When Monticello Raceways Director of Racing, Eric Warner opened the entry box on Monday morning with hopes that the track's Au Revoir--the race for 14-year-olds only--would have enough entries for a betting race
he found that five 14-year-old pacers had entered and only four trotters declared in the event for them.
Hoping for at least six entries for a wagering contest Warner was somewhat disappointed since the event hasn’t been able to attract enough horses since it was last presented on December 31, 2005.
But thanks to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board’s permission, Warner was able to combine trotters with the pacers and thus finished with a seven-horse field; five pacers and two trotters.
“Of course besides the allowance from the New York State Racing & Wagering Board we still needed permission from the trotters connections to enter them against the pacers,” Warner explained and then added “the trotters drew for the inside [positions] and the pacers for the outside positions.”
Since the inaugural Au Revoir in 1991 the upcoming race this year will mark only the third time that enough 14-year-olds were still around to comprise a field for wagering purposes.
However, during the 2004 campaign only three pacers entered the Au Revoir and again, with the permission of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, Monticello Raceway presented betting event, which was a match race between two hard-hitting veterans, The Suleiman N and Troy D. That race nearly resulted in a dead-heat but the nod in the photo went to The Suleiman N in a 2:02 clocking.
Slated as the fourth race on New Years Eve day, December 31 the field for the $7,500 Au Revoir lines-up as follows (with declared drivers):
1 - Im Dam Goog (t) - Harvey Stein
2 - Numberonefan (t) - TBA
3 - Satin Time N (p) - TBA
4 - Bonn Star N (p) - Jordan Stratton
5 - Oops Whatapromise (p) - Bruce Aldrich, Jr.
6 - Am I Next (p) - TBA
7 - Uphill Battle (p) - TBA
(Monticello Raceway)