by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Last year Percee Angus won 21 races and on January 2, the opening day of the 2007 campaign at Monticello Raceway, she picked up where she left off last season by winning in a commendable 1:55.3.

In her next start on January 16, the Blissfull Hall 5-year-old pacing mare came up inexplicably empty and finished a dismal seventh over a track softened by two previous days of rain. However, she made amends on Monday (January 22) with a sparkling gate-to-wire victory against the best pacing mares on the grounds in the weekly $15,000 Mares Preferred.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Percee Angus leads Lazy Running N and Drinking Games to the wire for another victory.

For the third time this season trainer Lance Hudson secured the driving services of Greg Merton and though Percee Angus had drawn post position seven, Merton fired her to the lead, but she didn’t take command until Jordan “the Kid” Stratton, driving Lazy Running N, left her go as they passed the quarter-mile marker in a swift :28.

At that point Stratton probably figured he took the sting out of Purcee Angus and his game plan obviously was to sit in tight in behind her until she tired. Stratton’s racing strategy seemed correct except for one little thing — Percee Angus failed to tire and when the field straightened away in the homestretch no one could gain appreciably on her.

At the wire, Percee Angus was a one length winner in a 1:57.2 clocking. Stratton’s Lazy Running N held off Drinking Games (Eric Goodell), last week’s winner in this class, to finish second in a tight photo.

Percee Angus, owned by Fred and Anita Fialkow of Wellington, Fla., paid $5.60 for win.

A note of interest that almost got away

Unintentionally overlooked was the driving double turned in by Anne Wheeler here on January 5.

Ms. Wheeler, who is believed to be the third winningest lady driver in North America with 803 career victories, scored with both trotters she drove that afternoon.

In the fifth race she guided Speedy Big Ras to a wire-to-wire victory in 2:04.4 and then came back in the 11th race to rein Speedy Rosey to a come-from-behind triumph in a 2:06 clocking.

Wheeler, at 66 years of age, can easily rival the exploits of octogenarians Dr. Howard E. Gill or Orrin Phipps and one would have to certainly search high and low to find a female sexagenarian who has reined two winners on one pari-mutuel race card.