Stratton wins Mighty M honor

Jordan Stratton is just 19 years old and already has garnered the first accolade of his fledgling career, beiong honored as the best young driver at Monticello Raceway this season with the Max Brewer Award presented by the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Assn.

Stratton displayed his talent again last Friday when he guided CR Leader to a 2:02:2 victory in the final of the $5,000 Catskill Amateur Drivers Series at the Mighty M. In that hotly-contested race, where four horses were abreast at the finish, Stratton sat cool as his pacer finally overtook the pacesetter Reckless Heart (Alan Schwartz) and then held off a late rally by Seas In Me, driven by Miguel Lopez.

For a young man who won’t be out of his teens until next June 30, Stratton is beginning to show that he has the right stuff. His seasonal stats are quite impressive for a teenager. From 141 starts he has reined 25 winners, 18 second-place finishes and 16 thirds good for over $95,000 in purse money. And his .286 UDR is very respectable, especially when considered that the majority of his races were against seasoned professional drivers.

The son of Ottawa, Ohio horseman, Dave Stratton, and the nephew of longtime Monticello Raceway top trainer, Peter Stratton, it was only fitting that 5’11”, 160-pound youngster would try a career in harness racing.

“I love the sport and hope to become an all-around horseman, “ he said. "And I would really love to be a top catch-driver, some day.”

It may be early in his career but Jordan Stratton is definitely on the right track

“He’s a nice young man and (he) seems to have lots of talent, “said Eric Warner, Monticello Raceway's director of racing. “He’s very polite and comes from a good family. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, and keeps his act together, the sky's the limit for him.” (Monticello)

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