by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — At the beginning of the month the Dominic Macedonio Memorial Pacing Series began. It ran for four weeks with three preliminary legs and commenced with a $6,600 final and a $3,000 consolation. The top point-getters in the prelims earned berths in the final while the next eight got to compete in the consolation.

Last week the series ending races went to post with Dreamland’s Pony winning a tight photo to cop the final while the consolation went to JD’s Tycoon in yet another close finish.

Geri Schwarz photo

Family and friends gather for the blanket presentation after Dreamlands Pony won the final.

Bruce Aldrich, Jr. drove Dreamlands Pony to a 1:58.3 head victory over a stubborn Doug’s Boy and driver Alan Schwartz, while Billy Dobson reined JD’s Tycoon to a 2:00.2 head victory over Major League who was driven by Brad Kramer.

Both races were very exciting with the winners not surfacing until the final strides in each contest and even then it was very close.

Dreamlands Pony, owned by Stanley Indig, came first over at the half and had enough sting at the end of the mile to keep Schwartz’s Doug’s Boy at bay. Optimist, who cut the entire mile, faded, but was a close third for Brad Kramer.

Gary Wanek’s JD’s Tycoon came with cover at the half and struck the front coming off the final turn and then rebuffed late charges by Major League and Gemini Jon, who was in rein to Zeke Parker.

The series was named for longtime Mighty M horseman Dominic Macedonio who passed away last year. Dominic was a gentle and congenial man with a wonderful personality and he raced horses here since the early 1960s. Over the years many in his family carried on the tradition and are involved, one way or another, in the racing industry.

According to the stats from the United States Trotting Association, Dominic won 248 races but he hadn’t driven a horse since 1994, though he maintained a small stable at a farm not three miles from Monticello Raceway and his horses always competed here.

Dominic suffered incredibly with the passing of his son Carmine, who was destined to become a top driver before he was felled by cancer, and in recent years Dominic, himself, battled that terrible disease right up to the end. And though his daughter Michele races a small contingent here at the Mighty M, Dominic was always real close to his grandson Ryan, whose mother Carole is the daughter of famed announcer Max Brewer.

After the excruciating loss of Carmine, Dominic found solace in his grandson and took him under his wing. They were like two peas in a pod and you hardly saw one without the other. Today Ryan owns, trains and sometimes drives his stock, which is now stabled in Goshen.

On the day of his grandfather’s memorial race one of Ryan’s horses won a race and another finished third.

When the Macedonio family and close friends gathered for a photograph in the winner’s circle after the final there wasn’t a dry eye among them.