by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Harness Drivers Association

Monticello, NY — Harness racing’s greatest traveling sideshow, the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Championship Series, moved on to Nichols, N.Y. for a trotting contest over the five-eighths-mile oval at Tioga Downs on Wednesday, August 18. And when the dust settled in that event “Gentleman Jamie” Marra and Slated For Success showed their heels to the field with a wire-to-wire victory in a time of 1:57.3.

Sent off as the betting favorite in the nine-horse trot, Marra knew the best place for the favorite to be was on the front-end and when the wings of the mobile gate folded he sent Slated For Success for the lead and they gained command before the quarter mile distance which was timed in :28.1.

Once on the lead they sailed along unchallenged and had an open lengths lead all the way to the finish line where they posted a two length triumph over Rel Postage Due and driver Simeon “Hot Rod” Hunsdon. Rally By The River and Dave “Steady As” Yarock were third under the wire but were disqualified for a racing infraction and therefore Pilgrims Kassie earned the show dough and her driver Tony “the Capo” Verruso received the third place points on the Billings leaderboard.

Marra co-owns the 10-year-old S J’s Photo mare with her trainer Don Glowacki. Slated For Success paid $5.10 for win which was Marra’s second Billings triumph of the year and sixth of the season overall.

Also on the card was an amateur pacing event for members of the Tioga Downs Amateur Driving Club which is comprised of many members of the Billings Series. Yarock won that contest with his Shania Twain in a 1:56.2 clocking and paid $8.70 for win.