“Lawbook Larry” Farley, a recently retired attorney from Toledo, Ohio, scored his first driving victory in this season’s C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series on Wednesday night (July 6) when he guided Patient I D to a 2:00.1 wire-to-wire triumph in a Midwest region trot at Northfield Park.
A veteran of over three decades of amateur driving, Farley, like many others in amateur racing, also owns his stock and employs a professional trainer when he was doing due-diligence in his chosen profession.
In the Billings trot on Wednesday night at Northfield Park, Farley took advantage of starting from the pole position and gunned his trotter to the lead when the wings of the mobile gate folded.
“It appeared that a few others were good on the front-end so I wanted to leave and make sure I had a good position as we headed to the first quarter,” Farley said by telephone after the race. “We got a good assist when Heza Rube [the odds-on favourite] made a break as we headed to the quarter.”
Still Farley and Patient I D didn’t have a cakewalk of it when the favourite went off stride. Celtic Merchant and Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford supplied relentless pressure from the get-go, but Patient I D was up to the test and although she needed to trot to a :58.3 half to keep all comers at bay, the veteran four-year-old Bands Gold Chip mare hung tough along the pylons turning back a multitude of challenges.
As the field rounded the clubhouse turn and headed for the three-quarters, the parked-out trotters began looking for positions along the pylons as Patient I D kept going forward.
“I got a bit concerned on the last turn because my mare wasn’t strong on the bit,” Farley said. "As we headed for home, I was closely watching Ned [Hodkinson with Mutinyonthebounty], who was making a move at me on the outside, and I hardly noticed Tim Miller [with Vaya Con Dios] charging on the far outside as we headed for the finish line. Luckily, Tim’s horse ran out of racetrack and my mare was a one-length winner over Tim’s.”
Although Patient I D had three previous seasonal victories, this was the first time Farley drove her to victory.
“She’s a nice mare, good gaited, and a pleasure to drive,” Farley said referring to Patient I D. “She’s a real sweetheart.”
Farley owns Patient I D, who paid $19.20 to win. She’s trained by Calvin Holler. For Farley, it was his 54th amateur driving victory.
Next Billings action will be in the eastern region at Monticello Raceway on Friday afternoon, July 8.
(C.K.G. Billings Series)