by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Monticello Raceway’s Heritage Drivers Series began on January 17 with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pace, for drivers of African-American heritage, and continued throughout the year with a race for seven other ethnic groups and culminated with the Maple Leaf Mile, for drivers of Canadian descent on October 23.

Now on Thursday (Nov. 29) the winning drivers of each of the preliminary legs in the Heritage Drivers Series will return to battle in the final event, dubbed the All-America Cup.

In what appears to be the most competitive of all the Heritage Drivers Series races, the eight winning drivers in the preliminaries are set to battle.

The field for that event has been drawn and drivers were assigned to their pacers by a lottery drawing.

“On paper this is the most competitive of all the Heritage Drivers Series races this year with nearly any of the eight pacers having a chance to win,” noted Eric Warner, the track’s Director of Racing. “Many of the competing drivers are among the track’s leaders so it’s anybody’s ball game.”

Of the eight starting pacers their combined seasonal win total is 44 with Doug’s Boy and Gin And Vermouth chiming in with 10 wins each. Strangely, one of the aforementioned 10-time winners, Gin And Vermouth, is the favorite in the race and the other, Doug’s Boy, is a 10-1 shot.

Jimmy Devaux, winner of the Maple Leaf Mile, will handle Gin And Vermouth from post five, while Alan Charles, winner of the Passover Trot, will be up behind Doug’s Boy, a 1:59 winner in his last start, who’ll leave from the seven hole. However, both pacers have won in 1:56 and a piece this year.

Jimmy Taggart, Jr., winner of the St. Paddy Pace, has drawn 7-2 rated EHI Guaglione, a winner of six races, the fastest this season a 1:57.4 effort on Oct. 9. Also with merit is Super Killean, a 1:58.3 winner in his last start who’ll be handled by Bobby Williams, Jr., who won the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace. The former will start from the pole position while the latter will leave from the three hole.

Other drivers in the event include Lisa Krom (Lady Godiva) with High Point (5-1) from post two; Mike Forte (Godfather Pace) with Amazda (6-1) from the four hole; Zeke Parker (Mayflower Mile) with Sues Destroyer (8-1) from post six; and Mike Merton (Munich Mile) with Foomanchu (12-1) from the eight hole.

“This is a solid field and a great betting race,” track announcer Howard Oil said after he looked over the official program. “There’ll definitely be some good value in this race.”

After the third race on Thursday’s card one ethnicity will have earned bragging rights on the strength of their representative driver’s victory in the All-America Cup.

First post is at 12.25 p.m.