by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — On Tuesday afternoon (July 24) eight of the best older pacers in North America will lock horns in the $480,000 Monticello-OTB Classic, which will be the biggest purse race in the 50-year history of Monticello Raceway.

Last Tuesday, in the race’s elimination events, Ian Fromowitz and John Fielding’s Buckeye One started from the rail position and was victorious on the front end in a 1:52 clocking, while Mypanmar scooted to the lead at the half in his split and then cruised to a 1:52.3 victory.

But after Buckeye One drew post position eight in the final, the complexion of the race has changed dramatically.

Though driver Tony Morgan said his pacer can race equally well either in front or from behind, having to start from post eight on the double oval is truly a detriment.

David Miller qualified both Mister Big and Mypanmar from the eliminations, but has chosen to drive Mister Big in the rich finale, despite Mister Big having drawn post position six and Mypanmar starting from the three hole.

One doesn’t have to be a harness racing aficionado to know that Dave Miller feels his winning chances are better with Joe Muscara’s Mister Big — the same pacer he won the $600,000 Haughton Final with in 1:48.2 at the Big M two weeks ago — than they would be if he drove Mypanmar instead.

However, don’t feel bad for the Peter Pan Stables’ Mypanmar, because Hall of Famer John Campbell will be in town to drive the son of The Panderosa in the final.

Maltese Artist, owned by Sylvia Burke, John Howard and James Koran will again have Brian Sears at the controls. Sears qualified both Maltese Artist and Fox Valley Appeal from the eliminations, but has chosen to drive Maltese Artist despite having to start from post position seven.

Perhaps a sleeper in the contest is Ribbonships’ Fox Valley Appeal, who’ll now be driven by Cat Manzi. The 4-year-old Sportsmaster gelding finished a close second to Mypanmar last week and has drawn post position two, which will put him in the hunt early in the contest. And from that starting position Fox Valley Appeal could get a good trip and be in the hunt at the finish.

Then again, Western Ace, owned by Kovacs Stable and Teague Inc., put in a good mile in the elims also, when he finished second to Buckeye One in his 1:52 victory. Daniel Dube will handle the lines behind the Western Ideal gelding when he starts from post position five.

Dube also qualified JK Big Shot from the eliminations, but has yielded the lines to Yannick Gingras, who will handle Jean Picard’s pacer in the finale and leave from post position four.

And any gambler will tell you never completely overlook the horse starting from the rail position. In this case it’ll be the veteran He Wants It All, a fourth place finisher in his elimination division last week. Stephane Bouchard gets the driving assignment this week behind Michael Polansky’s pacer.

The field for Monticello Raceway’s richest event ever lines up as follows: He Wants It All (1-Stephane Bouchard); Fox Valley Appeal (2-Catello Manzi); Mypanmar (3-John Campbell); JK Big Shot (4-Yannick Gingras); Western Ace (5-Daniel Dube); Mister Big (6-David Miller); Maltese Artist (7-Brian Sears) and Buckeye One (8-Tony Morgan).

As was stated in the rules, the trainer of the winner of the Monticello-OTB Classic will receive a $10,000 bonus and there is a $5,000 windfall if a horse breaks the 1:51.4 overall track record in that race.

Post time for the Tuesday card is 1:10 p.m. The Monticello Classic will be the 10th race on the card with an approximate post time of 4:05 p.m.