by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Allan Davis doesn’t drive as much as he should. However, when the son of outstanding career horseman Eddie Davis jumps up behind a horse he always makes a good showing. In fact, when he competed at Monticello Raceway on a regular basis a few years ago, the local scribes presented their Rising Star Award to him at the year-end Awards Banquet.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Call Me Jate rallies between horses for victory in the $15,000 Preferred Pace.

On Wednesday, Jan. 3 in the weekly $15,000 Preferred Pace, Davis displayed his talents when he weaved his pacer Call Me Jate between horses in the deep stretch to rally to a head victory in a time of 1:55.4.

Content with being near the back of the pack in the early going, Davis moved his pacer with cover as the field neared the half-mile marker. Still second over behind Larry Stalbaum’s Shadows Best Buddy, Davis chose not to go three-deep and opted to wait until the stretch to make a challenge.

However, with the field fanning out for the stretch drive, Davis found that there was very little room to maneuver, but somehow he found a little daylight inside and then a little daylight outside, finally shooting between the leaders in the final strides to score a head decision over Shadows Best Buddy. Casimir Bad Boy, in rein to Greg Merton, had gained the lead past the three-quarters and was still on top at the head of the stretch, but at the finish they had to settle for third money.

Call Me Jate, owned by Davis, but trained by Andy Fulton, was sent off at odds of over 6-1 and paid $15.20 for win.

With the slots fueling purses in many of the eastern states, some of the top reinsmen from the midwest have had a change of address. Eric Goodell, a perennial driving champion in Michigan and a career winner of over 2,650 races, is one that is hoping to catch on back east and with his talent he shouldn’t have too much trouble.

On Wednesday’s card in the $12,500 pacing co-feature, trainer Mark Ford assigned Goodell to handle the driving chores behind Jacob’s Western and the pacer responded remarkably from Goodell’s guidance and they scored a three length, gate-to-wire victory over odds-on favorite Vintage Hanover (Greg Merton) in a 1:55 clocking. Third place went to Flirtin Forever (Mike Merton), who rallied from sixth at the three-quarter pole.

Dismissed by the betting public and sent off at odds of over 11-1, Jacob’s Western, owned by Ed Mullinax and Jacob Ramsburg, returned a $24.60 win mutuel.

And it’s no secret that the weather in the eastern part of the United States has been above normal which could help explain that all 13 races on the Mighty M January 3rd card were timed in 1:58.3 or faster — a rarity indeed at this time of the year at the Catskill Mountains oval.