After driving along at a pedestrian pace, at least for him, Billy 'Zeke' Parker Jr. broke out and reined five winners on the Tuesday, June 18 card of racing at Monticello Raceway, where, over the years, the bearded wonder has copped 18 driving titles.
Parker has 102 wins during the current Mighty M meet, which is good for third place on the local leaderboard. Although, more importantly, Parker is moving ever closer to the 11,000 career win plateau and now needs just 20 more winning drives to reach that incredible milestone.
“I had a good day,” Parker said. “I put them (his horses) in the right spot and they got there.”
Of Zeke’s five winners, the most impressive to him was Abominable Snowpan, a six-year-old No Pan Intended gelding trained by Amber Buter for owner Tyler Buter. Parker won with him in 1:53.3, which is currently the fastest winning time at Monticello thus far this season.
“It was the first time I drove him and he gave me one of my fastest rides, “Parker admitted. “He’s a nice ‘hoss.’”
Parker’s first winner came behind Jay and Melissa Appelblatt’s Whatamach ($3.40) in a time of 1:57.1 and followed that up with a 1:56.4 triumph with Lowell Schoonmaker’s Lolas Cruiser ($3.30).
Win No. 3 came with Latz A Luck Stables’ Kandi Chip ($2.60) in 1:58.4, followed by the triumph with Abominable Snowpan ($15.20).
Parker’s fifth and final win was behind George Lombardi’s veteran pacer Behind Enemy Lines ($6.90) in 1:58.
“I’ve been going along winning four or five races a week, but I wasn’t getting much power. You know, picking up the ‘scraps,’ so to speak, not the live mounts. But today I got some that were in right and they delivered,” Parker said.
He was asked if he feels any pressure while closing in on11,000 career wins.
“Not really, at least not now,” he said. “Maybe when I get closer I might feel some pressure, but I really don’t think I will. I’ve been at this for a long time.”
Parker’s 10,980 driving victories rank him seventh all-time in races won in North America.
Also of note on the Tuesday card was Haroun Hanover winning for the 15th time this year. That victory came in the final race on the card, once again with Jimmy Marohn Jr. at the controls.
Trained by Danny Gill for owners Ed and James Hall of Connecticut, the seven-year-old altered son of Bettors Delight scored in 1:57.2.
“He was on exceptional behaviour today and I was able to keep him in a hole behind sane fractions,” Marohn admitted. “When I moved him late in the mile he zipped right to the front and was an easy (four length) winner.
“He even pulled up after the mile,” Marohn added, smiling. “But still there was no return trip to the winner's circle.”
Now with 15 wins, Haroun Hanover is second in races won this year in North America behind Tracys Song’s 18.
(Monticello)