A 53-year-old truck driver and a 19-year-old from a harness racing family each scored their first lifetime driving wins last week
at Northfield Park
Andrew Coblentz won his first pari-mutuel race on Monday (Oct. 3) in Northfield Park’s second race aboard the trotting mare Pretty Tech. The Coblentz/Pretty Tech team left from post six, got on top around the quarter pole and never looked back, holding on to a half-length victory in a lifetime best of 2:06.1 over a sloppy track.
“I knew she could trot a little bit. We got to the lead and she just kept on going,” commented Coblentz. “Things will get a lot tougher now, going into non-winners of two. I think you’ll see a different driver on her next time.” When not driving horses, 53 year- old Coblentz can be found driving a truck as owner/operator of Coblentz Trucking in his hometown of Wooster, Ohio.
Eric Tharps, Jr. scored his first driving victory on Friday (Oct. 7) as he executed his plan of go to the top and stay there. Starting from post two and driving the eleven year-old pacing mare, Silky Sailor, Tharps quickly moved to the front. Tharps kept to his plan by parking Ryan Stahl, who was aboard the favorite, Hillcrest Crystal, through opening fractions of :29 and :58.2.
“I pretty much knew I had it when he hadn’t cleared me going to the half,” explained a jubilant Tharps. Approaching the three quarters pole, Tharps asked his horse for more, and she took off. Leading by twelve lengths at the three-quarters pole, Silky Sailor continued to draw off, winning by fifteen lengths in a clocking of 1:57.1. This was Silky Sailor’s 61st lifetime win and her first in 2011. “I got the drive because I’m pretty good friends with her trainer (Eric Thomas),” explained Tharps. “I’d like to do this more, you know, pick-up more drives and make a career out of this.”
(with files from Northfield)