The final leg of the North American Amateur Drivers Association’s Trotting Series, along with the final of the Catskill Amateur Drivers Club series, was featured Thursday afternoon at Monticello Raceway, and “Hurricane Hannah” Miller, North America’s leading amateur driver, walked away with a pair of driving victories in just two trips to post while a third contest went to Peter Kleinhans.
Miller won a NAADA Trot with Rocket Master in 1:58.1 and she copped the Catskill Amateur Drivers Club pace with Stoman in 1:57.3 which raises her win-total to 26 thus far this season. Kleinhans scored a 2:00.4 triumph with Zoli in a second NAADA Trot.
In the first of two NAADA races Hannah scored a come-from-behind triumph with Rocket Master when they trotted by Alan Schwartz’s Linda Marie in mid-stretch to score a two-length triumph. Woody finished third for Joe Lee.
“I had a steady hold of him (Rocket Master) and we left the (starting) gate softly because he is rough on the straightaways,” Hannah explained.
After settling in fifth position Miller moved her trotter up behind Cassas Image (John Kokinos) who went first up. She followed her cover until the final turn where she wheeled Rocket Master three-deep and challenged the pacesetter, Linda Marie overtaking her and then trotting on to victory.
“I moved him (Rocket Master) three wide on the final turn because he trots the turns well and when we straightened for home he was in full gear and I knew we were going to win it,” Hannah said.
Rocket Master is owned by his driver, the Surick Stable, and the Erv Miller Stable, and trained by Nick Surick. Sent off as second choice in the eight-horse field Rocket Master notched his fifth seasonal triumph and paid $6.20.
Hurricane Hannah’s second driving victory was in the final leg of the Catskill Amateur Club’s Pace when she guided Stoman to a gate-to-wire triumph in 1:57.3. Last week the veteran pacer was claimed from the John Hallett barn by Bob Lounsbury but the horse’s new address made no difference when Lounsbury again handed the lines to Miller
“I fired him up when the gate left and when he made the front I had a handful of horse,” Hannah said. “I tried the back him down a bit but he was raring to go.”
And go he did, pacing through fractions of :27.4, :58.2 and 1:28 before finishing two lengths in front of KBs Badboy, driven by Barry Addison. Shark Treasure finished third for Gerry Fielding.
Owned by Bill Damburg and now trained by Bob Lounsbury, Stoman notched his fourth season victory and returned $3.40 to his backers.
Talk about dominance, it was Hannah Miller’s ninth driving victory in the 10-week Catskill Club’s series.
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In the other NAADA Trot Peter Kleinhans was content to follow the leaders with Zoli and then moved him three-wide on the final turn and went on to a 1-3/4 length triumph over the even-money favourite, Fox Valley Steffen, driven by John Kokinos. Bobby Krivelin took home the show dough with Current Crisis.
“I eased him away from the gate because last week he made a break before the start,” Kleinhans said after his victory. “I wanted to be conservative and I babied him and we got shuffled back but when I pulled him (at the three-quarter pole) he was all business. He raced real well”
Owned by John Sullivan and trained by John Mc Dermott Zoli paid $6.60 for win. For Kleinhans it was his 51st career driving victory.
(NAADA/CADC)