by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — She was sent off at odds of nearly even-money, but the way that Hawaiian Sweetie mauled her foes in the eighth race at Monticello Raceway on Monday afternoon (May 5), she should have been a 1-9 shot.

Geri Schwarz photo

Hawaiian Sweetie was a 1:58.4 winner on Monday.

Bruce Aldrich Jr. handled the driving chores for owner-trainer Lindsey Blackler and sent the 6-year-old Broadway Hall trotting mare to the lead in a :28.3 first stanza and they proceeded through fractions of :59.2 and 1:29.1 before finishing some eight lengths ahead of runner-up Rose Run Nash and driver Jimmy Marohn Jr. in a season’s best 1:58.4 clocking.

Last week Rose Run Nash reversed the order of finish when the 5-year-old Trainforthefuture gelding led Hawaiian Sweetie to the wire for a three-quarter length victory in a time of 1:59.2.

Nevertheless, for Hawaiian Sweetie, who is back from Saratoga Raceway (she raced here earlier in the season), it marked her third victory in her last four Mighty M starts and fifth overall this year.

“I drove her (Hawaiian Sweetie) for Lindsey in Saratoga and won a couple of races there with her. She raced good at Saratoga but she’s even better now since coming back here,” said Aldrich, who won three other races on the eight-race card. “She went a real good mile today and although I kept taking her back she ran away from the others and won real easy.”

Hawaiian Sweetie returned a $3.90 win mutuel.

Aldrich also won with Irwin Kaplan’s trotter Rose Run Leroy ($6.10) in 2:00 and scored in 1:59.3 behind McDonna ($3.10), an 8-year-old pacing mare co-owned by Linda Boyd and Bruce Aldrich Sr. Young Bruce’s other victory on Monday came when he guided Cassie Russo’s pacing mare Terror Rising ($11.80) to a 1:59 triumph.

Aldrich is coming off his best season ever in 2013 when he tied for second in races won in North America, finishing the year with 645 driving victories. And again this year Bruce is in the thick of things with 171 wins, which currently ranks him eighth on the North American leaderboard.