by John Manzi, for the Billings Series
Freehold, NJ — Harness racing’s greatest traveling roadshow, the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Series, is on the move again Saturday (May 26) featuring a trot at Freehold Raceway and for the third time in amateur contests over the past week once again a lady is the champ.
Emulating previous amateur winners Jennifer Lappe and Monica Banca, this time Annie “Get Your Gun” Stoebe turned the tables on the boys when she went down the road unchallenged and coasted home an easy three length winner with Uriel in a time of 1:58.3.
A member of multiple amateur driving clubs, this season marks the first time that the talented miss is participating in the sport’s oldest and longest running amateur organization.
After seven trotters had lined-up behind the mobile starting gate, Stoebe gunned her charge to the front from the two-hole and they were four lengths ahead of the field when the quarter pole timer flashed :28.4.
Still leading the way by the half, albeit by only two lengths, that margin was dramatically increased to eight lengths as she led Orange Bigi and driver “Mighty Matt” Zuccarello into the final turn. Still six lengths to the good at the top of the lane, the announcer told fans holding mutuel tickets with Uriel’s number to get in line to collect.
Orange Bigi made up some ground in the stretch but at the finish it was Uriel and Annie Stoebe by a solid three lengths. After he recovered from going off-stride early in the mile, Eyore Hanover, with David “Poppa” Glasser at the controls, garnered the show dough.
Stoebe owns the winner, a 7-year-old Explosive Matter gelding, who paid $8.80 to his backers. It was the third seasonal and fourth lifetime driving victory for Stoebe who began her career in the sulky just last season.
Over the Memorial Day weekend the international Billings Harness Driving Series will have contests in Canada on Sunday at Flamboro Downs and Monday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.