by John Manzi, for the Billings Series

Monticello, NY — Last year Bobby “Rapid Rail” Krivelin won 15 races and was USHWA’s Amateur Driver of the Year which was the third time in his career that he has attained that honor. Again this year Krivelin, a food purveyor by trade, is off to a good start, already with six wins to his credit.

His latest triumph came Monday (June 15) at Plainridge Racecourse when he reined Gimme The Loot to a 2:00.4 victory over Alternat Thursdays and driver Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff in a field shortened to six horses after two scratches.

Sent off at odds of 9-1 from the pole position, Krivelin gunned Gimme The Loot to the lead and took no prisoners. They were a length in front of Scott “the Driving Doctor” Woogen’s Order By Me when the field passed the first stanza in a swift :27.4.

A :32 breather got Gimme The Loot to the half in :59.4 and in the process caused Bob Hechkoff to move the betting favorite, Alternat Thursdays, out to challenge.

When Hechkoff moved off the pylons Tony “the Capo” Verruso followed suit with Sam’s Honeybee and as the field headed for the three-quarters there were two tiers of trotters, four along the pylons and two on the limb and the order remained the same until the homestretch.

Meanwhile, Casanova Lady and “Hot-Handed Hannah” Miller, traveling along in fourth place but third on the pylons, found herself locked in and in the lane Casanova Lady never got a clear shot at the leaders, although she rallied late to finish third. Doc Woogen finished fourth and Verruso was fifth.

The winner, Gimme The Loot, is owned by the Hero Stables and is trained by Krivelin. He paid $20.80 for win. For Krivelin, it was his 173rd driving victory.