Freehold NJ — A two-hole journey and a late rally was just what Marianna Monaco needed when she guided 13-1 shot Sb Fine And Dandy to a nose triumph over another longshot, 29-1 Broadway Bruiser, in the American Harness Drivers Club trot at Freehold Raceway on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 2).

One could say that Monaco played hardball by not yielding the lead, preferring to park-out all comers, and though she did, still her trotter had enough in the tank to hold off a late charge from Broadway Bruiser and driver Tony Beltrami to score a nose decision in the 2:02 mile in the first seasonal event of the 2021 amateur driving series.

Starting from the two-hole Monaco first kept Wygant Prince and Paul Minore on the limb and after Minore found a hole along the pylons she braced for a challenge from 10-1 Always A Good Time, driven by Joe Faraldo.

As they headed to the halfway point Sb Fine And Dandy and Faraldo’s charge hooked up in a duel with Monaco’s trotter still holding command all the way to the top of the stretch. As the two leaders headed for home just heads apart Beltrami came from far back with Broadway Bruiser and he and Sb Fine And Dandy charged to the finish line noses apart.

It required a lengthy look by the judges but when the decision was made Sb Fine And Dandy was a short nose better than Broadway Bruiser with Faraldo’s charge just a tick back in third place.

The winner, a 6-year-old altered son of Claudius Augustus, reined supreme for the sixth time in his career. He is currently under lease to Edwin Quevedo.

Sb Fine And Dandy paid $29.00, $11.00 and $6.80. Broadway Bruiser returned $22.20 and $10.80. Together they teamed up for a $544.40 exacta. And the trifecta was worth $2,191.00.