranked him sixth on the year’s end leaderboard. And last summer young Jimmy copped the driving title at Tioga Downs and finished the year with 257 driving victories.

“All along I planned to return on March 17 to defend my title in the tracks St. Paddy Pace but I’m happy to be ready a week or so sooner,” he said.

One of the drivers Marohn will face in the Mighty M’s St. Paddy Pace, the race for drivers of Irish extraction, will be none other than John McDermott.

Asked how it will feel when he lines up again McDermott in the St Paddy Pace Marohn said; “I won’t feel the least bit bad if I beat him. And I’ll be racing against my dad, too - and if I beat him that won’t bother me either. You know, to be the winner you have to beat everybody in a race.”

Prior to the accident in January Marohn was off to a good start after winning seven races on the first four cards. On Tuesday afternoon, March 9 he returned to action and had two thirds in three starts to show for his efforts.

“Not driving for a long time I lost many of my catch-drives but I’m hopeful in time I’ll again be back where I was before and I’m sure it’ll all work out OK,” he said philosophically.

(Monticello Raceway)