Monticello, NY – Michael Merton and Monica Eriksen took home top honors at the conclusion of the 2025 season at Monticello Raceway.
Defending leading dash-winning driver Merton once again secured top honors in 2025, while trainer Monica Eriksen, who finished second in 2024, took home the top award. This was the fourth time that Merton won the dash title.
Merton led the way with 250 wins and earnings of $1.2 million and ended the year with an impressive UDRS of .347. He finished the year with a total of 326 wins, which ranked 21st in North America.
Greg Merton was second with 222 wins at Monticello, with a total of 242, which ranked 43rd in North America. Former multiple dash-winning driver Bruce Aldrich Jr. was third at Monticello, with 202 trips to the winner’s circle. The resurgent Kyle DiBenedetto had a banner year with 183 winners. Rounding out the top five was Thomas Merton with 106 wins.
On the training side of the ledger, a newcomer to the top spot this year was Eriksen. Her barn had 508 starts, with 115 winners and purses of $473,411. Finishing second was Tammy Sowers, with 102 winners. Defending leading trainer Laura Aldrich seized the third spot with 101 wins. Ken Koch was fourth with 71 and the stable of Jim Doherty Jr. took the fifth spot, with 59 winners.
Icarus Falls N led all horses with 17 wins, which tied for sixth in North America. Special Graduate had 14 wins followed by Modern Rock and Ziggy Sky, who tied with 13 trips to the winner’s circle.
During the course of the year, there were two pacing track records set; Hunt Off The Press set a new mark of 1:53.1 for 2-year-old geldings and 3-year-old filly Shes A Streaker established a new record of 1:52.2.
Over the summer when the NYSS were in full swing, horses such as Spencer Hanover, Fragment, Nezuko Kamado S, AI, Dandy Ideal, The Last Martini, and My Debt Collecter all made starts at the famed Catskill Mountain Oval.