The curtain fell on the 2019 racing season at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 31). Between the races, awards for leading trainer and driver were handed out.
Trainer Gary Messenger won honours for leading dash winning trainers and Jim Taggart Jr. took top honours for leading dash winning drivers.
The relationship of Gary Messenger and Jim Taggart Jr. has been very prolific since Taggart became the main driver for the Messenger stable 10 years ago. The duo was responsible for the 2018 Monticello Raceway horse of the year Warrawee Preferred and many other top performers over the years. Both horsemen have been mainstays at Monticello for decades: Messenger is a native of Monticello, N.Y., and the 49-year-old Taggart hails from nearby Honesdale, Pa.
Monticello director of racing Shawn Wiles (centre), flanked by 2019 training champion Gary Messenger (left) and driving champion Jim Taggart Jr.
Messenger harnessed 488 starters over the course of the 2019 season at Monticello Raceway, with 113 winners, a UDRS of .383, and a 23 percent winning percentage. His starters earned $440,571, yielding earnings per start of $903. Among trainers with over 500 starts, Messenger ranked 12th in the nation with 153 wins and stable earnings of $797,354.
James Doherty Jr. finished second in the Monticello standings with 95 wins, trailed by former leading trainer Robert Lounsbury with 85 wins.
Taggart took top honours for leading dash winning drivers with 254 wins. Michael Merton was second with 211, and former multiple dash winning Monticello champion Bruce Aldrich was third with 208. Last season, Taggart finished fifth with 168 wins. Taggart’s mounts earned $893,141 for the year.
Also on the card were four horses making their final lifetime start: the 14-year-olds Crypto Man, My Cool Breeze, Briar Creeks Angel and Elias Joy.
The 11-race card produced the second highest handle of the year: $810,575.
Live racing will resume on Thursday (Jan. 2) with post time at 12:20 p.m., Monticello will also offer live racing on Friday (Jan. 3).
(Monticello Raceway)