by John Manzi, for the NAADA and Billings Series

Monticello, NY — Ever since the resurgence of amateur racing in the early 1980s Monticello Raceway has been in the forefront of that movement. On the Thursday afternoon card of Oct. 26 three events — two NAADA trots and one trot for Billings drivers — were carded and when the races were declared official, Alan Schwartz, Jennifer Lappe and Bobby Krivelin each were victorious in their respective splits.

Geri Schwarz photo

Alan Schwartz won the first NAADA Trot with Linda Marie in 2:00.

Schwartz won the first NAADA Trot with Linda Marie in 2:00 while Lappe copped the second division with Fox Valley Steffen in a 2:00.3 clocking. Krivelin’s triumph came in a Billings Trot when he guided Permanent Joy home first in 1:59.

In his NAADA split Schwartz, driving Linda Marie for the first time, sent the 6-year-old Crazed mare to the lead when the wings of the mobile gate folded although it wasn’t his pre-race plan.

“I thought I’d follow Peter’s (Kleinhans) horse (Toss Cartwright, the betting favorite from the rail) and sit in behind him but my mare got away quickly so I sent her to the lead and it was a good thing I did because Toss Cartwright made a break on the first turn,” Schwartz related.

Schwartz and his trotting mare stepped by the first quarter in a swift :28.4 and with the next stanzas well rated, no others took a shot at the leader and she cruised though fractions of :31.1 and :30.3 before kicking in a :29.3 final quarter en route to a 1-1/2 length triumph over Tony Verruso’s Flirting Duesy and Bobby Krivelin’s Connie Keeper.

Owned and trained by Jim Doherty Jr., Linda Marie paid $6.50 for win.

The second NAADA split was a six-horse field with two women among the drivers and one, Jennifer Lappe, showed she knows her way around the racetrack when she kept her charge, Fox Valley Steffen, close to the pace and then maneuvered him on the final turn so she had a clear passage to the wire.

“I was content to follow the leaders as Paul (Minore) set steady fractions with Wygant Prince and on the final turn I looked for the short path to the wire and used the passing lane to my advantage. In the deep stretch we trotted by Ladys Big Stormont (Alan Schwartz) and Wygant Prince (Paul Minore) and we were home free.”

Lappe owns and trains Fox Valley Steffen who as the longest shot on the board paid $23.20.

The final amateur race was a leg of America’s premier traveling roadshow, the C.K.G. Billings Series. In that contest seven trotters lined-up behind the starting gate and when the wings folded Bobby “Rapid Rail” Krivelin and Permanent Joy took charge.

After starting from the five hole Krivelin sent his veteran 9-year-old trotter to the front and literally toyed with the opposition and played catch me if you can. But no one could as he and his Trot For Joy gelding cruised through fractions of :29, :58.3 and 1:28.3 before finishing a solid two lengths in front of Tim Lizzie and driver “Yankee Joe” Lee for a two length victory in 1:59.

“He’s super on the lead,” Krivelin said upon his return to the paddock as he handed the lines to the horse’s groom. “He’s (Permanent Joy) a nice old horse and a real pleasure to drive.”

Owned by the Hero Stables and trained by Krivelin, Permanent Joy won for the fifth time this season and 35th time in his career. He returned a $7.00 mutuel.