Ron Pierce, driving the nine-year-old trotter CSI Whats My Name, won the annual Mr. and Mrs. Elbridge Gerry $10,000 Invitational Trot for Hall of Fame drivers on Sunday afternoon (July 6) at Goshen Historic Track.
Pierce, who drove the trotter making his 126th lifetime start from post eight, got away in fifth place, well behind the leader Bertos Angel (John Campbell). Bertos Angel led at the quarter, half-mile and three-quarter-mile marks, while CSI Whats My Name and Pierce were working their way up on the outside through those fractions. By the head of the stretch, Pierce and CSI Whats My Name cleared to the front and it was there they stayed to the finish line, winning by one and a half lengths in 2:00.1 for trainer Jim Doherty Jr. and owners David Yarock, David Glasser and Joel Golub.
They passed Bertos Angel and Campbell, who held for second, in front of Twin B Alibi (Mike Lachance), Big Z Miranda (Bill O’Donnell), and Nowerland Nathan (Jimmy Takter), who got the last cheque. Miss Directed (Wally Hennessey), Majestic Jo (Richard Stillings) and Linda B (David Miller) followed.
“I drew a good horse,” said Pierce, who also won the race for Hall of Famers in 2012. “He was by far the best in the race. I got lucky and fell in the five-hole, sat him in for a quarter-mile. They started to come back to me, so I tipped him out and just let him ease his way to the top. I put some pressure on the leader going into the last turn. He still felt real good, he was right up on the bit, and in the lane I was pretty sure I was going to win.”
(With files from HRC)