Two weeks ago, Keystone Rideau defeated Southbound Trucker in Monticello Raceway's weekly pacing feature. Last week it was Southbound Trucker who got the final call in the best race of the week. However, on Tuesday, December 15, Keystone Rideau derailed Southbound Trucker once again over the wet racetrack in a 1:56:3 clocking in the weekly winners over pace.
In all of the aforementioned outings, when Southbound Trucker won Keystone Rideau was second, and when Keystone Rideau won Southbound Trucker finished second.
Uniquely, both pacers are generally at their best when they come from behind, and that again was the case on December 15. Driver Greg Merton moved Southbound Trucker first-up at the half and Mike Micallef put Keystone Rideau on Merton’s back. Together, both pacers moved on the outside toward the leaders.
They were alongside the pacesetting True Desire (driven by Jimmy Marohn, Jr.) on the final turn, as Southbound Trucker was two-wide and Keystone Rideau three-deep.
When the field straightened for home, Keystone Rideau had the most pace and he scampered off to a two-length triumph over the 'Mighty M’s Horse of the Year. True Desire held on for the show dough.
Mark Ford trains Keystone Rideau who is owned by James Snyder of Wooster, Ohio. He paid $5.40 for win.
Stratton Continues To Roll
Jordan Stratton won five races on the card. The Rising Star of the Year Award winner scored his first victory with Moen Stables’ Blue Collar Raider in 1:58 in the second race and then came back to win the fourth with Josh Wharton’s Yankee Vigilante in a time of 2:00.
In the seventh race, Stratton reined Heather Aruda’s Casablanca Hall to a 2:00:2 triumph, which was the pacer's fifth victory in his last six starts. He then won the ninth race with Andrea Hill’s Jovial Jester N in 1:58, and capped his afternoon with a 1:59 triumph in race 11 with Semalu Express, owned by Ed Quick, Andrea Kaplan, William Crowley and Brittany Sciulla.
With his five victories, the 22-year old reinsman now has 479 for the year, which ranks him seventh in North America in races won and his $6,282.940 in purses is currently 16th best on the continent.
(Monticello)