The final preliminary contests prior to the series finale in the NAADA Fall Trotting Series were staged before the betting card at Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (November 17) and when the judges hung the official signs, Paul Minore and Joe Faraldo emerged victorious in their respective divisions.
Minore won with his old warhorse Wygant Prince in 2:01 while Faraldo scored behind Tough Get Going in 2:00.1.
In his contest, Minore worked out a perfect two-hole journey behind Bobby Krivelin’s Connie Keeper.
“Krivelin had the pole position and he raced to the lead, and since I had the two-hole, I fell in behind him on the first turn,” Minore explained.
Once the field settled, Minore just played follow the leader, which he did until the homestretch.
“When we rounded the final turn, I eyed the passing lane and then angled 'Wygant' there and he trotted on to a one-length victory over Krivelin’s horse,” Minore added.
Peter Kleinhans and Toss Cartwright finished second with the pacesetter, Connie Keeper, third.
Minore owns the 10-year-old altered son of SJs Photo, who’s trained by Taylor Gower. It was Wygant Prince’s second consecutive victory and fifth this season.
It was also the 93rd lifetime driving victory for Minore, a retired New Jersey high school track and field coach whose most famous pupil was world champion Carl Lewis.
In the other split, NAADA president Joe Faraldo smoked ‘em with a solid 2:00.1 wire-to-wire triumph with Tough Get Going, a four-year-old Kadabra gelding he co-owns with trainer Richie Banca.
The hardworking barrister sent his charge to the lead from the three-hole, and despite the short field, they were constantly challenged. But Tough Get Going lived up to his name and turned back all challengers despite being looked in the eye from the half to the finish.
“We made some equipment changes,” Faraldo said referring to his trotter. “He was breathing funny, making noises like he was gasping for air at the end of the mile the last few times I drove him so we put on a throat plate and tied his tongue and it seemed to do the job.”
At the wire, Tough Get Going was a neck better than runner-up Mr Ridgetaker, driven by Dave Yarock. Tim Lizzie and driver Joe Lee were three lengths back in third.
(With files from NAADA)