After sitting on the shelf for the past three weeks, Southbound Trucker returned to action at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday, July 26 in the weekly $7,600 Winners Over Pace. He once again had the backing of the betting public despite having to start from Post 7.
Maybe it was the layoff, or maybe being parked the entire mile, but the veteran pacer couldn’t overtake pacesetter Bilmar Rustler in the stretch and had to settle for second money.
Bilmar Rustler, trained by Lisa Krom and driven by Billy 'Zeke' Parker, recorded a one-length victory in 1:57:3. Owned by Elisha Lafreniere, Bilmar Rustler returned $10.00 for the win.
Perhaps overshadowing the pacing feature’s results was the fourth consecutive victory for Future Fan, who was driven again by Mike Merton.
Future Fan, in for a $15,000 claiming tag, toured the 'Mighty M' oval in a swift 1:55 and notched his 10th seasonal triumph. Last week the pacer was victorious in 1:54:4. Trained by Tom Merton, Future Fan returned a paltry $2.70 for the win.
(With files from Monticello)