On Thursday, November 29, Monticello Raceway's Heritage Drivers Series final, dubbed the All-America Cup, pitted the winners of each of the eight preliminary races for different ethnicities. When the shouting ended, Jimmy Devaux, winner of the Maple Leaf Mile for drivers of Canadian heritage, emerged victorious.
Deveaux reined Gin And Vermouth to a one-length victory over Mike Forte (the Godfather Pace winner) and Amazida in a 1:59 clocking. Jimmy Taggart Jr. (St Paddy Pace winner) finished third with EHI Guaglione.
“Each of our preliminary events was for drivers of different ethnicities, so we called Heritage Drivers Series final 'The All-America Cup' because America is a nation of different ethnic citizens,” noted Eric Warner, the track's director of Racing. “And as luck would have it, many of our top drivers won their respective ethnic races, so we had a field of good drivers in the final event.”
After a recall for a horse with broken equipment, Devaux hustled Gin And Vermouth to the front and they lead the field by the quarter in :28.4. As the field headed toward the halfway point, Bobby Williams Jr., winner of the Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Pace, was parked out with Super Killean. They ranged alongside the leader as the field passed the half in :58.4.
With Super Killean still out on the limb as the field headed up the backside, it forced the trailing horses to go three-deep to get in contention. At that point, Devaux put the pedal to the metal, and Gin And Vermouth scooted away by five lengths as they headed into the final turn.
With a comfortable lead turning for home, Gin And Vermouth didn’t seem interested, and in the deep stretch Amizida and Forte make a late charge, but they ran out of racetrack as Devaux’s pacer was the first one under the wire.
“Before the race I looked over the program again and I felt my horse was the best and the only place to be when you’re the best in on the front end,” Devaux responded after being asked why he sent his pacer to the lead as the gate sprung.
“When we headed for home I was glad to have a big lead and thought we'd win it, but with Mike (Forte, with Amazida) coming so fast I wasn’t sure until we crossed the finish line.”
Trainer Bob Lounsbury, who joined Devaux in the winner’s circle presentation, chimed in. "When he (Gin And Vermouth) doesn’t see any horses around him he lets go a bit, but I knew he wouldn’t let Forte’s horse beat him once he heard him coming.”
Super Killean (Bobby Williams Jr.) finished fourth and Sues Destroyer finished fifth for Zeke Parker (Mayflower Mile winner). High Point (Lisa Krom winner of the Lady Godiva), Dougs Boy (Alan Charles winner of the race for the matzos) and Foomanchu (Mike Merton winner of the Munich Mile) also started.
For Gin And Vermouth, a nine-year-old Camluck gelding, it marked his 11th victory of the season. Owned by Margaret Olmstead of Monticello, NY, he paid $6.00 for the win.
(Monticello)