by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — In what will be the first of Monticello Raceway’s Heritage Drivers Series events this season, the Catskill Mountains racetrack will present its seventh annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace on Tuesday, January 15.

The event, which pays homage to the great civil rights leader, will feature the talents of African-American drivers. It has been scheduled on January 15 because that is Dr. King’s actual birthday.

A field of eight are set to battle in the MLK Pace which is slated as race number seven on the 11-race card that afternoon. Featured in that contest is the consummate horseman, George Teague, Jr., who has developed such champions as Rainbow Blue, Southwind Lynx, Western Ace, Danae, Total Truth, Artcotic, Isabella Blue Chip, and Future Destiny.

Noted primarily as a trainer, Teague, who will travel in from Delaware, does drive occasionally but usually limits it to qualifying races where he gets his stock ready for the country’s top catch-drivers.

On Tuesday, Teague will handle Luck Happens, who has been installed as the morning line favorite despite having to start from post position seven. Though third in his first 2008 start, Luck Happens — from the powerful Bob Beauregard barn — was victorious in 1:59 in his race on December 21.

Local teamster Cedric Washington, who has 1,705 career victories and is a two-time MLK race champion, has drawn the Frank Yanoti-trained Andrew Patron N (9-2) and will start from post position two.

Cedric’s dad, longtime horseman General “Bubba” Washington, Jr., also a previous MLK winner, will handle Sauble Keith out of the Gerald Decker barn and start from post position four.

Donald Simmonds, who won last year’s event, has drawn trainer Janine Waldron’s Starhunter N (12-1) and they’ll start from the eight hole.

“We have to thank our local horsemen for supplying the horses for the event, and by the way, it appears on paper the Dr. Martin Luther King Pace should be a very competitive one,” noted Eric Warner, the track’s Director of Racing. “All the horses seem to be of equal caliber and the one that gets the best trip will probably emerge victorious.”

The field, with post positions, drivers and morning line odds lines up as follows: #1- Half Life (George Polk, Jr., 3-1); #2-Andrew Patron N (Cedric Washington, 9-2); #3-Jim Dugan (George Newell, Jr., 10-1) #4-Sauble Keith (General Washington, Jr., 7-2); #5-Viagra Falls (Bobby Williams, Jr., 4-1); #6- BJ’s Jetstream (Dennis Watson, 6-1); #7-Luck Happens (George Teague, Jr., 5-2) and #8-Starhunter N (Donald Simmonds, 12-1).

Driving assignments, like post positions, were drawn by lottery.

The next race in the track’s Heritage Drivers Series will be the Lady Godiva Pace on Valentines Day, February 14, which will feature talents of lady drivers.