You can't say that the luck of the Irish guided Joe Faraldo to victory in the two $10,000 NAADA trots tonight at Yonkers Raceway because Faraldo's family isn't from the Emerald Isle, but he didn't need luck tonight to win both non-wagering divisions of the longest running amateur driver's series.
"I had two live mounts and each victory resulted from two-hole journeys," Faraldo said. “I won the first trot with Our White Knight in 1:59 and came back in the second to score with Big Bad Swan in 2:00.4."
In the first event “Smokin' Joe" started from the five-hole and found room along the pylons in second position as Bob Krivelin and Zooming showed the way by the quarter in .29.2. He was then content to follow the leader past the half in 1:00.1 and he sat still as Zooming led the field by the three quarters in 1:29.1. Faraldo didn't move his trotter until the field headed for paydirt and in the lane Our White Knight rallied to victory, albeit just by a nose as the final timer flashed 1:59.
"It was close at the wire but my horse was nose better than Krivelin's," Faraldo said.
The winner, a six-year-old Crazed gelding, is owned by L & L Stables and trained by Cad Gregory.
In the second division Faraldo allowed Krivelin to take command with Crews Hilltopper and was content to follow the leader with Big Bad Swan through fractions of :29.4 and with no one coming Krivelin tapped the brakes as he led his competition by the half in 1:01.
Crews Hilltopper and Big Bad Swan raced one-two up the backside and past the three quarters in 1:30.3 and when they headed for home Krivelin couldn't shake Faraldo and the two trotters were early side by side at the finish. But upon examining the photo the judges declared Big Bad Swan a head winner in the 2:00.4 trotted mile. Tony Verruso took home the show dough with Winneress.
Big Bad Swan, a six-year old Swan For All gelding, is owned by Triple D Stables and Betty Clegg and trained by Cad Gregory.
(NAADA)