Last year around this time trainer Danny Gill plunked down $4,000 and saved a trotter by the name of Rose Run Nash from a life of pulling an Amish buggy. On Wednesday, August 20 at Monticello Raceway Rose Run Nash defeated a field of $15,000 claimers in a time of 1:57.3 and scored his 16th victory of the season which makes him the trotter with the most wins in North America in 2014.
As he usually does after one of his horses win a race, Gill - and his wife Brenna - come from the paddock to the winner’s circle via a golf cart to take their picture with his victorious pupil.
Even before he got there (to the winner’s circle) he was waving and shouting, “That was his 16th win and now we are four in front,” referring to having four more wins than the three runners-up.
He and Brenna ran to congratulate driver Jimmy Marohn, Jr. and posed for the photograph. After he calmed down Gill was asked about Rose Run Nash, a five-year-old altered son of Trainforthefuture.
“I was racing a horse at Pocono (Downs) one night last year and someone there told me about a trotter that has some class but was heading to the Amish country,” Gill related. “So I went to the farm where the horse was awaiting a trip to the Lancaster-area and I liked what I saw so we gave the 4-large they were asking for him. I’d like to buy 10 more just like him”
Rose Run Nash breezed to a new lifetime mark of 1:57.3 when driver Jimmy Marohn, Jr. set sails from the pole position and the pair raced unchallenged the entire mile trotting through fractions of :28.2, :58.1, and 1:28 with his tail out straight and flying in the wind before finishing some three lengths ahead of Pacific Margaux and driver Johnny Plutino.
“Being on the front-end made it easy for me because he’s a big horse and with his tail in my face all the way I could hardly see where I was going half the time,” Marohn said smiling with his inimitable tongue in cheek expression..
“Not really, Danny’s got him (Rose Run Nash) in top form and he’s real sharp right now” and then he walked back his previous statement when he added, “I had no problem seeing where I was going.”
It was Rose Run Nash’s second consecutive victory and fourth in his last five starts..
Now the property of Gill’s main patron, Edward Hall, Rose Run Nash paid $3.50 for win.
(Monticello Raceway)