by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — With the temperature hovering around 10 degrees and snowflakes softly falling Jim King Solomon reined Blackjack Magic to a 2:00.4 victory in Monticello Raceway’s ninth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace on Thursday, January 15, a race which featured the talents of African American drivers.

Geri Schwarz photo

Jim King Solomon and Blackjack Magic en route to a 2:00.4 victory in the Dr. King Pace.

Sent off as the betting favorite from the pole position Solomon sent Blackjack Magic immediately to the lead and played hardball by not allowing Artristocracy and local driver Cedric Washington to take command as the field headed to the quarter pole which forced Washington to take back and find a seat.

After the first stanza was paced in :29, Solomon and Blackjack Magic were unchallenged on the front end as they headed for the halfway point. They led the field by that stanza in :59.4 with Bing N, driven by Don Simmonds from Vernon Downs, tucked in comfortably and enjoying a two-hole trip.

As Blackjack Magic headed toward the three-quarter pole, Simmonds moved Bing N out to challenge and the two pacers raced head-to-head into the final turn. But as they straightened for home Blackjack Magic drew off to a two length lead which was needed as Bing N rallied late and was gaining in the final strides only to run out of racetrack.

Blackjack Magic finished a head in front of Bing N with Artristocracy third in the mile. Fourth place went to Flying Aftermidnite, driven by local horseman Bobby “Boonie” Williams.

Before the race Solomon said he checked the official program and thought he had the best horse but when Bing N made the strong move in the final turn Solomon wasn’t sure.

“I saw Simmonds coming and I thought to myself that I can’t let him by so I got after my horse and he responded and drew off by open lengths,” Solomon said. “And as it turned out we sure needed that lead because Simmonds was coming for us again near the finish but we held on to win it.

“I’m very appreciative that I was invited to compete and I’m proud to have won it. It especially means a lot to me to win a race that honors the memory of the great Dr. King. He did so much for us.”

Earlier in the day Solomon drove up from Freehold Raceway with his friend Dennis Watson, last year’s Dr. King Pace winner, for the competition. Several others in the contest also drove in from out of town tracks.

George Newell, who finished fifth with Half Life, came up from Yonkers Raceway and George Polk, Jr., who finished sixth with Big Horn, was in from Dover Downs.

But Solomon’s buddy Dennis Watson didn’t fare very well and finished last. He had drawn a longshot in Tycoon Ernesto N and had post position seven to boot.

However, Watson put it all in perspective.

“Oh well, you can’t win ’em all,” he said philosophically. “At least I won the Dr. King race last year!”

Newcomer Rick Magee wins three on Thursday

When your name is Magee and you come from a harness racing family in the Midwest it’s a good bet that you know how to drive a horse.

Case in point: newcomer Rick Magee, who won three races on the Thursday card at Monticello Raceway.

Magee, nephew of Hall of Famer Dave Magee, showed the eastern racing fans that he can handle a horse with the best of them, too.

Magee started the afternoon with a 2:04.1 trotting victory in the first race with Nick Roland’s Tearnupthelane and it wasn’t until the 11th race that he struck again, this time behind Joe, Carol and Robert Kiburg’s pacer Most Happy Rider in 2:02.2. In the 12th race, despite making a break at the start and being 11 lengths off the lead at the quarter pole, Magee rallied Homestead Slipper to a 2:05, neck triumph for his first ‘hat trick’ at the Mighty M.

Magee, who recently moved here with his friend Nick Roland, along with 18 head from Wisconsin, won the driving title at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa last year and was runner-up in races won at Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, Minnesota.