Geri Schwarz Photo
Monticello, NY - If the harness racing driver s colony at Monticello Raceway were a baseball team, they would be 20 games ahead of their nearest rival, on Thursday December 31, Mike Merton had his second Grand Slam in two days, and for the 3rd time this season.
Merton s batting average (UDRS) is .389.
Other drivers that had a Grand Slam this year at the Mighty M are Bruce Aldrich, Jim Taggart Jr, James Devaux and Cory Stratton.
Merton started off in the fourth inning, race four with a win aboard Dotted Line (2:00.3 - $7.00) next up was Baywood Shadow (2:00.2 - $6.30) who earned his seventh win of the COVID shortened season.
Geri Schwarz Photo
On Wednesday afternoon at Monticello Raceway Jim Taggart Jr. had a driving Grand Slam on the 12 race harness racing card.
Taggart wasted no time, winning the first race with Cerisier (2:00-$10.20) after a short hiatus until race 6 he visited the winners circle with Askmelater Hanover (1:58.4- $6.90).
And then with Smart Talker (1:58.4-$16.00) who earned his first win of the year, the 4-year-old
Well Said gelding is trained by Danny Gill.
The Grand Slam occurred in the last race of the day aboard Man He Can Skoot (1:58.1-$3.30) for trainer Francis McCahey.
Taggart is the second leading dash winning driver with 112 wins behind the leader Bruce Aldrich Jr. with 129.
Monticello Raceway
Something that you don t see very often is two dead-heats on the same day, this unique harness racing oddity occurred Tuesday afternoon at Monticello Raceway.
The first dead heat was in race 6, Blue Line (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) and Rockin In The Hills (Greg Merton) tripped the time in tandem in 1:58.3, Chip For Real (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) and See You Friday duplicated the feat five races later as they crossed the wire in unison in 1:58.4.
Also on the card James Taggart Jr. drove four winners, Greg Merton had three winners, James Devaux Michael Merton and Bruce Aldrich Jr each had two winners on the afternoon, both of Aldrich s win came in each dead heat race.
A harness racing rarity occurred Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 22) at Monticello Raceway when, not one but two dead heats happened on the same card.
The first dead heat was in Race 6, where Blue Line and Rockin In The Hills tripped the timer in tandem in 1:58.3. Chip For Real and See You Friday duplicated the feat five races later as they crossed the wire in unison in 1:58.4.
Also on the card James Taggart Jr. drove four winners, Greg Merton had three winners, James Devaux Michael Merton and Bruce Aldrich Jr each had two winners on the afternoon, both of Aldrich’s win came in each dead heat race. Trainer Dan Gill had two winners from his barn, Gill is currently in fourth place for leading trainers with 34 wins this season.
Geri Schwarz Photo
Monticello, NY - Bliss And Luck notched her 6th consecutive harness racing victory at Monticello Raceway on Monday December 21.
Her first start at the Mighty M was November 16, at the time the 7 year old
Rockin Image mare was trained by Andrew Adamczyk, while under Andrews care the aged mare won 4 races before being claimed by Jim Doherty Jr. on December 7th.
While in the barn of Jim Doherty Jr. Bliss And Luck has won back to back races.
True to her past performances the mare went wire to wire from the rail to score in 2:00.1.
Bliss And Luck