by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Transplanted Canadian and present Goshen resident Stephane Bouchard enjoyed a fabulous season last year when he won 618 races, which ranked him fifth in North America. And his 410 driving victories at Monticello Raceway was tops at the Catskill Mountain oval in 2006.

This year he’s again taking up the chase and his nine-win day last Wednesday (Jan. 17), when he won two races at Monticello Raceway in the daytime and seven at Yonkers Raceway in the evening, currently has him seventh on the 2007 North American leaderboard.

Thursday, January 18, was just another day at the office for Bouchard. He reined three winners on the program: Rocket Laag (1:58.2) in the third, Mannart Sound Wave (2:01) in the 12th, and The Big Don N in the 13th.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Custom Iron gives Jimmy Devaux his third of five victories on the card.

However on Thursday Bouchard had to take a back seat to Jimmy Devaux, who enjoyed one of his best days in the sulky when he reined five winners.

Devaux, the driving champ at Monticello Raceway during the 2002 season, first hit paydirt in the second race on Thursday’s card when he drove Manzeer to a 2:02.1 victory. In the fifth he scored behind Star Hunter N in 2:01.2 and then reeled off three consecutive victories in races 9-10-11. Devaux won the ninth with Custom Iron in 2:00.1 and the tenth with Energetic View in 2:01. His fifth victory of the afternoon came when he reined trotter Gutenbye Mac home first in a time of 2:00.3.

With his five driving victories that afternoon, Devaux now has 21 wins and has moved into second place on the local leaderboard. Bouchard, who missed the first week of the year when he visited family in Canada after the Holidays, currently has 11, but it’s a safe bet that he will add to that total on a daily basis.

The current leader with 28 victories is Larry Stalbaum. Newcomer Eric Goodell is third with 16 wins.