A two-hole journey and a late rally was just what Marianna Monaco needed to guide 13-1 shot SB Fine And Dandy to a nose win over another long shot, 29-1 Broadway Bruiser, in the $9,000 American Harness Drivers Club Trot at Freehold Raceway on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 2).
Monaco played hardball and parked out all comers. Though she did, her trotter had enough in the tank to hold off a late charge from Broadway Bruiser and driver Tony Beltrami for a 2:02 win in the first amateur driving event of 2021.
Starting from post two, Monaco kept Wygant Prince and Paul Minore on the limb. After Minore found a hole along the pylons, Monaco braced for a challenge from 10-1 Always A Good Time, driven by Joe Faraldo. Headed to the halfway point, SB Fine And Dandy and Always A Good Time hooked up in a duel with Monaco s trotter still holding command all the way to the top of the stretch. As the two leaders headed for home just heads apart, Beltrami came from far back with Broadway Bruiser. SB Fine
Good things have been coming in multiples recently for members of the Freehold Raceway driving colony. Eric Abbatiello won five races on the card Saturday (December 12), making this the sixth straight day a driver has won at least four races.
Abbatiello got his first winner of the day in Race 3, guiding Black Dan to victory for trainer Dave Wiskow. He gave Albert A Scootin a great pocket-sitting trip in the sixth race, for trainer John Bavosi. He got the hat trick on 20/1 shot Sword ofthe Spirit in Race 10 for trainer Lewis Nunes, and completed the grand slam with front-running Natural Leda in Race 11. Mike Russo was the winning trainer. Abbatiello capped his big day in the 12th race, as Brass Monkey went gate-to-wire for trainer Randy Taft.