Canadian owned P H Bestman copped the pacing feature at Monticello Raceway in grand style on Tuesday afternoon, July 7
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With the talented Jimmy Marohn, Jr. at the controls the Art Green-trained four-year-old son of Cambest literally toyed with his competition when Marohn sent the pacer to the lead from post position five and was basically a passenger as P H Bestman romped through even fractions to score a 1:56:2 triumph over a track that had been soaked by pouring rain.
A winner of 11 of 27 starts last season with a record of 1:52:2 taken at Woodbine Racetrack, which by the way was lowered to 1:51:4 in his only seasonal victory prior to his win today (July 7), the pacer has been recently competing at Rockingham Park where he had two second place finishes in four New Hampshire starts.
As alluded to previously, P H Bestman did his pacing on the front-end and he was never challenged anywhere in the mile. He coasted to an easy four-length victory over Blueridge Dbang, driven by Zeke Parker. Jordan Stratton drove the third place finisher Pro Art.
It marked the second victory of the season for P H Bestman, who is owned by Dr. R James Shive of Shubenacadie, N.S.
Marohn also reined Blue Demon Racing Stables’ Gilt Edge top a 2:00:2 triumph in the second race on the card and now has 93 victories this season, which ranks him fifth on the local leader board.
And all eyes seem to be on Kyle DiBenedetto as the 41-year-old driver inches closer to 5,000 driving victories. He added two more to his total and now is just 13 wins away from that milestone.
DiBenedetto drove Bob Horowitz’s Mctrick Or Treat to a 1:59 victory in the sixth race and came back to win the ninth with Margaret Olmstead’s Windy City Buddy in a 1:59 clocking.
With those two victories DiBenedetto now has 131 this season of which 116 were at Monitcello. He is currently second in the local drivers standings and trails leader Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr. by 36 victories.
(Monitcello Raceway)