There was a taste of 'monte' racing at the Gaitway Farms training centre on Friday, April 27
.
Two riders raced on the mile track with their trotters under saddle (monte) in a demonstration for the judges.
Jenny Melander of Clarksburg, New Jersey (in blue), aboard Shoeless White Sox, held off Jennifer Lowrey of Chester, New York (in red) with Lemon Pepper in a mile clocked in 2:12 flat.
Shoeless White Sox is a seven-year-old son of Mr Lavec currently racing out of the Mark Harder Stable. Lemon Pepper, a 13-year-old gelding by Cumin, raced from 2001 to 2010, and earned nearly $600,000 with 40 wins, 40 seconds and 32 thirds from 247 starts.
The purpose of the event was to 'qualify' in 2:25 or better and for the riders to demonstrate they could control their horses.
“We have a race on Hambletonian Day (August 7) at the Meadowlands and at Freehold on September 29, and we’re working on more dates,” said Helene Gregory, who has organized the RUS America (Riders Under Saddle) effort in New Jersey. “These will be exhibition races. If these turn out well, there could be betting races in the future.”
Monte racing is popular in Europe, especially in France, but are rare in North America.
For more information, click here.
(SBOANJ)
I think that this would be a
I think that this would be a nice change for the bettors it would probably be a nice change for the horses too, it looks like it would be fun. I would like to see some tracks in Ontario have racing under saddle.