To no one’s surprise, Billy 'Zeke' Parker Jr. emerged victorious in Monticello Raceway’s Mayflower Mile on Monday, September 24 when he guided Docs Whiskey to a 1:57.2 triumph over seven other drivers, all of whom have varying amounts of English blood in their veins.
The event, for drivers of English heritage, was the seventh in the track’s year-long Heritage Drivers Series.
By chance, Parker drew the favourite in the race --- or was the horse a favourite because Parker was going to drive him? Either way, Docs Whisky was sent off as the odds-on favourite, and as Parker had done 10,789 times before, he hustled the pacer to victory, three lengths ahead of Lightning Madison (driven by Kyle DiBenedetto). Amateur driver Gerry Fielding got 60-1 shot Shezaflamingtower home for the show dough.
Now the raceway has just one event remaining in its Heritage Drivers Series; the Maple Leaf Pace for drivers of Canadian heritage, which will be presented in mid-October. When that race is completed, the winners of each of the eight Heritage Drivers Series preliminary legs will battle in the event’s finale, the All America Cup in mid-November.
(With files from Monticello)