by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Monticello Raceway’s Heritage Drivers Series began on January 15 with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pace for drivers of African-American heritage and continued for seven consecutive months with a race for different ethnicities and culminated with the Godfather Pace for drivers of Italian-American descent on August 26. On Wednesday, October 7, the winners of each of the preliminary legs in the Heritage Drivers Series will return to battle in the final event, dubbed the All-America Pace.

The field for that event has been drawn and drivers were assigned to their pacers by a lottery drawing and after the sixth race on Wednesday’s card one ethnicity will have earned bragging rights on the strength of their driver’s victory.

“On paper it seems to be a very competitive race with nearly any of the eight pacers with a chance to win,” said the track’s Director of Racing, Eric Warner. “And with many of the divers among the track’s leaders it’s anybody’s ball game.”

Seven of the eight who have driven a winner in the preliminaries are locals except for Doreen Dailey who won the Lady Godiva Pace in February which featured the talents of the gentler sex. Ms. Dailey, who’s been a regular competitor in the Mildred Williams Series this year, will travel up from Freehold Raceway to sit behind Blue Demon Stables’ Rainin Fire, who comes into the contest off a 1:59 victory in his last start.

Though Rainin Fire has been rated 7-2 on the early line the favorite’s roll goes to PB Racing Stables’ Bolero Artifice, who’ll be driven by Jordan Stratton, the winner of the Munich Mile for drivers of German heritage. Slated at 5-2 Bolero Artifice won his last race in 1:59.2.

Second choice on the morning line is Michelle Macedonio’s Fuzzy Charmer, who’ll have the services of Jimmy Marohn, who earned a berth in the All America Pace by winning the Godfather Pace on Christopher Columbus’ birthday, August 26. Fuzzy Charmer has two second place finishes in his last two starts but has won nine times this season.

But don’t discount Zeke Parker, who’ll handle Woody Hoblitzell’s Night Mystery, who also was a winner in his last start. Parker earned a berth in the finale after he won the Mayflower Mile for drivers of British extraction.

And with drivers like Stephane Bouchard, Jimmy Marohn, Jr., Cedric Washington and PJ Lutman III with mounts in the event the All America Pace not only has the makings of a very competitive race but one that should see a lot of action through the mutuel windows.

It should be noted that Cedric Washington will be subbing for the Dr. King Pace winner Jim King Solomon, who was unable to be here, and second place finisher Donald Simmonds couldn’t be contacted. However, Washington, who finished third, also has won two Dr. King Paces over the years.

The field with drivers, post positions, and early odds lines up as follows: 1-Badlands Ball (Jimmy Marohn, Jr.-10-1); 2-Rainin Fire (Doreen Dailey-7-2); 3-Bolero Artifice (Jordan Stratton-5-2); 4-Syl P (Peter Lutman III-12-1); 5-Fuzzy Charmer (Jimmy Marohn-3-1); 6-Night Mystery (Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr.-4-1); 7-Nifty Illusion (Stephane Bouchard-9-2); and 8-Radical Reaction (Cedric Washington-8-1).

The 13-race card gets underway at 1:10 p.m. with the post time for the All-America Pace slated at approximately 2:40 p.m.