The North American Amateur Drivers Association has been busy of late and it probably will be for the next four months or so, not only offering weekly driving contests at Yonkers Raceway and Monticello Raceway, but also hosting their European counterparts in international driving competitions.
With the current NAADA trotting series continuing and with a recently completed international driving competition against the Hungarian amateurs, Tuesday (May 8) at Yonkers Raceway began the first of a two-track international driving competition, this time with the Spaniards from Palma de Mallorca.
And with what now seems to be the norm, the visiting amateurs competed on the betting card against NAADA in two races at the hilltop oval, and when the dust had settled the Spaniards humbled the USA squad winning both events. The first was captured by Pau Moll with a 44-1 shot Swift As A Shadow in 1:56 and returned a whopping $90.50; $31,00 and $11.40. Not to be outdone, fellow Spaniard Jaime Riera hustled Showmeyourguns ($4.10) home first in 1:57.3.
Two things of note in the two race competition was that Pau Moll drove a pacer for the first time since they only race trotters in Europe; and Jaime Riera gained the drive behind Showmeyourguns because the horse that he was scheduled to drive was scratched and NAADA's vice president, Alan Schwartz, graciously gave his mount to visiting Riera.
On Thursday, May 10, the final two races in the Spain vs USA Friendship Competition will be contested at Monticello Raceway. They'll be joined on the nine-race card by the ninth leg of the current NAADA Trotting Series.
(With files from NAADA)