The beat goes on for Northern Chief. The pacer, who races without an overcheck, notched his 13th consecutive victory on Tuesday, November 23 at Monticello Raceway, thus extending his own track record for most wins in a row
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Mike Merton drove the seven-year-old altered son of Apaches Fame to a wire-to-wire 1:57:3 victory over Jus Trouble (driven by Bruce Aldrich, Jr.) Mr Thinker finished third for pilot Brandon Simpson.
After leaving from Post 3, Merton gunned Northern Chief to the front and then cruised by quarters of :29:3; :59:2 and 1:28:2. The pacer kicked-in another 29-second final stanza en route to a 1-1/2 length triumph.
When Northern Chief returned the winners circle Merton had a big smile on his face and shouted, “Ain’t he something? He just digs in and refuses to lose. They don’t make too many like him.”
This season, in the $4,000 claiming ranks, Northern Chief has been only off the board twice in 21 starts. His yearly stats include 14 wins, four seconds and one third.
Northern Chief, trained by Gary Messenger for Robert Merton, Jr. and Al Desimone, was sent off at odds of 1-4 and paid just $2.50 for win.
Monticello Employees Donate To Federation For The Homeless
Each year, prior to Thanksgiving, Monticello employees are presented with a gift of a turkey, or sometimes a gift certificate from a local supermarket, and this season the latter resulted.
In an effort to brighten the Thanksgiving season for the less fortunate in the area, 31 of the facility's employees donated their $10 gift certificates to the Federation for the Homeless.
“I’m not surprised by the generosity of our employees,” said Eileen Cavanaugh, Monticello Casino & Raceway’s Manager of Human Resources. “They have been donating to worthy causes for many years now.”
(Monticello)