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Three Finger Brown pitches new Monticello record

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June 05, 2008

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When Mike Merton reined Three Finger Brown to a 1:26.2 victory Thursday in Monticello Raceway�s initial three-quarter mile dash it established a new track record. The old standard of 1:32.2 was set by pacer Ivan Minbar and driver Lenny Abbruzzio on June 22, 1977.

Three Finger Brown circled the leader Hoosier Wildcat (Jason Ricco) at the half-mile pole�normally the three-quarter pole in a mile race--and paced on to an easy 3 1/4-length triumph over Starfleets Fudge, who was driven by Kyle Benedetto.

Incredibly, Three Finger Brown, who was winless in 18 previous starts and a winner of just one race in 23 starts last season, looked exceptional in the three-quarter mile dash.

�In a mile race he (Three Finger Brown) was always good to the three quarters and from there he didn�t function,� Merton said after the race. �The three-quarter mile dash seems to be right up his alley.�

When asked how he felt about the different distance races that director of racing Eric Warner is carding, Merton answered; �I think they�re cool; something different. It makes a driver think a little: where to make your move, when to sit in. It's a different strategy than driving a mile race.�

According to Warner, the era of strictly one-mile dashes is on the wane here at the Mighty M.

�I am and will continue to card races at different distances,� Warner noted. �I�m doing this to break up the monotony of the one-mile race. I think fans will enjoy the different distances and it will give horses that are not special in the usual mile race a chance to be very competitive at different distances.�

Three Finger Brown, owned by Edward Schaffer and trained by Peter Lutman, Jr., paid $23 for win. (Monticello)

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