by John Manzi, for the NAADA

Monticello, NY — At Yonkers Raceway on Thursday (Sept. 6), Team USA extended their lead over the visiting New Zealanders in the international amateur driving competition dubbed the Yanks vs. the Kiwis. After two victories by the Yanks they now lead the Kiwis by a 94-61 score.

In the two races that were part of the competition, the USA’s Dave Siegel and Bob Hechkoff each were victorious. Siegel won the first event with Urbino Hanover in 1:58 while Hechkoff took the nightcap behind Little Miss Henry in a 1:57.3 clocking. Both races were on the betting card.

Siegel turned his trick after taking the lead from Joe Faraldo and I’m A Gordy Too at the quarter in a soft :30 and then raced confidently on the front-end throughout the rest of the mile despite being challenged on the outside from the start by New Zealand’s John McDermott driving Daylon Beware.

At the third stanza McDermott’s pacer tired and backed through the field but Faraldo’s charge, I’m A Gordy Too, had dead aim on the leader after riding a two hole journey, but the pacer came up empty in the :28 last quarter. Still, Faraldo held second and Kiwi Tim Simmons rallied Lockettejasper for third money.

Urbino Hanover, an 8-year–old son of Western Ideal owned and trained by Art Brewer II, returned a $4.60 win mutuel.

If Siegel had little trouble defeating the field he faced, Hechkoff’s victory was hard-pressed from the start.

After leaving from the two hole with Little Miss Henry, Hechkoff was challenged for the lead by a host of pacers, first by Peter Gerry and So Confusing in a :28 first stanza. After Gerry found a hole, U Foria BB and Dave Siegel ranged alongside the leader and kept pressure on Little Miss Henry. But the 4-year-old daughter of Henry Clay kept right at her business, rebuffing any and all challenges and when she rounded the final turn she had three lengths on her competition and coasted home a two length winner. Blue Monster and Kiwi Tim Simmons, sixth at the three-quarters, rallied to finish second while U Foria BB was third, some four length behind the winner.

Little Miss Henry, owned by Santo Farina and Frank Roberts and trained by Jose Godinez, paid $4.40 for win.

As is customary with all international amateur driving competitions, all the participants, and their guests, are treated to dinner and wine at a local restaurant by the host country and Thursday’s venue of choice was Yonkers Raceway’s dining room.

The competition concludes on Friday with an event at Freehold Raceway.