by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association

Monticello, NY — The falling rain was unrelenting on Hall of Fame Day, July 3 at Historic Track but the show went on just the same. The program which featured the annual Hall of Fame Trot, a race with the trotters being driven by Hall of Fame drivers, was supported by three divisions of the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Championship Series.

Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford got the day started when he guided SA Poster Boy to a wire-to-wire, 2:09.2 triumph as the rain kept pouring down. It was an easy triumph for Oldford who was surprisingly unchallenged in a 1:08 half and with nobody coming Oldford took advantage of his situation.

“Hey, I know I went a slow first half and even though I wasn’t carrying a watch I thought I would be there around 1:05. But when no one came I just let my horse trot along at his own leisure,” Oldford explained. “Finally up the backside they did come at us but with the slow half my horse was fresh and he trotted to an easy victory.”

“Tough Tony” Ciuffetelili, with Chartleysmonalisa, made a run at the leader up the backstretch and around the final turn but the 1:01.2 final half time was a little too quick for them to make up all the ground and they finished second. Third place went to “Cowboy Eric’ Taddeo with Twofiftyforhersox.

In the second split David “Steady As” Yarock and Biggerthebetter shadowed the leader, REL Postage Due and driver Simeon “Hot Rod” Hunsdon, all the way until the top of the stretch, where the two raced as a team to the wire. Biggerthebetter was the strong horse in the deep stretch and prevailed in a time of 2:01.2. Leaves And Twigs took home the show dough for David “King Kong” Kingstrom.

“I had a good trip although up the backstretch I didn’t think we had enough to overtake Simeon (with REL Postage Due) but on the final turn I thought we could catch him and we did,” Yarock said after the race.

In the final Billings trot Alan “the Intimidator” Schwartz took no prisoners and went down the road with Blade and they coasted to an easy three length triumph in a 2:04.3 clocking over Strength’s Victory and driver Tony “the Capo” Verruso. Third place went to Valcyon Day who was driven by Scott “the Driving Doctor” Woogen.

Schwartz’ triumph, like Oldford’s, was also abetted by a slow first half. Blade passed the halfway point in 1:04.2 and then kicked in a :29.2 third stanza before finishing with a :30.4 last quarter en route to a 1:00.1 final half clocking.

“Once we got on top and no one came I knew that would be a good sign. And when Tony (Verruso) came at us at the half my horse hit another gear and we raced head to head until the final turn,” Schwartz said. “But in the lane it was all us.”

Next up in Billings action will be a Midwest Region contest at Hoosier Park in Indiana on Friday (July 8) followed by weekend in Maine for Eastern Region drivers; Saturday (July 9) at Bangor Raceway and Sunday (July 10) at Scarborough Downs.