by John Manzi, for the Billings Series

Northfield, OH — Over the past few weeks in the Billings Midwest region a battle has been raging between Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford and Michelle “the Belle” Ruvola. Oh, not a physical one, but a competition which involved their trotters — Kaffir Kemp and Better Call Saul.

It seems that they have been trading victories.

“We’ve been going back and forth recently. I won last night with Kaffir Kemp and Michelle got me last week with Better Call Saul,” Oldford explained.

And in the two previous weeks victory was either Oldford’s or Ruvola’s.

Oldford, reached by phone, related that because of constant rain Monday night the track was muddy and visibility was tough.

“I’m still wiping mud from places I never thought I would have to,” he joked.

In the race over the muddy oval eight trotters lined-up behind the mobile starting gate and even before the field was turned loose two had gone off stride.

“I fired-up my guy before the start because I wanted to be on the lead,” Oldford said. “He has always had good gate speed and we cleared to the lead from the five-hole but we had to deal with Marvin (Raber with Mikey Hanover) who was on the limb. So I opened up some daylight with hopes he’d get in behind me, which he did.”

But lurking behind Mikey Hanover was the betting favorite, Better Call Saul, and when the leaders straightened up the backside Ruvola moved Better Call Saul off the pylons. However, Kiffir Kemp was up to the challenge and they battled all the way to the wire and the victory belonged to Oldford’s trotter who was a head better than Ruvola’s as the finish line timer flashed 1:58.2. After a slow start Grana Padanno, who trailed the leaders by some 12 lengths in the early going, rallied to finish third for Dean “What Am I Bid” Beachy.

Kaffir Kemp is owned by the Oldford Stable and trained by Terry Deters. He returned an $11.00 win mutuel.