Austin Siegelman's favourite number recently has been five, and on two occasions already in the young 2019 season the 27-year-old has won five races at Monticello Raceway.
He accomplished the feat for the third time this season thanks to a Thursday five-bagger, and it didn’t matter if he was starting from the rail or the eight-hole - Siegelman found a way to find the winner’s circle.
The win parade started in the first race where he piloted River Run for Ryan to a 1:57.3 win for trainer Arthur Jones. Badlands Palace took the third race from post position 2 for his first pari-mutuel win of the year in 1:59.3 for Trainer Robert Lounsbury and owner Margaret Olmstead.
Siegelman then scored from the eight-hole with Woodmere Rondevous in 1:59.4 and paid $12.60 to win. Reflexionofroyalty would account for the fourth win of the afternoon. The four-year-old mare by American Ideal is trained by Allen Sisco. The last winner of the day was Yankee Devil, who scored a wire-to-wire win in 1:59.2 for trainer E. Bucky Angle, Jr.
With a bit more luck Siegelman could have won seven races. He was just nailed at the wire in the seventh race with the 3-5 favourite Histoire Eternelle in a tight photo. In the eighth race post time favourite Ironbarbassy was scratched lame in the post parade.
In the paddock after the conclusion of racing when asked about his day, the reserved Siegelman said “I have been getting live mounts and I have been putting them in good spots.”
Siegelman is atop the leader board for leading Dash Winners with 65 wins, followed by Michael Merton (61) James DeVaux (47) Bruce Aldrich (46) and Jim Taggart, Jr. rounding out the top five with 30 wins
(Monticello Raceway)