by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway
Monticello, NY — On Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 30), eight veteran horsemen will don their racing silks and compete in the Metamucil Mile at Monticello Raceway with the winner being tabbed as the “Senior Driver of the Year.”
The Metamucil Mile will feature drivers who are at least 64 years of age. The oldest, John Gilmour, is 73 and the youngest, the baby of the group, Jacques Primeau, is a mere 64. The combined age of the eight senior citizen harness drivers is 550 years.
The Metamucil Mile is slated as race number eight on the 13-race afternoon card on Nov. 30.
Headlining the event is seven-time Monticello Raceway driving champion John Gilmour. Now 73 years of age, Gilmour is in the twilight of his wonderful career, one in which he recorded 4,482 career driving victories. Sep, as he is known on the backstretch, has drawn 9-2 shot He’s Awfully Good and they’ll start from post position three in the Metamucil Mile.
The early line 5-2 favorite, Night Mystery from post two, will have Alan Schwartz at the lines. Schwartz, one of the best amateur drivers of all time with 440 career wins, is also the president of the Monticello Harness Horsemen’s Association. He’s the defending champion and has 40 seasonal driving victories.
Gerry Fielding, 68, another talented amateur driver with 59 career wins, has the 3-1 rated co-favorite Four Starzzzz Lou and they will leave from the four hole.
Greg Decker, 68, the winner of the initial Metamucil Mile in 2009, chimes in with 129 driving victories. He’ll handle 12-1 rated Famous Last Words and they’ll start from the six hole.
Jacques Primeau, 64 years old and the “baby” in the field, will drive 4-1 rated Vantastic Mike and they’ll leave from the coveted pole position. The French-Canadian born reinsman has driven 496 winners in his career.
Unfortunately, the post position draw for the visiting out of towners, Larry Draper, Mickey Bartlette and Mike Caston, didn’t go their way.
Draper, 66 years old and with 56 career wins, will be coming in from Batavia Downs and has drawn post position eight and 8-1 shot Shinning Jesse. When he confirmed his intention to compete in the Metamucil Mile, Draper declared, “I’ll be there and I ain’t coming to lose.”
Bartlette, 72, coming in from Saratoga Raceway, has drawn 10-1 shot BJs Cameo and the seven hole to boot. He joins the field with 54 driving victories. A few years ago Bartlette’s son Lucien competed in Monticello Raceway’s Legal Eagle Pace for licensed lawyer drivers.
And coming the farthest distance to drive in the Metamucil Mile is Dr. Mike Caston, a longtime member of the Billings Series, who’ll be traveling in from Clarkson, Mich. Caston, a veterinarian by trade, will drive 7-2 rated Aristotle and leave from the five hole. Dr. Caston has 29 career amateur driving victories.
It should be noted that driving assignments, like post positions, were drawn by lot.
“The horses in the race are fairly well matched and driving strategy will probably determine the winner,” noted Eric Warner, the track’s director of racing. “But one thing is for sure — it’ll be a battle to the finish.”
Post time for the Wednesday racing program is at 12:25 p.m.