Monticello, NY – On Tuesday afternoon (Oct 2), Jim Taggart Jr. dominated the card and won five races on the afternoon, including four in a row.

Jim Taggert Jr. drove Road Untraveled to the first of his five wins Wednesday at Monticello. Geri Schwartz Photo.

The win streak started in the second half of the early daily double in race two aboard Road Untraveled from the rail. The Dave Dziengiel-trained son of recently deceased stallion Grimfromeartoear notched his ninth win of the year, scoring in 1:57 and paid $3.80.

Next up for Taggert Jr. was Natalie Hanover, starting from outside post six, who worked hard to make the front end. But once she did, she cruised to a win in 1:59 to pay $4.90. It was her fourth win from 20 starts in 2019.

In the fourth race, Needles And Pins also started from the rail and had a similar trip as Natalie Hanover scoring in 1:58 and returning $5 to win. The 11-year-old gelding by Village Jove scored his fifth seasonal win for trainer Anthony Regina.

Race five saw Lightupbullville bull his way to the front end and, from there, he never looked back, scoring an easy 7-3/4 length win in the fastest mile of the day in 1:56.3.  The 8-year-old gelding paid $2.80 in winning for long-time Monticello Raceway trainer Murray Bassen and owners Gray Thunder II Stables of New Rochelle, NY.

After a brief, two-race hiatus, Taggert scored with former Monticello Raceway Horse of the Year Warrawee Preferred, the 8-year-old gelded son of Federal Flex who won for trainer Gary Messenger 1:57.3 paying $4. With his fourth win of the year, he is on the cusp to eclipse the $245,000 mark in lifetime earnings.

The 49-year-old Taggart currently is in second place in the Monticello driver’s colony with 184 wins, trailing leader Michael Merton who has 203. Rounding out the top three leading dash winners is Austin Siegelman with 143.