Hunch players who wagered on Gimme The Loot capitalized when Bobby Krivelin drove the 10-year-old Credit Winner gelding to 2:01 victory in the NAADA Trot at Monticello Raceway on Thursday afternoon.

And those with winning tickets on Gimme The Loot were saying just that when they went to the mutuel windows for the $35.60 payoff.

Overlooked from post position six and sent off at odds of over 16-1, Krivelin drove Gimme The Loot like he was the odds-on favourite in the race when he sent the veteran trotter to the lead and parked all comers. Among those on the limb was the 3-5 favourite Bluebird Kidsqueen driven by Dave Offenberg. Also getting fresh air on the outside behind Offenberg was second choice, Casanova Lindy and driver Hannah Miller.

It was clear that Krivelin wanted to be on the lead and his trotter responded well rebuffing all challenges. Casanova Lindy started from the seven-hole, never saw the pylons and although he had to go the long mile he still was strong enough to make up three lengths in the stretch to finish just one length behind the winner. Third place went to Typical Newyorker in rein to Alan Schwartz.

“The public made Offenberg’s horse the hot favourite but I knew the one to beat was Hannah Miller because I chased her and Casanova Lindy home and finished second to her last Sunday at Goshen,” Krivelin said in the winner’s circle after his victory. “I was inside of her (Hannah) today and I wanted to be on the lead. As it worked out she had road trouble and couldn’t get a clear shot at me early on. But her horse went a big trip on the outside the entire mile.”

Owned by the Hero Stables of Goshen, NY and trained by Krivelin, Gimme The Loot notched his third seasonal triumph. For Krivelin who was USHWA’s Amateur Driver of The Year last season, it was his seventh seasonal driving victory and 174th of his amateur career.

Later that afternoon at the Afton (NY) Fair (some 75 miles from Monticello) there was a Billings Trot carded and immediately after her second-place finish at Monticello Raceway in the NAADA Trot "Hurricane Hannah" drove for one and half hours to Afton, NY to participate in Billings contest there.

In the short five-horse field at Afton, Miller had the four-hole with Pembroke Snapshot, a trotter with whom she won with at Monticello Raceway earlier this year.

Over the Afton Agricultural Fair’s double-oval Miller and Pembroke Snapshot defeated Drill Sergeant Sam and Tony “the Capo” Verruso in a time of 2:08. Third place went to Mighty Moe and driver “Bullet Bob” Davis.

The winner is owned by the Nick Surick Stable and the JL Benson Stable and trained by Surick. It was the fourth seasonal triumph for Pembroke Snapshot and the 21st driving victory this season for Ms. Miller.

And let it not be said that “Hurricane Hannah” doesn’t dance every dance. Besides competing in the Billings Series she also participates in the NAADA Trotting Series, the Catskill Club’s pacing events, and the GSY Series at the Meadowlands.

(NAADA)