Bob Hechkoff guided Andover Hall gelding Five Towns to a shocking $63.20 victory in the C.K.G. Billings’ $15,000 #2 Eastern Sector Final on Sunday (Sept. 8) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Joe Faraldo and Tough Get Going left from the rail in :27.4 and put the field in behind them, then backed off the half to 1:00.1. The price of trotting went up along the backstretch, as Steve Oldford moved second-over with the favoured Starsaboveallerage behind Super Manning (driven by Joe Pennacchio), who was doing the uncovered work on the outer tier down to the 1:29.3 three quarters.
Tough Get Going and Faraldo shook off the first-over challenge, but Hechkoff, who had guided Five Towns into the two-hole early, rallied his veteran winner of $425,264 to get by Tough Get Going and Faraldo by three quarters of a length. Oldford and Starsaboveallerage finished third. The entire field of eight were separated by less than five lengths at the wire.
With the victory, Hechkoff assured himself of a spot in the Eastern Region Gold Cup Final – the prime prize for the area’s amateur horsemen. His equine partner, Five Towns, is trained by Kyle Spagnola is owned by Hechkoff’s R.B.H. Ventures Inc. and Spagnola Racing LLC.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)