Mighty M win with pepper

For the third consecutive week Lemon Pepper soured the hopes of the other preferred trotters on the grounds when Jimmy Devaux guided the 7-year-old Cumin gelding to his third straight victory in Monticello Raceway’s $15,000 Preferred Trot Wednesday afternoon.

Sent off at odds just over 1-2, Devaux once again drove Lemon Pepper like he was the best--and he was-- and sent him toward the lead though he never gained command until the quarter mile marker when Jimmy Marohn, driving Thirty Trips, yielded the front end. However, from that point there was little doubt that Lemon Pepper would be seriously challenged and he trotted over the muddy racetrack with little effort, opening daylight between himself and the rest of the field.

At the three quarters--which was trotted in 1:31:2-- Lemon Pepper had two lengths on the field and that margin continued at the top of the stretch. At the finish Devaux’s trotter was three lengths the best over Grain Of Truth and driver Ray Schnittker, who had rallied from seventh at the half. Despite enjoying a two-hole journey Thirty Trips ended-up third. The final time was 2:01.1 over the racetrack that was at least two seconds off because of the inclement weather.

Trained by Dennis Laterza for Howard Schneider of Farmingdale, N.Y., Lemon Pepper notched his ninth seasonal triumph and pushed his yearly earnings to over $103,000. He paid $3.30 for win.

Longshot Creme Caramel won the $12,500 co-featured trot when Stephane Bouchard took advantage of the passing lane and rallied the 5-year-old chestnut mare up the inside to collar pacesetter Armbro Barrister (Schnittker) in the 2:01:2 clocked mile.

Sent off at odds of 17-1 Crème Caramel paid $36.60 for win. The Mr. Lavec mare is trained by Art Green for RoJo Racing LLC of Staten Island, N.Y. (Monticello)

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