After having to cancel its first seasonal leg last week due to unsafe track conditions this years NAADA Trotting Series finally got underway with two $8,000 legs Monday at Yonkers Raceway and when the judges posted the official signs John Calabrese and Matt Zuccarello each emerged victorious in their respective splits.
Calabrese's victory came behind the veteran Cantab Hall gelding when Calabrese darted Dark Pool to the lead from the pole position and after being overcome by Golden Kronos (Tony Ciuffetelli) Calabrese quickly retook command after the quarter was trotted in :28.4. And once on top Calabrese played catch me if you can and no one in the short five-horse field could as Calabrese kept the pedal to the metal and the field lined-up behind him.
Dark Pool led his competition by the half in :59.1 and they had a length and a half on Golden Kronos as they trotted by the third stanza in 1:29.1. In the lane it was all Dark Pool with Golden Kronos following in second and Noble Warrawee (Mike Polanski) five lengths farther back in third in the non-wagering event.
It is often said that there are horses for courses and that some steeds perform well for certain drivers and that can be said about Stealing and driver Matt Zuccarello who scored hi second consecutive triumph with the five-year-old Yankee Glide gelding.
After a come-from-behind triumph in a dead-heat last week Zuccarello and Stealing were all alone in the win column tonight in the NAADA trot.. And as their previous victory Stealing again came from off the pace to score the 2:01.1 victory.
In tonight's other contest Paul Minore sent If I Must to the lead in :30 as Zuccarello settled in along the pylons in fourth position. Minore showed the way past the half in 1:01.2 as Marianna Monaco moved Hot Summer Knight off the pylons followed closely by Zuccarello and Stealing. If I Must had command by the three quarters just a nose ahead of Hot Summer Knight. But when the field headed for home Zuccarello had Stealing in high gear and they trotted by If I Must and rallied to a two-length triumph over the pacesetter. Joe Faraldo took home the show dough with Presidente Zette.
“I waited patiently to the half and flushed out cover and when I asked him to go down the back side he had plenty of trot and cleared down the lane,” Zuccarello explained. “I love driving him and he makes me look good. He is a nice horse.”
Stealing is owned by Winners Circle Racing, John Campagnuolo and Latz A Luck Stable and trained by John Grasso.
(North American Amateur Drivers Association)