Au Revoir Pace Set For New Year's Eve

In what will be the final race of their illustrious careers five 14-year-old pacers will battle in Monticello Raceway’s Au Revoir on Friday afternoon, December 31. It will only mark the fifth time the event has filled

since its inaugural edition back on December 31, 1991.

“After our first Au Revoir a span of 13 years passed before we could fill another race,” noted Eric Warner the Mighty M’s Director of Racing. “If I had to guess why we have been able to fill four since 2004 I’d have to give a lot of credit to the computer generation and especially to the United States Trotting Association. Now each December we can get a list from USTA of all the 14-year-olds who still are racing and with that we reach out to their connections."

Of the five pacers that entered the Au Revoir this year, three are locals with one coming in from Scarborough, Maine and the other from Limestone, New Brunswick. But unlike most of the other Au Revoirs, with the short five horse field, all entrants will get a part of the $7,500 purse so no one will be working for nothing that day.

With post positions recently drawn the five veterans who will be battling in Friday's race are: 1. Mr Touring (Brandon Simpson); 2. Jaccamo A (Chuck Poynton); 3. Prince Rama A (Mike De Runtz); 4. Sinbad (Jimmy Marohn, Jr.) and 5. Jaccka Seelster N (Robert Dining).

Collectively, the five pacers have 296 wins and earned purses of over $1.8 million.

Mr Touring, has a record of 1:52.1 with 61 wins and purses of $446,537. He’s owned and trained by Ricky Maher, Jr. of Port Jervis, New York. Jaccamo A, owned and trained by Mike McCauley of Kauneong Lake, New York, has a lifetime record of 1:53.3 with 57 career victories and purse earnings of $244,972. Prince Rama A brings with him a lifetime mark of 1:51 with purses of $316,151 and 64 victories. He’s owned by Mike De Runtz of Scarborough, Maine and trained by Dick Robertson, Jr. Sinbad, owned and trained by Ned Urbanski of Sayerville, New Jersey, has a record of 1:50.4 with 66 career victories and earnings of $558,481. And Jaccka Seelster N, owned by Tammy Sowers of Limestone, New Brunswick and trained by Bo Sowers, owns a career mark of 1:51.3 with 48 wins and $291,053 in money earnings.

The five horse field is not the shortest field of the five Au Revoirs already presented. Back in 2004, Monticello Raceway had a two-horse match race between The Sulieman N and Troy D, which darn near ended in a dead-heat with The Suleiman N and Zeke Parker prevailing by a nose over Todd Frocione and Troy D in 2:02.4.

The inaugural Au Revoir was won by a pacer from Maine by the name of Searights, who was driven to a 2:04 victory by Kyle DiBenedetto. Try Kacy N and driver Jimmy Taggart won the 2005 event in a time of 2:03.4 over a wet racetrack. And last year’s race went to Satin Time N and driver Greg Merton in 1:59.3.

The 2010 Au Revoir is slated as Race 5 on the 12-race card on New Year’s Eve Day. First post is at 12:25 p.m.

Also of note is a wagering format change for the upcoming 2011 season.

In 2011, The Mighty M will be changing the minimum wager for the Pick 3 to 50-cents. At present it is a $2 straight bet with $1 part wheels and boxes.

"The reduction in the minimum wager will hopefully boost the betting pools for the 11 Rolling Pick 3’s that we offer on our 13-race cards,” noted Maureen Flynn, Director of Pari-Mutuels and Simulcasting.

(With files from Monticello Raceway)