by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — There’s an old adage which states “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.”

That maxim could apply to Monticello Raceway’s effort to bring its eighth annual St. Paddy Pace to fruition after having the event canceled on St Patrick’s Day due to extenuating circumstances which left the racing surface uneven due to the spring thaw and forced the postponement of the racing card that day.

Monticello Raceway photo

Jimmy Marohn, Jr. handles the favorite in the upcoming St. Paddy Pace at Monticello.

“Usually when we are forced to cancel a racing program that’s the end of the card and horsemen re-enter and we’ll draw again for a future date according to our (race) condition sheet,” noted Eric Warner, the track’s director of racing. “But in the case of our Heritage Drivers Series, of which the St. Paddy Pace is the event for drivers of Irish heritage, we needed to re-schedule the race in order to have an Irish representative in our series final later this fall, which will pit the winners of each of the eight ethnic events we’ll present this racing season.”

Thus, the St. Paddy Pace, for drivers of Irish extraction, will go to post on Thursday afternoon (March 26) as race number six on the 10-race card.

Though most of the drivers who were to compete on St. Patrick’s Day will return, two will be unable because of prior commitments — that being John McDermott and Jordan Stratton. However Warner has secured the services of Gary Messenger and James Shields to fill in.

Eight drivers of Irish descent will go to post on Thursday with Jimmy Marohn, Jr. up behind the early line favorite, Ya Gotta Believe, from post position three.

Young Jimmy will be challenged by three former St. Paddy Pace winners: his dad, Jimmy Marohn, Sr., John Gilmour and Mike Doherty.

Besides the aforementioned Messenger and Shields, young Marohn will also be challenged by Bernie Hoyt, Jr. and Terry Finch.

First post on Thursday will be at the usual 1:10 p.m.