Merton has another five-bagger at Monticello

When Mike Merton scored five consecutive driving victories in the first five races on the Monticello Raceway card of June 28 he claimed, with tongue in cheek, that when he got dumped out and fell on his head in an early morning qualifying race that it must have done something to him when  he had his best day in years.

On Wednesday, August 1 Merton could  claim no such prognostication this time after  he again reined five winners on the card.

Merton didn’t score until the fourth race when he guided Tom and Francis Meaney’s trotter, My Cool Breeze ($9.30) to 1:59.4 victory. He then won the sixth with his brother Bobby’s trotter Playa Tulum ($17.40) in a 1:59.2 clocking. After being skunked over the next four races Merton upped and won the final three on the program.

He won the 11th with Dominick Rafanelli’s, I Have It All ($15.40) in 2:01.3 and the 12th behind Lav Racing Stables’, Ooby  Dooby ($8.50) in 1:56.4. He  then copped the finale by reining  Christine Zigrossi’s, I Deal Vic ($7.20) home first in a 2:00.1 clocking.

Having only had a five wins on a card  a few times in the 20-plus years  that he has been driving Merton was asked what’s up with two five baggers in a month.

“I got some power now,” Merton said referring to him getting horses to drive  that have a good chance of winning.”I feel good and I’m driving with confidence. “I guess it more than falling on my head this time.”

His five driving victories on Wednesday have pushed Merton over the 100-win plateau  here (6th best) at the Mighty M but he has also been winning out of town. Thus far this year Merton has reined 126 winners.

On June 8 he scored his 2000th career driving victory and earlier this week Merton won the Munich Mile and now is eligible for the final of the track’s Heritage Drivers Series later this fall..

“Yeh, I’ve been doing good  and I’m proud of the way I’ve been driving. “Merton added .”So maybe something special really happened when I fell on my head.”

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