In his last start Ladys Big Stormont raced with a blown tire and finished back but today at Monticello Raceway the seven-year-old Earl Of Stormont gelding went an overland route after the half and rallied to a 1-1/4 length triumph in the fifth leg of the NAADA Trotting Series for owner, trainer, driver Alan Schwartz.
The veteran trotter covered the mile course in a swift 1:58.3 to notch his second seasonal triumph and 27th of his career.
Soul Train finished second for Joe Lee while Bob Hechkoff garnered the show dough with Steal N Gas.
“He was giant today,” was how Schwartz described the race that Ladys Big Stormont turned in this afternoon. “He's been good before but today his race was his best in quite a while.”
When the gate sprung Hechkoff charged to the lead from post four with Steal N Gas and they lead the field by the first stanza in :29.1. Meanwhile Schwartz angled his trotter to the pylons on the first turn and was in fifth position when they passed the quarter pole in :29.1, some six lengths behind Steal N Go's lead.
Schwartz was content to follow the leaders around the paddock turn and once into the stretch he moved Ladys Big Stormont to the outside and they began to move up in the :59.3 trotted first half.
As the field passed the third stanza in 1:29 the leaders were heads apart with Joe Lee, boxed in third position along the pylons, desperately looking for daylight with Soul Train.
In the lane Ladys Big Stormont trotted to the lead and then held off a rallying Soul Train for a season's best 1:58.3 clocking.
“I was really surprised that he still was full of trot as we approached the finish line, “Schwartz said referring to Ladys Big Stormont's victory. “We were out(side) a long way and he usually doesn't make up ground at the end of a mile. But as I said earlier 'he was giant today!'”
Sent off at odds of over 5-1 the winner paid $12.40.
The NAADA Trotting Series will return to Yonkers Raceway for its sixth leg next Thursday, April 19.
(NAADA)