Monticello, NY — The seventh leg of the North American Amateur Drivers Association’s Fall trotting series is now in the books after Alan Schwartz sat back off quick early fractions and then came on to pick up all the marbles and scored a 1-1/2 length triumph with his Ladys Big Stormont on a drizzly Thursday afternoon (Oct. 31) at Monticello Raceway.
With only five horses lined-up behind the starting gate Tony Ciuffetelli probably figured he could bottom-out the field when he put the pedal to the metal and sent Someway Same Hall immediately to the lead and cut speedy fractions of :28.1 and :57.2, open-lengths ahead of runner-up Ladys Big Stormont.
“Actually Tony’s decision to go for the lead worked out perfect for me,” Schwartz said after the race. “Usually I have trouble keeping my horse in a hole but today I didn’t have any, and when we closed the gap his horse was getting leg weary and mine was still strong.”
Trailing by nearly three lengths from the get-go when Ciuffetelli’s trotter passed the three-quarters in 1:27.3, Schwartz said he felt he had a good shot of reeling him in. Ladys Big Stormont began closing the gap and when they turned for home only a length separated the two.
“After we straightened for home I felt very confident that we’d end up being the winner,” Schwartz admitted. “I could see at that point Tony’s horse was beginning to labor and mine was still fresh.”
In mid-stretch Ladys Big Stormont began to ease to the front and then went on to a relatively easy victory over the rain-dampened racetrack. Someway Same Hall held second while Bobby Krivelin rallied Permanent Joy from far back to finish third.
It was the seventh seasonal victory and the 43rd career triumph for the altered son of Earl Of Stormont who paid $4.40 for win. He’s owned and trained by his driver. And for Schwartz, it was his 11th driving victory of the year and the 619th of his illustrious amateur career.