Monticello, NY — When Tony Verruso is not airborne assisting travelers, he enjoys time sitting behind a spirited steed in an amateur race. And on Thursday afternoon (June 6), Verruso drove Connie Keeper to a 2:00.1 victory in the NAADA Trotting Series, which began its summer events today at Monticello Raceway.

Joe Faraldo gunned Tough Get Going to the lead, but he was chased by Someway Same Hall (Tony Ciuffetelli Jr.) and Connie Keeper, eventually yielding to the latter.

Connie Keeper and Tony Verruso held sway in NAADA action at Monticello Raceway. Geri Schwarz photo.

“They were all leaving pretty good and I figured I’d go out and look for a hole after the start, but it wasn’t until Joe (Faraldo) grabbed leather and Tony Ciuffetelli (Jr.) found a hole with the favorite (Someway Same Hall) that I cleared to the lead. And after that happened, I had constant pressure and just kept going,” Verruso said.

After a :29 first panel, Verruso kept the pedal to the metal and Connie Keeper showed the way past the half in :59.2. Joe Lee and Surface Tension challenged up the backside, but began to fade when Connie Keeper passed the third stanza in 1:29.4. At that point, Faraldo moved to the outside with Tough Get Going, and Ciuffetelli hung along the pylons in third place with thoughts of using the passing lane in the stretch — which he did.

But the race for victory was between the top two trotters, and both Faraldo and Verruso went to work urging their charges in the deep stretch.

“When we rounded the final turn, I thought I was home free. But after a tough trip on the engine, Connie Keeper’s strides began to shorten as we approached the finish line. However, the finish wire came up in time and we won it by a head,” Verruso said in the paddock as he handed the lines to the horse’s caretaker.

Sent off at odds of over 6-1, Connie Keeper paid $14.20. With her victory, the veteran Muscles Yankee mare raised her lifetime earnings to over $201,000. She is owned by Dr. Scott Woogen and trained by Gary Messenger. For Verruso, it marked his 73rd career win since he began competing in amateur racing in 1999.