by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — More and more, the Monticello Raceway trainer-driver combination of Bob Lounsbury and Bruce Aldrich, Jr. continues to be extremely hard to beat.

The two stats leaders added yet another win to their seasonal resumes when Aldrich guided the Lounsbury-trained DVC Gifted Indeed to a stunning upset of Haroun Hanover (Jimmy Marohn, Jr.), who was a 2-5 favorite to score his 10th victory of the year on Tuesday (March 26).

Geri Schwarz photo

DVC Gifted Indeed was a 1:57.1 winner on Tuesday.

Instead of yielding to the odds-on favorite, Aldrich gunned DVC Gifted Indeed to the lead as the wings of the mobile starting gate folded and played catch me if you can.

Athough it appeared that DVC Gifted Indeed might fold late in the mile, the pacer reached down and held tough en route to a one length triumph over Happyending and Zeke Parker in a time of 1:57.1.

After the race a disappointed Marohn was contacted in the paddock.

“He was no good today,” Marohn said about Haroun Hanover, who finished fourth in his quest for his 10th seasonal victory. “I was surprised that he wasn’t on his game. He didn’t grab on as he usually does and in fact I was loose-lining him most of the way. He was empty.

“He seemed like he was off (unsound) up front.”

Meanwhile the connections of DVC Gifted Indeed were happy. The 6-year-old Place To Be gelding, a 14-time winner last year, now has four wins, two seconds and one third in eight 2013 starts.

“He (DVC Gifted Indeed) too, is not a sound horse but he has a big heart and in the right class he’s a monster, that is, until his aches and pains slow him down,” Lounsbury said.

Owned by Irwin Kaplan of Merrick, N.Y., DVC Gifted Indeed paid $17.00 to win.

With his defeat, the Danny Gill-trained Haroun Hanover really has nothing to be ashamed of. The pacer has nine wins in 12 starts and until the Monticello-based Tracys Song — also a Lounsbury-Aldrich connection — won on Monday (March 25) afternoon, both pacers were tied for the most wins in North America this year.