Yonkers, NY — Tony Verruso sent Exarch to the lead and proceeded to make every pole a winning one en route to a 1:57.2 win in Thursday’s (May 20) $15,000 final of the North American Amateur Drivers Association Spring Series at Yonkers Raceway.

“I knew we were the horse to beat, and since Exarch doesn’t like to pass horses, the front end is the place for him,” Verruso acknowledged. “And getting to the front with him is easy since he has real good gate speed. All I have to do is chirp at him and he’s gone.”

After starting from post two, Exarch cruised to a :28 quarter. When he passed the half in :58, he had two lengths on his competition. Exarch was still in command past the third stanza in 1:27.3, but he had Madhatter Bluechip (Joe Lee) on his throat latch. When they rounded the final turn and turned for home, the two were joined by Dark Pool (John Calabrese), and the three battled down the stretch all the way to the wire. Although it was close, Exarch emerged victorious by a head over Manhattan Blue Chip. Dark Pool was a head farther back in third.

The winner, a 6-year-old Cantab Hall gelding, is owned by Fortune Valley Stable and trained by John Gerow, who indicated that he is donating his trainer’s percentage to the Standardbred Transition Alliance.