After the calmest of early winter seasons in the southern Catskill Mountains, a heavy Boxing Day snowstorm which carried over to the following day played havoc on the racing program at Monticello Raceway on Thursday, December 27.
Featured on the Thursday program was the Au Revoir, the race for 14-year-old competitors, which saw Whitlock N hold off a late-charging Tattlers Jet (driven by Jimmy Marohn Jr.) to emerge victorious in the final race of his career. Actually, because of the rules and regulations of the United States Trotting Association, it was the final race for all the entrants.
The New Zealand-bred Whitlock N, driven by Kevin Switzer Jr., scored a one and a quarter-length triumph over Tattlers Jet in a time of 2:01.4 over the 'muddy' racetrack. The track had been earlier cleared of the 12 inches of wet snow that had fallen overnight. Third place went to Alba Gold (Zeke Parker).
Because of the inclement weather and the bad travelling conditions, the seven-horse field was reduced to four by post time because three others couldn’t make it to the raceway. Two of the three late scratches were trotters (Speedy Big Ras, Crowbar Hotel) who had to come in from central New York where the snowfall was even greater. The third scratch due to inclement weather was pacer Adams Rocket A.
When the Au Revoir began, Switzer gunned Whitlock N to the lead and was challenged on the outside by Tattlers Jet. They raced side by side toward the quarter pole until Marohn knew that Switzer wasn’t going to let him go. Marohn then backed Tattlers Jet to the end of the four-horse field. Whitlock N then showed the way by the quarter in :28.2.
“I didn’t want to let Tattlers Jet go," Switzer said. "If he got to the front I couldn’t beat him, so I wanted the lead so he had to beat me. When he (Whitlock N) gets the lead he knows what to do and he’s always been tough on the front end.”
With Whitlock N in command and Alba Gold in the two-hole, the field passed the halfway point in :59.
Coming off the third turn, Whitlock N seemed to slow down a bit and Parker moved Albagold out to challenge. The two horses then raced head to head up the backside until Whitlock N pulled away.
“He (Whitlock N) didn’t slow down on the turn; he drifted in and my left wheel was caught in the heavy snow alongside the pylons. That’s what slowed us down,” Switzer said with a smile lighting up his face. “When we came out of the snow he (Whitlock N) vaulted again to the lead.”
Whitlock N put away Alba Gold as they headed into the final turn. Switzer then braced for Tattlers Jet, who moved three-deep as the field straightened for home. Although Tattlers Jet was in high gear on the far outside, his rally fell short.
Prior to the race, Switzer was confident in Whitlock N, after having driven the veteran pacer to a 2:00.1 victory last Saturday (December 22) at Scarborough Downs. Whitlock N's victory in the Au Revoir was 69th of his career.
Owned by Ken Sumner of Mechanic Falls, Me and trained by Robert Marston, Whitlock N returned $5.70 for a successful Win wager.
Inaugurated in 1991, the Au Revoir has developed into a race for both pacers and trotters which, when presented, is the final race of each of the entrants’ careers.
“This was the only the sixth Au Revoir we’ve filled, and one of them was a 14-year-old two-horse match race,” noted Eric Warner, the track's director of racing. “It’s very unique race and very hard to fill because there are so few (horses) still around at the end of the season of their 14th year."
(Monticello)