It’s not that Monticello Raceway is giving away anything special, but over the years it has always been a track where drivers aspiring for bigger and better things wanted to come to race
. Perhaps it’s the 'Mighty M’s locale, being so close to metropolitan New York racing, or that if they do well they’ll get noticed. And after making a name for themselves at the track, it’s easier to move on to Yonkers Raceway, or more recently, the Meadowlands.
Whatever it is in Maine, it seems to amass a bevy of talented drivers. Many, like Walter Case Jr. and Billy Zeke Parker Jr., headed to the Mighty M where they became nationally acclaimed.
Now, another youngster, Kevin Switzer Jr., plans on trying his luck at Monticello Raceway, and hopefully follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Mainers. And by all indications, Switzer seems to have the credentials to succeed.
On the Mighty M's Monday, March 12 card of racing, Switzer reined a pair of winners. He won the featured pace with LM Elika in 1:57.4 and scored again behind Lucky Angel in 1:58.4. Perhaps, and more importantly for Switzer, is that eight trainers entrusted their mounts to him.
Son of talented horseman and outstanding driver Kevin Switzer Sr., 'Junior' has been racing at the Mighty M this winter, but many times drivers just use the raceway because there aren’t many other places to race when the snow flies. So, it seemed only natural to ask Switzer Jr. if he planned on racing at Monticello this season.
“Yes, I do,” he answered. “I am in the process of renting a house and I plan to race here all season long.”
The comments weren’t favourably received by Susan Higgins, the marketing director at Scarborough Downs where Switzer became a standout driver in recent seasons. When told of Switzer’s plans, she responded via email, “I’m sad to hear that Kevin Jr. won’t be with us this year.”
That will definitely prove to be true should Junior do as well in future months as he has done thus far this season at the Mighty M.
Now with 14 winners, 21 seconds and 14 thirds in 111 starts, Switzer’s currently carrying a UDR of .273. Last year, mostly at Maine racetracks, the 24-year-old Switzer won 310 races and finished the year with an extremely creditable .378 UDR.
(Monticello)