After waiting on Greyhound and Thoroughbred races, the main event on the card at Kincsem Park's 1,200 meter sand track in Budapest, Hungary pitted Paul Minore (Sholty Geri) against the Hungarian perennial champ Andrea Nagyvary, steering the heavy favourite (Oaklahoma Font) in the American vs. Hungary Friendship Competition.
However, things turned out to favour Minore when Ferenc Leanyfalvi (Prodigy Gasti) decided to fight it out on the front end. And one couldn't take issue with Leanyfalvi, whose steed had not been worse than second on the card.
On this day, they raced the wrong way, something not only the drivers had to compensate for but so did the horses. Perhaps racing the wrong way helped the U.S. driving team as did the deepness along the rail. After observing the dueling up front and steering around some traffic, Minore tipped off the last turn and when he popped the ear plugs, there was no doubt about what the outcome was sure to be. Joe Faraldo with Rozsakert, a Wall Street Banker gelding, worked hard to catch the place but had to settle for third.
It was a good day for team USA, which started out at the famed Budapest baths where team America chilled out in over 10 different pools containing assorted minerals, swam laps in an Olympic size pool and took in the steam and sauna rooms like civilized people do in Budapest.
The track has a three-day food truck show and families with children and pets roamed to their hearts content while the adults feasted on various meats, fish, pastries and adult beverages.
Tomorrow, there will be harness races exclusively, and the competitors will race, what in North America, is the right way (counter-clockwise). It will be the final race in the two-country competition. Team America will once again will look to Minore and his mates to bring home the bacon. Fingers are crossed.
To view the video replay of the race on the Kincsem Park website, click here.
(With files from NAADA)