The third leg of the North American Amateur Drivers Association's current trotting series on Thursday afternoon at Monticello Raceway went to Dave Yarock and Kickinitwithkohler when they rallied for a stunning come-from-behind victory in 2:01.3 over a rain-soaked course, but victory didn't come easy.
The race began with four horses going for the lead but it was Cinderellas Dress and driver Alan Schwartz who had command on the first turn and led the field by the first quarter in :28.4 with the eventual winner some nine lengths in the rears in sixth position.
The field was in Indian file as they trotted past the quarter pole, around the clubhouse turn and toward the halfway point. As they headed down the homestretch the first time around Paul Minore moved the favourite, The Fighter, off the pylons from fourth position and charged up to challenge the leader.
However, on the clubhouse turn the pacesetter, Cinderellas Dress, went off-stride and the drivers of the trailing horses searched quickly for the best route to get by the breaking horse which certainly changed the complexion of the race.
Uriel and driver Annie Stoebe, who were in the two-hole, cleared with no trouble but for others the route was not as easy as many of the trailers had various degrees of interference caused by the breaking horse. At that point Yarock did a masterful job with Kickinitwithkohler weaving her in and out of the horses in front of them and by the time the leaders passed the three quarters they were a three-deep as they headed around the final turn.
“I was just happy to get through and around the horses in front of me but when I finally saw daylight on the far outside I must have been six or seven lengths behind Annie (Stoebe and Uriel) and I thought that second was the best I could be,” Yarock said.
Actually Kickinitwithkohler trailed Uriel by six lengths and they were in fourth position when they straightened for home.
“My horse just put it in another gear when he headed down the homestretch and we passed everyone, Annie's horse must have tired a bit because we trotted right by him in the deep stretch and we were easy winners,” Yarock added with a smile on his mud-filled face.
Kickinitwithkohler finished a one length winner over Uriel in 2:01:3, a time slowed somewhat with all the confusion after The Fighter went off-stride on the third turn. Third place went to Stitch In Time, driven by Bob Davis.
The winner, a six-year-old Southwind Breeze mare, is owned and trained by George Anthrop. She paid $25.40, $12.40 and $9.20 across the board.
(NAADA)