by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Monticello Raceway’s Au Revoir, for 14-year-olds only, has always been an interesting event, especially since it is the last race of the entrants’ careers.

However, not always does the Au Revoir get enough entries, especially at the end of the racing season. It is rare that during the final year of eligibility that 14-year-olds are still on the racetrack since on Jan. 1 of each ensuing year a harness horse turns one year older and when a Standardbred becomes 15 years of age, for all intents and purposes, its racing days are over.

This year the Au Revoir, scheduled for Monday afternoon (Dec. 30) has a decent chance of filling, which has not always been the case over the past few decades.

According to Eric Warner, the track’s director of racing, he has already heard from three owners of the old-timers who would like their pacers to race in the career-ending event.

“I’ve received correspondence from Dave Zuckerman, Mike Kessler and Tim Conkright, all extremely interested in racing their 14-year-olds in our Au Revoir which will bring us closer to having a race again this year,” Warner said. “Of course we’d like a full field but if we get six or seven we’ll go with it (on the betting card).”

The inaugural Au Revoir went to post in 1991 and each year since the Mighty M has tried to fill the 14-year-old race but was not always successful. The hard part is, and always has been, being able to find enough old-timers who are still racing this late in the season.

Over the years, only six Au Revoirs were contested and one year (2004) a special 14-year old match race — with pari-mutuel wagering — was presented instead, which was an extremely exciting race.

Nevertheless, the most special of the Au Revoir races occurred last year when Whitlock N and driver Kevin Switzer, Jr. turned back the much hyped and race favorite, Tattler’s Jet, in a time of 2:01.3 over a muddy racetrack.

The 2012 Au Revoir received more media coverage than most million dollar spectacles. That $5,000 race drew a full page story with a photo of the hyped favorite, Tattler’s Jet and his trainer Gene Miller, on the opening page of the sports section in the New York Times and there was a follow-up story the next day, also of huge proportions.

The U.S. Trotting Association’s Ellen Harvey, whose unwavering assistance helped get the story published, said a few days after the event “Never did a $5,000 race get so much coverage.”

“Although we race on New Year’s Eve day (Tuesday, Dec. 31), we scheduled our Au Revoir on Dec. 30 because if we get horses that travel from long distances to compete, and we usually do, we prefer that they don’t have to travel home on New Year’s Eve,” Warner added.

Anyone with a 14-year-old Standardbred who’d like to have their horse race one final time before it becomes ineligible, is asked to contact Warner in the racing office by calling 845.794.4100, ext. 557; or they can call the track’s publicity office at ext. 455.