by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Can Karm Master N win the ninth race on Wednesday, August 10 at Monticello Raceway? The track odds-maker thinks he can and has made him the 5-2 morning line favorite even though he’ll have to start from the eight hole. And if Karm Master N is once again victorious, the 11-year-old pacing gelding will equal the track record of nine consecutive victories, the current standard which was set in 1983 by another pacer, Don Torpid, who was driven by Walter Case, Jr.

Actually Karm Master N has nine consecutive victories, but one was at Goshen Historic Track on July 2, and, of course, that doesn’t count in his track record equaling quest at the Mighty M.

Once again young Ryan Macedonio will handle the driving chores for owner and trainer Tony Cuccio of nearby Montgomery, New York.

When he last raced on July 20, Karm Master N used the front-end route to score a one and three-quarter length victory in a time of 2:01.4. His fastest triumph this year was a 2:00.4 clocking on June 22. Nearly all of Karm Master N’s victories on his current win skein came by racing on the lead.

For the season, the foreign-bred pacer has 11 victories in 14 starts. In his career Karm Master N has won 22 races and $65,400 in New Zealand and has won 24 races and $71,281 in the States after coming here in 2000.