The second and final day of the CKG Billings Amateur Drivers Series Canadian road trip took place on Monday, October 3 at Mohawk Racetrack.
The Billings action saw Howard ‘Howie The Horse’ Gelfand bring accolades back to Canada, as he won the Billings Trot with Cracker Zack in 1:58.3. Gelfand was one of four Canadian sportsmen that participated in the Mohawk dash.
Gelfand had drawn the favourite in Monday’s race and drove him as such.
When the wings of the starting gate folded, Gelfand ducked Cracker Zack down along the pylons in fourth position. As the 10-horse field approached the halfway point, Gelfand moved his trotter out to challenge the leaders, and, at that point, they got first call.
Once on top, Cracker Zack trotted away from the others. Cracker Jack had an eight-length lead at the three-quarters call. From there, Cracker Zack played ‘catch me if you can.’ Nobody could upend the seven-year-old Angus Hall gelding, as he trotted home an easy five-length victor.
Second place went to Most Wanted Lindy, driven by ‘Mighty Matt’ Zuccarello, while Sherwin ‘Smiley’ Edwards garnered the show dough with Little Stuie.
Cracker Zack, who is owned by his trainer, Richard Moreau, for co-owners Don Beanland and Fred Handelaar, paid $5.00 for win.
Gelfand, a sales agent from Mississauga, Ont. and longtime participant in the Billings Series, notched his first seasonal triumph. Although Gelfand has been driving sparingly in recent years, it was still his 36th driving victory in a career which began in the late 1980s.
The next Billings action will take place back in the United States on Sunday, October 9 at Saratoga Raceway.
(Billing Series)