New Zealand's Dexter Dunn maintained his lead atop the point standings during the third leg of the 2011 World Driving Championship at Monticello Raceway in New York on Wednesday afternoon
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Sweden's Bjorn Goop won the four-race third leg competition with a pair of victories on the day while Denmark's Birger Jorgensen and Spain's Juan Antonio Riera-Rossello finished second and third after earning one win a piece.
Riera-Rossello kicked off the third leg of the WDC with a front end score aboard Scoot For Glory ($3.60) in 1:59.2. Dunn and Always Right journeyed first over to place with Jorgensen and Real Navigator finishing third. Jamieson went three-wide and rallied home from the backfield aboard Savvy Hawk to finish fourth.
Goop worked out a perfect pocket trip aboard Voteformuscle ($11) to win the second race 1-3/4 mile trot in 3:44 over pacesetter Smooth Muscles and Jorgensen. U.S.A.'s Corey Callahan rounded out the top three with Sir Kensington. Jamieson was able to get his charge, Danger Hall, back into the race after making a break at the half-mile mark, but ended up finishing 10th.
Goop converted from the pocket once again to win the next race with Four Starz Ransom ($5.50) in 2:03.1 over Dunn and Pine Ranger. Callahan earned another third place finish with Moon City Special. Jamieson was 10th placed ninth with Poetry Affair, who broke stride early on.
Jorgensen captured the final race of the day off a pocket trip aboard Candys Pool ($3) in 1:59. Germany's Michael Nimczyk and Christoffer Bliss was the runner-up with Riera-Rossello and Cams Accord finishing third. Jamieson finished ninth aboard Nutmegs Taxi.
New Zealand's Dexter Dunn currently leads in the standings with 99 points after the third leg of the competition, while Canada's Jody Jamieson slipped to sixth place with a total of 76 points.
"I haven't been able to keep the last four trotters trotting, and when that's the case you can't win!" Jamieson told Trot Insider after the third leg. "Meadowlands will be better and although I have two eights and a seven at Yonkers on the last day, I'm not going to let that stop me from winning this championship. I'm just going to have to be better than I have been."
Jamieson will drive Lady Andover (PP3, 7-2), Stopwatch N (PP9, 4-1), Military Stratcomm (PP3, 5-2) and Albion (PP7, 8-1) in the fourth leg at the Meadowlands Racetrack on Thursday, August 4.
In the final leg of the competition at Yonkers Raceway on Friday, August 5, he will sit behind Avaricity (PP8, 12-1), Strong Hall (PP8, 12-1), Sun Of A Victory (PP1, 8-5) and Up Front Cruiser (PP7, 4-1).
Here is a look at the leaderboard after the third leg of the competition:
1. Dexter Dunn - New Zealand (99 pts)
2. Juan Antonio Riera-Rossello - Spain (96 pts)
3. Corey Callahan - U.S.A. (91 pts)
4. Bjorn Goop - Sweden (89 pts)
5. Birger Jorgensen - Denmark (87 pts)
6. Jody Jamieson - Canada (76 pts)
7. Enrico Bellei - Italy (67 pts)
8. Franck Nivard - France (66 pts)
9. Chris Lewis - Australia (61 pts)
10. Michael Nimczyk - Germany (60 pts)
Jody, I seen the horses you
Jody, I seen the horses you had, every one a headshaker. Go get'em, ya got live ones next time. Good luck!
Come On Jody!! I hope I
Come On Jody!! I hope I didnt stand in the spilling rain at CDP for nothing!