Gerry Longo, who at age 69 is the senior reinsman in the Running Aces driver's colony, scored a couple of upsets during the track’s program of racing on Tuesday, July 22.
Longo, who owns and trains both of the horses that he won with, was the only driver to win more than one race on the card.
Kiss On The Lips survived a long first-over journey on the outside to sweep from last to first in a $4,500 conditioned and claiming race for mares. The four-year-old daughter of Dontgetinmyway bested Surprisingly Sweet (driven by Steve Wiseman) and RD IOU (Tim Maier) off an impressive :28.1 final panel. Sent postward at odds of over 7-1, Kiss On The Lips paid $17.80 to win and headed a $61.80 exacta and $216 trifecta.
Dragons Wail then lit up the toteboard for Longo three races later. Despite moving up a class and starting from the seven hole in a nine-horse field, the four-year-old Dragon Again lass outlasted Chilly Breez (Nick Roland) and Ksmewithurizclosed (Wiseman) for a one-length victory in 1:57.1. Longo's second longshot winner returned $29.20 to win and topped a $65.60 exacta and $242.20 trifecta.
Longo is occasionally permitted to announce a qualifying race at Running Aces, and his fellow drivers mused that his mares raced a lot like Gerry's favourite phrase he uses in his calls: "They raced like hares who just backed up to a porcupine – they were gone!"
(Running Aces)