A very confident Robert Hechkoff sent Five Towns to the lead when the gate folded and the veteran trotter made every pole a winning one en route to a 1:59.4 victory in the fourth leg of the NAADA Trotting Series at the Mighty M on Thursday afternoon.
Sent off as the favourite from the four-hole Five Towns was joined on the first turn by Ladys Big Stormont (Alan Schwartz) and to Schwartz's dismay Hechkoff played hardball and wouldn't allow his trotter to take command.
“My horse leaves good so I wanted the front-end and I tried to make a hole for Schwartz behind me but that didn't work out so he was left out in the fresh air,” Hechkoff explained.
They raced as a team by the first stanza in :29.1 and Hechkoff kept the pedal to the metal and kept Schwartz on the limb as they trotted by the halfway point in :58.1.
When the leaders headed for the three quarters Ladys Big Stormont was still second but the overland route was taking its toll and the veteran trotter tired. That allowed Joe Pennacchio and Cheeky Little Minx a shot at the leader when they rounded the final turn but Five Towns was too much for his competition and rambled home a 1-1/4 length winner over Pennacchio's charge. Six Bax finished third for Tony Verruso.
“He can leave fast or he can follow. He's just a nice old horse and a real pleasure to drive,” Hechkoff said about Five Towns.
A 10-year-old Andover Hall gelding, Five Towns notched his seventh seasonal victory and raised his yearly earnings to over $51,000. He is owned by Hechkoff's, RBH Ventures, and Spagnola Racing.
Sent off as the favourite in the race, Five Towns paid $5.50
(NAADA)