by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Besides the Name Your Price Claiming Series, Monticello Raceway’s director of racing Eric Warner also penned a late closing series for trotters during the month of February. Called the B’s Startrek Trotting Series and raced on Thursday afternoons, on Feb. 14 the second of three preliminary legs went to post and when they were completed Bruce Aldrich, Jr. won two splits to go along with the three other races that he won on the card.

Aldrich, no stranger to the Mighty M double oval, won the first race with M. Jeanne Zukowski’s Mystical Heiress, which was also the first division of the trotting series.

Geri Schwarz photo

Bruce Aldrich, Jr.’s first series win was with Mystical Heiress in 2:01.4.

Sent off the 7-10 favorite from the pylon position, Aldrich wasted little time taking command and then cruised through steady fractions en route to a 2:01.4 triumph over Consulate, handled by his brother-in-law, Jimmy Devaux.

Mystical Heiress, a former two-time trotting mare of the year here at Monticello Raceway, trained by her owner, posted her third seasonal victory and returned $3.40 for win.

The second series leg, which went to post in the fifth race, turned out to be another wire-to-wire victory when Jimmy Taggart, Jr. and veteran trotter Strongbow got first call at every stanza. Strongbow, a two-time claiming trotter of the year at the Mighty M, stopped the timer in 2:01.3 and scored his third seasonal triumph.

Owned by Mary and Manny Fajardo, along with Helen Licitra, and trained by Terry Beck, Strongbow returned an $8.10 win mutuel.

Aldrich then won the final B’s Startrek Series trot behind Fox Valley Spencer, again in front-end fashion, turning back Alan Schwartz and Iroquouindianmagic by two lengths in a time of 2:01.2.

Aldrich, now a resident of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., co-owns the 5-year-old Vaporize gelding with Stanley Indig. It was the first seasonal victory for Fox Valley Spencer who is trained by Jeanne Zukowski. He paid $3.40 for win.

The hot-handed Aldrich also scored victories in the second race behind Majestic View Farms’ Majestic Midnight ($43.60) in 2:04.1; with Don Brainard’s Dolly Dagger ($5.50) in 2:01.3 in the fifth; and with Mike Carrubba and Angelo Nappo’s Urban Art ($4.80) in 2:00.2 in the seventh race.