by John Manzi, for the CKG Billings Amateur Series
Yonkers, NY — The 36th season of the granddaddy of all amateur series, the CKG Billings Harness Driving Series will culminate with the Gold and Silver Cup Championship finals at Yonkers Raceway on Sunday morning (Nov. 26).
The Gold Cup finale will be raced for a purse of $25,000 while the Silver Cup final will go for $15,000 prior to the betting card getting underway. The planned post time for the Silver Cup Final will be at 10 a.m. followed immediately by the Gold Cup final. Both races will have 10-horse fields and be contested over the distance of 1-1/4 miles.
The Billings races on Sunday will mark a change from recent years in that they will be contested over a half-mile track when many previous finales were raced on bigger ovals. Contested over a half-mile track and at a distance of 1-1/4 miles, the driving strategies will certainly differ than those over a five-eighths or mile ovals.
Last year’s defending Gold Cup final winner, Hannah Miller, is not competing this season.
Various rules determined the fields of the finales.
The $15,000 Silver Cup final, with drivers and in post position order are below followed by the entries and drivers in the $25,000 Gold Cup final.
$15,000 CKG BILLINGS SILVER CUP FINAL-post time 10 a.m.
1-Fox Valley Steffen John Kokinos
2-Baltimor AS Bob Ciaverdini
3-Six Bax Scott Woogen
4-Fiji Dave Offenberg
5- Pine Tab Dien Spiggs
6-Dial A Chic Robert Kenney
7-Soul Train Dave Drew
8-Toss Cartwright Peter Kleinhans
9-Summit City Frank Matt Zuccarello
10-Tough Get Going Joe Faraldo
$25,000 CKG BILLINGS GOLD CUP FINAL-post time 10:10 a.m.
1-Gonna Fly Steve Oldford
2-Permanent Joy Robert Krivelin
3-War Cry Hall Robert Hechkoff
4-Wygant Prince Paul Minore
5-Dizzy Rizzy Joe Lee
6-Jelectric Bob Davis
7-Flirting Duesy Tony Verruso
8-Celebrity Stimulus David Glasser
9-Landonfitz Davis Yarock
10-Aventure Tony Ciuffettelli