With a near capacity crowd and the temperatures hovering around 95-degrees three divisions of the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Championship Series went to post at the Cradle Of the Trotter in Goshen, New York on June 30 and when they were declared official, Rob “the Rapid Rail” Krivelin, Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford and "Battlin'Brad" Rathbone each walked away with a victory in their respective divisions.
Krivelin’s event was the first of the three to go to post and the New York City food purveyor overcame his outside position with Motown Dream Girl and zipped to the lead when the gate folded and then used the front-end route to score an easy 2:02.2 victory with the six-year-old Keystone Nordic mare.
“I thought I was the best so I sent her (Motown Dreamgirl) to the front and we got away with easy early fractions and after we passed the half in 1:01:4 I knew no one was going to beat us,” Krivelin said. “I let her trot the third quarter third quarter and we opened daylight on the field. From there y mare coasted home an easy winner.”
Drill Sergeant Sam went a good trip for “Dynamite Dave” Drew to finish second a length and a half behind the winner while Alan ”the Intimidator” Schwartz took home the show dough with Iroquouindianmagic.
Motown Dreamgirl is owned by River Flower Farms & Stable and trained by Joe Peruso. For Krivelin, it was his 132nd winning drive.
In the second Billings split Steve Oldford and Howmacs Amigo were content to follow the lead set by Dave “Steady As” Yarock and Campotosto, at least to the half way point. Up the backside Oldford moved his trotter to the outside and the zoomed by the leader and opened up a three length lead as they passed the third stanza.
With Oldford continually urging his trotter, Howmacs Amigo went on to a two length triumph in a 2:01.1 clocking. Yarock and Campotosto held on for second and Strength’s Victory finished third for Scott “the Driving Doctor” Woogen.
“My horse sometimes lets go of the bit in the final strides and we have lost a few decisions because of that,” Oldford said. “But today after I got to the front I wasn’t taking any chances so I kept after him through the stretch and he finished strong.”
The five-year-old Amigo Hall gelding is owned by Stephen E Oldford and Oldford Farms LLC and trained by Allen Sisco. For Oldford, who is the Billings Series vice president, it was his 60th winning drive since he earnestly became involved in 2006 amateur racing.
“Battlin’ Brad” Rathbone and Roman Holiday were never in doubt in their gate-to-wire 2:02.1 victory in the third and final Billings split. They started from the pole position and trotted through quarters of :29.4; 1:00.2 and 1:30.4 and finished an eased-up 2-1/4 length winner over EJs Dream Shadow driven by Don “We’re Ready to Draw” Hoover. Third place went to Double Strength, driven by Dave “Yes It’s True” Offenberg.
“I don’t get a chance to drive that often so it was a pleasure to get a horse that was competitive,” Rathbone offered after his driving victory. “We just breezed along on the front end and except for a brief challenge at the three quarters by Hoover, we never we in trouble the entire mile.”
Roman Holiday is owned by John Campagnuolo and trained by Ted Berry. For Rathbone it was his 34th winning drive.
(Monticello Raceway)