ZEKE PARKER DUMPED OUT HARD IN NY Sire Stakes LATE CLOSER.ACCCIDENTS MAR TWO DIVISIONS
Thursday, 29 September 2011 13:32
At Monticello Raceway on Wednesday afternoon, September 28 the pouring rains finally abated just prior to post time still a continual drizzle made the racetrack wet, though not slippery.. Featured were four $12,200 NYSS late closer divisions for 2-year-old pacing colts.
Zeke Parker won the first NYSS late closer split –race one—with the Steve Elliot-trained Ideal Griff when they collared Waywatcher and Brandon Simpson in a time of 2:00.4.
That race was marred by a spectacular wreck. After the youngsters paced into the first turn the number one horse Legal Dream, driven by Sean McAllese, made a break and jumped sideways right into the bulk of the racing field. Two horses went down and one unseated its driver and ran loose for a half-mile. Howard Okusko was the other driver to hit the track hard but he rolled down, obviously instinctively, to the infield and out of the path of the racing horses.
McAllese was shaken up badly and transported to the local hospital. Okusko walked back to the paddock leading his horse and appeared to be bruised on his left side. Stephane Bouchard was the driver who was unseated and as bad as it looked it could have been worse.
However, none of the injuries were life-threatening and the horses involved were seriously hurt.
Ideal Griff broke his maiden with that triumph and paid $8.10 for win. The son of American Ideal- Little Betty is owned by Ribbonships of Somerset, NJ.
Though Parker escaped trouble in the first race in the final NYSS late closer division-race eight- he was dumped out and hit the track hard
In that event Zeke hit the muddy track when the colt he was driving, U Belong To Me, made a break in the clubhouse turn the second time around and ran sideways into Chip’s Galore and driver Jimmy Taggart, Jr. Parker was catapulted to the track but got up quickly and grabbed his horse although he appeared limping a bit. He was taken off the rest of his mounts for the afternoon but word was he was only to be shaken-up. Taggart wasn’t unseated and drove in other races on the remainder of the program
In that NYSS split when Brandon Simpson reined Artillery Major to a 2:00.3 victory when the Art Major-Long Island Lolita colt got up in the final strides to collar pace-setting The Bruiser and driver Greg Merton and go on the a 1-1/2 length triumph.
“I thought I was going to have a case of ‘second-itis’ today but I’m glad to get a winner ,” Simpson shouted as he was leaving the winner’s circle after his triumph.
Owned by Kenny Jacobs Artillery scored his second victory in 10 seasonal starts and paid $2.40 for win.
It was trainer Linda Toscano’s second late closer triumph on the card .
Her first victory was with Union Man Hanover when Greg Merton hustled him to an easy 1:58 triumph in their $12,200 division of the NYSS late closers.
Far and away the class of his $12,200division, Merton allowed Connery Blue Chip and Stephane Bouchard to take the early lead only to retake before the quarter pole. From there it was catch me if you can and nobody came close as Union Man Hanover, a bay son of Artiscape-Up Front Rose Union Man Hanover, just cruised to an eased-up three length victory over Connery Blue Chip.
“He’s (Union Man Hanover) good one,” Merton said as he received the trophy. “I got a chance to drive him a few weeks ago at Batavia and won with him in (1):56.1. He’s a nice colt to drive and he can really scoot when you ask him.”
Owned by the Stake Your Claim Stable LLC; Bay’s Stable; and D.J.Baer Union Man Hanover paid $2.60 for win.
Local driver Kyle DiBenedetto scored a late closer victory with a wire to wire 1:59.4 performance behind NYSS County Fair Champion, Wright Road.
DiBenedetto got away with soft fractions and Wright Road rebuffed a late charge by Alex Shredder and driver Brandon Simpson.
The Pan Cartwright-For The Road colt, trained by Tommy Garcia for owner Tina Rockwell returned a $7.10 win payoff.
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