Amateur racing continues to help fill overnight race cards at many tracks; case in point...the two divisions of the C.K.G. Billings Series, the granddaddy of all amateur organizations, raced on Saturday, May 7 at Freehold Raceway and the outcome of both events were interesting.
In her split, “Hurricane Hannah” Miller, fresh off an international driving competition against the top amateurs in Naples, Italy, returned to the familiar turf of the Freehold winner's circle when she guided Jacks To Open to a stunning 18-length triumph in a 1:59.4 clocking. But what may have been more pleasing to those who enjoy wagering on amateur races was the payoff produced by Tony “the Capo” Verruso when he reined Sams Honeybee to a 2:01.4 victory in the second Billings division, which produced an eye-popping $96.40 win mutuel.
Now some may say that “Hurricane Hannah’s” win may was a Mother’s Day gift, but that line of reasoning is preposterous. The talented miss finished an overall third in the recent Naples, Italy Friendship Challenge and last season earned the National Amateur Driver of the Year Award. And this year, again, she is a stalwart on the amateur circuit.
“Jacks To Open was very good today and was well in hand the whole time and I was very happy with him,” Miller said of her driving victory at Freehold Raceway via email.
But how could she not be happy with her trotter's victory?
Once the gated sprung, Miller sent Jacks To Open to the lead from the three-hole and they were a length and a half in front of the field as they passed the quarter in :29. A three-length lead at the halfway point was opened to eight at the third stanza and Jacks To Open finished 18 -- yes 18 -- lengths ahead of runner-up Trading Places, driven by “Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo. Third place went to Kings Cavalier with Dave “the Rave” Offenberg at the lines.
Co-owned by his driver and the Nick Surick Stable and trained by Surick, Jacks To Open paid $2.60 for win.
The other split turned out to be a horse race with five horses all having a legitimate shot at victory as the field headed for home. But it was 47-1 shot Sams Honeybee rallying late to score a neck triumph over Nautilus De Vie and driver Dave “Steady As” Yarock. For You Almostfree garnered the show dough for driver “Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo.
“There were three good horses inside of me and she [Sams Honeybee] is not the swiftest leaver, but we were able to get away from the gate and secure a three- hole trip. I thought about pulling third-over at the half, but they picked up the pace at that moment, so I ducked back down to the rail and was lucky to split horses through the lane to get up by a neck,” Billings president Tony Verruso related.
Sams Honeybee’s win payoff of $96.40 was among the biggest ever in the 24-year Billings Series.
The winner is owned by Verruso and trained by Carl Gillespie.
Next up in Billings action will be a nine-horse field in midwest region action at Northfield Park on Wednesday, May 11.
(C.K.G. Billings Series)