by John Manzi, for the C.K.G. Billings Series

Monticello, NY — In arguably his best day in the sulky, financial consultant Dave “Steady As” Yarock won both trots in the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Series at Saratoga on Sunday (June 8).

He won the $5,000 first split with favored CSI What’s My Name in 1:58.1 and came right back two races later to score a 2:00.2 triumph with Nowerland Nathan in the second $5,000 division.

In the first event Yarock settled his trotter in third position behind pacesetter Mr Invincible and driver “Tough Tony” Ciuffetelli but came first-up as the field headed to the halfway point.

Both horses raced side by side up the backstretch and around the final turn and they were stills heads apart approaching the finish before CSI What’s My Name reached down for more and scored a head decision over Mr Invincible in one of the fastest amateur trots of the season on a double oval. Third place went to Celtic Merchant driven by Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford.

CSI What’s My Name is owned by Yarock, Dave Glasser and Joel Golub and trained by Jimmy Doherty Jr. He paid $6.10 for win.

Although Nowerland Nathan was sent off at odds of better than 10-1 he was a more convincing winner than his stablemate in the first Billings division.

When the race started Yarock sent his charge to the lead from the two hole and they made every pole a winning one en route to a wire-to-wire triumph in a time of 2:00.2.

Yarock caught a break when three of his competitors broke at the start, but he reined his trotter through even quarters until he passed the third stanza. In the lane Nowerland Nathan was still strong enough to rebuff a late charge from Alaric and driver “Johnny on the Spot” Kolkowski. Bobby “Rapid Rail” Krivelin took home the show dough with Ace High Hall.

Again, like in the first split, Jimmy Doherty Jr. is the trainer of record and Yarock the owner. Nowerland Nathan paid $23.60, $10.80 and $9.60 across the board.