by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — In what will be the final race of their illustrious careers, five 14-year-old pacers will battle in Monticello Raceway’s Au Revoir on Friday afternoon, Dec. 31. It will mark the fifth time the event has filled since its inaugural back on Dec. 31, 1991.

“After our first Au Revoir a span of 13 years passed before we could fill another race,” noted Eric Warner, the Mighty M’s Director of Racing. “If I had to guess why we have been able to fill four since 2004, I’d have to give a lot of credit to the computer generation and especially to the United States Trotting Association. Now each December we can get a list from the USTA of all the 14-year-olds who still are racing and with that we reach out to their connections.”

Of the five pacers that entered the Au Revoir, three are locals, with one coming in from Scarborough, Maine and the other from Limestone, New Brunswick. But unlike most of the other Au Revoirs, with the short five-horse field, all entrants will get a part of the $7,500 purse.

With post positions recently drawn the five veterans who will be battling in Friday’s race, with post positions and drivers are: 1-Mr Touring (Brandon Simpson); 2-Jaccamo A (Chuck Poynton); 3-Prince Rama A (Mike DeRuntz); 4-Sinbad (Jimmy Marohn, Jr.); and 5-Jaccka Seelster N (Robert Dining).

Collectively the five pacers have 278 wins and earned purses of $1,526,531.

Mr Touring has a record of 1:52.4 with 61 wins and purses of $445,787. He’s owned and trained by Ricky Maher, Jr. of Port Jervis, N.Y.

Jaccamo A, owned and trained by Mike McCauley of Kauneong Lake, N.Y., has a lifetime record of 1:53.3 with 57 career victories and purse earnings of $244,972.

Prince Rama A brings with him a lifetime mark of 1:51 with purses of $212,441 and 46 victories. He’s owned by Mike DeRuntz of Scarborough, Maine and is trained by Dick Robertson, Jr.

Sinbad, owned and trained by Ned Urbanski of Sayerville, N.J., has a record of 1:50.4 with 66 career victories and earnings of $549,613.

Jaccka Seelster N, owned by Tammy Sowers of Limestone, N.B. and trained by Bo Sowers, owns a career mark of 1:51.3 with 48 wins and $291,112 in earnings.

The five-horse field is not the shortest field of the five Au Revoirs already presented. Back in 2004, Monticello Raceway had a two-horse match race between The Suleiman N and Troy D which darn near ended in a dead-heat with The Suleiman N and Zeke Parker prevailing by a nose over Todd Frocione and Troy D in 2:02.4.

The inaugural Au Revoir was won by a pacer from Maine by the name of Searights who was driven to a 2:04 victory by Kyle DiBenedetto. Try Kacy N and driver Jimmy Taggart won the 2005 event in a time of 2:03.4 over a wet racetrack. And last year’s race went to Satin Time N and driver Greg Merton in 1:59.3.

The 2010 Au Revoir is slated as race number five on the 12-race card on New Year’s Eve Day. First post is at 12:25 p.m.