After a stutter start, the trotting series sponsored by the North American Amateur Drivers Association got underway on Thursday night, April 5 at Yonkers Raceway with two short-field non-wagering trots on the menu that evening
. When both events were declared official, Bob Hechkoff and Mike Weiner each walked away with a trophy.
Heckhoff was an easy winner in his six-horse split with Tremendous Hit, who nearly ran away and hid on his competition covering the mile distance in a time of 2:00.2. Georgie Newell finished second with Winterleebrook some four lengths behind the winner. Bob Krivelin finished third with Ace High Hall.
“It was an easy win for us,” Hechkoff related. “[Joe] Faraldo’s horse broke early, and starting from the rail, I controlled the race. Tremendous Hit is an old veteran and he knows just what to do, and with the easy fractions, I knew we’d be tough to beat.”
Black Watch’s 2:01.3 triumph gave Mike Weiner his first driving victory since 2000, although it should be noted that Weiner hadn’t driven competitively until he had a second place finish with Black Watch last week at Freehold Raceway.
Weiner and Black Watch got the lead very easily and took advantage of the five-horse field posting a :31.1 opening stanza and a pedestrian 1:03 to the halfway point. But a :28.3 third quarter kept the competition at bay and the eight-year-old Credit Winner gelding cruised to a one and a half length victory over Sir Kensington and driver Harvey Stein. Tony Ciufettelli took home the show dough with Alpine Dauntless.
The three-track trotting series was initially set to get underway at Monticello Raceway on April 5, but all races were cancelled due to the Mighty M’s precautionary measures against the strangles outbreak that besieged Saratoga Raceway. However, the next leg of the NAADA Series will be at Monticello Raceway on Thursday, April 12. Following legs with be contested at both Yonkers and Freehold Raceways.