by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Few horses this year have changed barns more frequently than Stoman, a 7-year-old pacing gelding by Market Report. Over the past five weeks the pacer has been claimed four times, including Tuesday (Aug. 6) when trainer Bob Lounsbury took him home for the $12,500 claiming price.

Geri Schwarz photo

Stoman was a 1:55.4 winner on Tuesday at Monticello.

And through it all, save for the $20,000 tag he raced for on June 30 when the pacer finished second, Stoman has won all of his other starts, including a 1:55.4 triumph on Aug. 6. And the fact that Stoman had two consecutive victories prior to being claimed on July 9 attests to the desire others had in making Stoman their own.

Stoman has had six wins and a second in his last seven starts and Jimmy Devaux has handled the driving chores no matter who was the trainer of record or whose barn he had been in.

On July 9 Stoman was claimed for $12,500 by trainer Brandon Simpson after the pacer scored a 1:54.4 victory that afternoon. The next week, July 16, after Stoman won in 1:55.1, trainer Monico Stanislao took the pacer to his barn for the $12,500 tag he was in for.

Then on July 23 Stanislao raced Stoman back for $12,500 and the pacer won in a time of 1:56, only to lose him again when trainer David Russo plunked down $12,500 and took Stoman home.

The following week, July 30, the $12,500 claim game was interrupted when Russo entered Stoman for $20,000. Still the pacer made a good showing despite being overtaken in the final strides by Tinys Million when Jimmy Taggart, Jr. used the passing lane to defeat Stoman in a 1:55.3 clocking.

Then on Aug. 6, Russo put the pacer back in for $12,500 and Stoman was victorious once again for driver Jimmy Devaux when he turned back 18-time winner Haroun Hanover in a 1:55.2 clocking after benefitting from a two-hole journey. And again after the race Stoman had a new barn to return to when trainer Bob Lounsbury’s patron Phillip Schultz claimed him for $12,500.

“Mr. Schultz has been following this horse and he saw that no matter who owns him or who trains him Stoman just keeps winning,” Lounsbury related. “He asked me if I thought Stoman is worth the price and I told him he fits the $12,500 claimers perfectly so we decided to try our luck with him.”

Lounsbury mainly races claimers and knows something about winning. Many of his horses, whether trotters or pacers, have won more than 10 races each this season including the venerable Tracys Song, whose 21 seasonal victories leads North America in races won.

In all, Stoman has won nine races and has had four seconds in 24 starts, earning almost $35,000 this season. His fastest win time on the Mighty M double oval is 1:54.