It’s not like it was totally unexpected, but Monticello Raceway’s Au Revoir, the race exclusively for 14-year-olds who will be forced into retirement on January 1, 2012, failed to attract enough entries this year
.
“It’s not unusual...we ran a stretch of 14 years after we had the inaugural [edition] in 1991 before we filled the Au Revoir again,” noted Eric Warner, the track's director of racing. “And it wasn’t because of a lack of trying, it's just that this year there aren’t many 14-year-olds still currently racing.
“We’ve received emails and phone calls saying why don’t we include 12 and 13-year-olds too. And though that is not a bad idea, one can appreciate the specialty of getting together seven or eight 14-year-olds for one final race. That it doesn’t happen every year makes the event even more special.”
Last year it was a like spring in the Southern Catskills of New York on New Year’s Eve and the then 14-year-old Sinbad raced more like a three-year-old when the altered son of Falcon Seelster sailed to an incredible 1:58.4 triumph for Jimmy Marohn Jr. And at the end of the 2009 season, another Au Revoir saw Satin Time win in 1:59.3 for driver Greg Merton.
The first time Monticello Raceway attracted enough entries to present the Au Revoir after it’s inaugural event was at the end of the 2005 season. That year Try Kacy N was victorious in 2:03.4 over a muddy race track for driver Jimmy Taggart Jr.
During the 2004 campaign, although the Mighty M didn’t draw a full field of 14-year-old pacers, it did offer a match race on the betting card between two grand old campaigner’s, $372,000 winner Troy D and $412,000 winner The Suleiman N, in which the latter, driven by Billy Parker Jr., turned back the former, driven by Todd Frocione, by a nose in a 2:02.4 clocking.
A race for exclusively for 14-year-olds near the end of the year is unique in that not only is it hard to find enough 14-year-old standardbreds still competing in late December, but on January 1 of the New Year all harness horses turn one year older and when a horse is 15 years of age it can no longer compete in betting races.
“Though we are a little discouraged in not being able to fill the Au Revoir this year we’ll definitely try again next season,” Warner promised.
(With files from Monticello Raceway)