by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Bruce Aldrich, Jr. has picked up where he left off. After spending most of the year at his new home track, Saratoga Raceway, Aldrich has returned full time — at least while the Spa City oval is closed — to Monticello Raceway, where he won more races than any other driver during the first decade of the 21st century.

At the Mighty M on Tuesday (Dec. 18), Aldrich scored his second consecutive five-bagger. The previous day he also won five races.

Geri Schwarz photo

Aldrich’s fifth win on the card was behind Multiple Choice.

Aldrich’s first victory on Tuesday came behind Kelly Roland’s Camwiser ($4.80) in 2:00.4 and win number two came in the fifth race with S & P Racing’s No Gin ($12.00) in 1:57.4. Aldrich came right back and won the sixth with Mr Delite (12.60) in a 1:59.2 clocking. Oddly, Aldrich’s victories with No Gin and Mr Delite came after they started from the eight hole.

He then won the ninth race with Norman Bradbury’s J’s Foxy Express ($9.90) in 2:01 and Aldrich’s final victory for the afternoon was behind Paul Feisher’s Multiple Choice ($4.40) in 1:58.4.

Aldrich also had four seconds and one third place finish to go along with his five driving victories on Tuesday.

“I feel real comfortable here at Monticello and I think I know this track as good as anyone,” a mud-caked Aldrich said after his five-win afternoon, while competing over the muddy racing surface. “But I had a lot of power today and got lucky a couple of times, too.”

When Aldrich wasn’t winning races that afternoon, Jimmy Marohn, Jr. was. The talented youngster, who is poised to win his first Monticello Raceway driving title, added four more wins to his seasonal total here.

Two of Marohn’s wins came from the Dan Gill barn. With Marohn’s driving prowess, Gill is currently in a three-way tie for leading trainer honors with Gary Messenger and Peter Pellegrino, each with 113 winners.

Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr. missed the first three months of the season after prostate cancer surgery and spotted Marohn some 70 wins before he got his season underway and little by little he worked his way to challenge Marohn. A week ago Zeke was just six wins behind Marohn but the youngster has had a hot-hand of late and now leads the veteran winner of 18 driving title here by 13 wins.

“Whenever you get even close to Billy (in wins over a year) you’ve accomplished a whole lot,” Marohn said. “He didn’t get lucky to win (almost) 11,000 races. And if I win the (driving) title, beating him, I’ll feel I really accomplished something.”