Two divisions of trotters in the North American Amateur Drivers Association series went to post tonight at Yonkers Raceway with one split as a non-wagering event off the card followed by a betting race on the nightly wagering program.
Matt Zuccarello won the non-betting contest with Stealing while Tony Ciuffetelli guided Golden Kronos home first in the wagering event.
Sent away as race one on the 10-race betting card tonight Golden Kronos started from the pole and got away third as Exarch and driver Tony Verruso showed the way by the first stanza in :28. Verruso kept the pedal to the metal as Exarch got first call at the half in :58.1.
Two $8,000 non-betting trotting divisions for amateur drivers were presented tonight at Yonkers Raceway prior to the betting card getting underway and when the judges posted the results Tony Verruso had reined the winner in the first split and Dave Offenberg won the second.
Verruso, who s enjoying his finest year in the sulky, went wire to wire for a 1:58.1 triumph with Exarch in the first split while Offenberg aped that journey behind Fiji for a 1:59.1 triumph in the other.
Both races were presented prior to the betting card getting underway
In his split Verruso sent Exarch immediately to the lead and they had two lengths on a parked-out Raceace(Alan Schwartz) when they trotted by the first quarter in :28.3. Still on the limb the order remained the same when the trotters passed the half in :58.4.
After having to cancel its first seasonal leg last week due to unsafe track conditions this years NAADA Trotting Series finally got underway with two $8,000 legs Monday at Yonkers Raceway and when the judges posted the official signs John Calabrese and Matt Zuccarello each emerged victorious in their respective splits.
Calabrese s victory came behind the veteran Cantab Hall gelding when Calabrese darted Dark Pool to the lead from the pole position and after being overcome by Golden Kronos (Tony Ciuffetelli) Calabrese quickly retook command after the quarter was trotted in :28.4. And once on top Calabrese played catch me if you can and no one in the short five-horse field could as Calabrese kept the pedal to the metal and the field lined-up behind him.
Trainer Tom Fanning had a big day at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (February 27), winning three races on the 13-race card.
Fanning won with all three of his starters. He scored his first win in race 6, as Tisadream N just got up for the victory as the 2/5 favourite over Dreamfair Charro. Austin Siegelman had the winning drive. In the seventh race, he scored an upset, as 31/1 mare Ashtini defeated the boys in a gate-to-wire score with driver Eric Abbatiello. Two races later, Fanning completed the hat trick as Betting Exchange went gate-to-wire as the favourite. Siegelman once again had the drive.
Geri Schwarz photo
Monticello, NY- She was the only woman in the race but that was of no concern to Marianna Monaco because she had no trouble defeating her seven male harness racing rivals in the $5000 NAADA Trot at Monticello Raceway on the cold and dreary afternoon of Thursday, December 10. .
In an unusual beginning the front-end speed-ball Ladys Big Stormont came up empty and was third at the quarter in 29.1 as Tony Verruso gunned Exarch to the lead with Someway Same Hall and Tony Ciuffetelli following closely.
Verruso kept the pedal to the metal and Exarch led by the half in 1:00 flat. Bob Davis was the first to move with Lucky June Bug and Monaco let him pass on the outside and then moved Stealing out to follow, second over.