There has been no hotter driver on the grounds at Monticello Raceway lately than amateur Alan Schwartz, and he kept the ball rolling on Thursday with a come-from-behind 2:03.1 victory
with his own Iroquouindianmagic in the second leg of the North American Amateur Drivers Association’s trotting series.
After starting from the six-hole Schwartz eased his trotter away slowly and found a spot near the back of the pack after Bob Krivelin and Hey Nugget took the lead from Tony Verruso and Swatissimo, who grabbed the racetrack on the first turn.
Schwartz was still content to be in the rears, as Krivelin took the field by the half in 1:01:1. At that point there were three in and three out as they trotted up the backside until Schwartz wheeled Iroquouindianmagic three-deep and he remained there around the final turn. However, when the field straightened for home Schwartz’s charge rambled by the leaders and went on to a two-length triumph in a time of 2:03.4. Krivelin and Hey Nugget held on for second while Dave Yurok got Rompaway Alvin home for the show dough.
“That’s the way my horse races,” sad Schwarz when quizzed about his tactics in the race. “I have to ease him away from the gait slowly but once he gets underway he’s steady as a rock. I was worried when we got stuck three-wide around the last turn but the fractions were slow enough that my horse had lots of trot in the lane.”
Sent off at odds of 4-1 Iroquouindianmagic paid $10.20 for win.
The NAADA Trotting Series continues at Yonkers Raceway on April 19. After that contest three more legs remain – one at Monticello and two at Freehold Raceway - before the series culminates in a $12,000 finale at Yonkers on Thursday May 17.
(Monticello Raceway)