Southbound Trucker certainly deserves the accolade he’ll be receiving on Sunday, Oct. 25, as Horse of the Year at Monticello Raceway during the 2009 racing campaign. The 6-year-old Sharky Spur gelding just keeps truckin’ and on Tuesday, Southbound Trucker once again defeated the best pacers on the grounds in a time of 1:56.2 for driver Greg Merton. Merton quickly angled Southbound Trucker to the pylons after they started from the six hole and they were in sixth position, some seven lengths off the leader, at the quarter pole. Merton waited until the three-eighths pole to move Southbound Trucker to the outside and they moved toward the pacesetter, Blueridge D’Bang, but were still some four lengths off the leader at the half.
At the three-quarters Southbound Trucker was still on the outside but he took the lead and kicked in a :28.3 final panel en route to his 11th victory of the year. Village Blizzard was second for Jimmy Taggart Jr. while Mike Forte took home the show dough with Bilmar Rustler.
Southbound Trucker is somewhat of an iron horse. He’s been racing year-round for the past four seasons and on Tuesday it was the pacer's 31st outing of the year. Last season he had 39 trips to post; during 2007 he had 47 starts; and in 2006 Southbound Trucker raced 36 times.
But in spite of all that racing his trainer Art Stamatien keeps Southbound Trucker in top form.
Still, Southbound Trucker did not have the confidence of the betting public, who sent him away odds of 9-1, returning a $21.60 win payoff.
The pacer is owned by the trainer’s son, George Stamatien.
Also of note on the Tuesday afternoon card was a $174 win payoff by Cannae Arrow after he and driver Jimmy Shields snuck up the pylons to get the decision in a five-horse photo. Cannae Arrow also paid $53.50 for place and $32.60 for show. (Monticello)
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