Plainridge Racecourse photo

John Hogan (left) and Mario Martellotta, Sr. were the winning team at Plainridge.

The fifth and seventh races were conditioned races and were selected for the four teams of two drivers, one an amateur and one a professional. They consisted of the top winning drivers at the track and the top three amateur drivers in point totals and the next leading UDR driver in the amateur ranks to be the fourth combatant.

After the fifth race, it looked like pro Drew Campbell and partner Bill Abdelnour would be uncatchable after they garnered a first and a fourth for 58 points, but incredibly, as fate would have it, they faded badly in the seventh race and out of the blue came pro John Hogan and partner Mario Martellotta, Sr. who came from the back of the pack with a first and second to score 75 points and pull off the win with Campbell and Abdelnour coming in second.

The winners received a plaque for the amateur and a $50 gift card for the pro. The runners-up, Campbell and Abdelnour, received a plaque for the amateur and a $25 gift card for the pro.

The professionals donated their five percent driving share to a charity of their choice.

— Robert Lieberman

Yarock and Whitney score in Billings races

Monticello, NY — Members of the eastern region of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series were treated to two races over the fabled mile track in East Rutherford N.J., on Memorial Day and when the judges at the Meadowlands posted the “official” signs David “Steady As” Yarock and Todd “the Downeaster” Whitney each reined a winner in their respective divisions with smart and patient drives.

Yarock won the non-wagering contest with a come-from-behind, 1:59.1 victory with his own Patsy B Happy after trotting along in sixth position at the three-quarter pole while “the Downeaster” copped the betting race in a 1:59.2 clocking with Quantum King Crab, also coming from off the pace late in the mile.

In the first split, Cowboy Eric “the Driving Fireman” Taddeo had Highmaker on the lead with Rob “Rapid Rail” Krivelin and Unitas tucked in comfortably behind them. As the field trotted by the quarter pole Yarock had Patsy B Happy in fourth position, some five lengths off the leader, but Yarock waited until the three-quarter marker before he showed Patsy B Happy any daylight.

When the trotters headed down the long homestretch Highmaker and Unitas began to shorten strides and Patsy B Happy was the strongest horse as the 7-year-old Giant Triumph mare rallied to a one length decision over Pilgrims Kassie, who was in rein to “Hot-Handed Harry” Pozefsky. But unfortunately for the college student his trotter, Pilgrims Kassie, was disqualified and placed last for interference while on a break early in the mile contest. That opened the door for the third horse under the wire, Double Strength, driven by Dave “Yes It’s True” Offenberg, to gain second place money and the points that go along with that placing. Unitas was then moved from fourth to third for Mr. Krivelin.

It was the third driving victory this year and ninth in 34 lifetime starts for Yarock, a financial planner from Tenafly, N.J.

The betting race was a well contested event in spite of the fact that the 7-5 favorite Walden, driven by Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff, went off-stride before the start. And to add to Hechkoff’s misfortune, Walden had three $15,000 claims in on him and changed barns after the race.

In that division “Joltin Joe” Pennacchio sent San Siro Lane to the front and even though they cut even fractions when Pennacchio asked for trot in the deep stretch San Siro Lane couldn’t come up with enough to hold off the fast closing Quantum King Crab, who had traversed the mile trotting along in third position. When Whitney angled Quantum King Crab to the outside after the three-quarters the veteran 6-year-old Banker Hall gelding moved forward slowly until midway through the long homestretch where Whitney had him in high gear and they rushed to the finish line for a 1-1/2 length triumph. Second place went to The Big Bam and driver Tony “the Capo” Verruso, who moved to challenge in the deep stretch after shadowing San Siro Lane, who faded and finished third.

Whitney, a self-employed concrete purveyor from Auburn, Maine, notched his 77th career driving victory and 11th in 37 starts this year.

— John Manzi