Rebellious ($4.60) capped a banner day for Tioga Downs two-time defending dash champion Wally Hennessey with a 1:52 win in Sunday s (May 2) $9,000 Open Pace.
Hennessey was reserved early with Rebellious, waiting in third while Osborne Seelster (Jody Jamieson) and Macheasy A (Mike Merton) battled through a :26 first quarter. With a circuit to go, Rebellious brushed to the lead from third, hitting the half in :54.2 and deflecting a first-over challenge from Seel The Deal N (Phil Fluet) past three-quarters in 1:23.2. In the stretch, Osborne Seelster tried to squeeze through the pylons in pursuit of Rebellious, but ran out of real estate. Talbotcreekwhiskey (Drew Monti) finished third.
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Cinnamon Stick circled three-wide into the final turn and vaulted to victory in the $6,100 Open Trot on Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 27) at Monticello Raceway.
The six-year-old Jailhouse Jesse gelding rode the cover of Shoot The Thrill up the backstretch before driver Greg Merton pointed him three-wide into the final turn. From there, Cinnamon Stick slingshotted to a mid-stretch lead, edging clear of pocket rival Exarch (Ronnie Morales III) by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:59.4 for his first seasonal win. Pacesetter Sweet Royalty (Jimmy Devaux) finished third.
Greg Decker trains Cinnamon Stick, who paid $4.10 as the even money favourite, for Michael Mulligan.
The feature win capped a grand slam for Merton, who also drove Proudamericangirl (2:01.1, $5.10), Cee Pee Panic (1:58, $6.80) and OK Icon (1:59.2, $10.80) to victory.
Cal launched a three-wide bid into the final turn and narrowly reached in Tuesday s (Jan. 19) featured $6,100 Open Pace at Monticello Raceway.
As heavy favourites Foo Fighter N and KJ Erich wrestled for the lead through a :29.1 quarter, driver Jimmy Devaux was content to rate Cal in sixth. At the :58 half, Devaux moved Cal into a developing outer flow before moving three-deep on the backstretch with a full head of steam. The five-year-old American Ideal gelding ground down Foo Fighter N in upper stretch and barely held off a late charge from runner-up KJ Erich to win in 1:56.4. Whats Goin On rallied out of traffic for third.
Geri Schwarz Photo
Monticello, NY - If the harness racing driver s colony at Monticello Raceway were a baseball team, they would be 20 games ahead of their nearest rival, on Thursday December 31, Mike Merton had his second Grand Slam in two days, and for the 3rd time this season.
Merton s batting average (UDRS) is .389.
Other drivers that had a Grand Slam this year at the Mighty M are Bruce Aldrich, Jim Taggart Jr, James Devaux and Cory Stratton.
Merton started off in the fourth inning, race four with a win aboard Dotted Line (2:00.3 - $7.00) next up was Baywood Shadow (2:00.2 - $6.30) who earned his seventh win of the COVID shortened season.
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