On a night where the familiar New Jersey oval could have easily been mistaken for the Arctic North, a field reduced to nine braved the wintry mess to face Meadowlands starter Danny Dale.  Ciccone eased Paul’s Laughing away from the gate and took a seat in the middle of the pack.  In front of him, a three-way battle for the lead was decided in favor of Don Hicks and Downhill Skier. 

Hicks looked very comfortable as he pulled the field through the backstretch.  Approaching the half-mile marker, he had opened up a quick three-length lead on Bob Hechkoff and Sylvains Friend.  Miguel Lopez and Gerry’s Rocket were saving ground, sitting just behind Hechkoff in third, while Brad Rathbone was making his presence felt with Gambler’s Legacy ranging up on the outside to challenge from fourth.

As the train began moving towards the far turn, Hicks and Hechkoff seemed to be pulling away, turning the contest into a two-horse race.  At the same time, Gambler’s Legacy could not keep up with the action and began take Rathbone backward and out of the mix.

Spinning through the turn it appeared that Hicks had matters well in hand, having little trouble keeping Sylvains Friend and Gerry’s Rocket at arms length. However, as they were passing the three-quarter mark, Ciccone finally shook himself and his 12-year-old gelded son of Die Laughing into the game.  In a matter of just a few strides, they pulled to the outside from fourth along the pylons and easily stormed past Lopez, putting himself within striking distance.

Turning for home, Hicks was still clinging to the lead with Hechkoff desperately trying to make up ground.  On the outside, Ciccone had his charge flying up the lane.  Hicks did everything he could to keep Downhill Skier brave, but it was not to be as Ciccone and Paul’s Laughing were moving like a winner. At the wire, they finally caught up to and sailed beyond Hicks to take the lead and the victory, their second of the series.

Time of the mile was 1:58.3 after fractions of 30.1, 59.3 and 1:29.4 on a track labeled good.  A miraculous effort was turned in by the Meadowlands track crew, reversing the effects of a daylong barrage of snow and ice.

Hicks and Downhill Skier finished in second place, while Hechkoff took the show spot with Sylvains Friend, thus ending his “four-leg” winning streak.  Lopez and Gerry’s Rocket hung in for fourth

Others competing were Neil Goldstein and Golden Boy; David Yarock and Whitsunday Beach; Phil Winker with Shania Twain; Richard Timmerman steering Falcon’s Past; Brad Rathbone and Gambler’s Legacy.  John Regina had to watch from the bench, as Meigs Nobel Sammy was a late scratch.

The American Harness Drivers Club will return with the 2008 Spring Pacing Series in March. In the meantime, keep up with all of the news through the winter months by visiting our website.

In the first heat, Woodstown, NJ’s Brad Rathbone, handling Do You Really for trainer Elizabeth Carotenuto, tipped his mount out from third as the field was approaching the five-eighths marker.  He pushed the five-year-old Real Artist gelding beyond Neil Goldstein and Golden Boy before stealing the top spot from John Regina who had been in the lead throughout with Meigs Nobel Sammy.

Turning for home, Meigs Nobel Sammy had nothing left in the tank allowing Rathbone to open a sizeable advantage.  Goldstein, who had been sitting in the pocket, took up the chase with a very fresh Golden Boy.  Down the stretch, Goldstein rushed up and quickly closed the gap. However, it was Rathbone and Do You Really who had affairs well under control, getting to the wire a length in front of his charging entry-mates. They stopped the Freehold Raceway timer at 2:01.2 after the earlier fractions of 29.2 1:00.2 and 1:31 through three-quarters

Monica Thors came on late with her American Rose Lee to take the show spot. Early leaders Regina and Meigs Nobel Sammy fell back and finished fourth while Richard Timmerman rounded out the order of finish with Know Stones.  Israel Galarza was forced to watch from the sideline, as his mount Spiritus was a late judge’s scratch.

As they wheeled into the turn, Gerry’s Rocket had run out of answers and was beginning to wilt, conceding the lead. With only a mild bid remaining from Hicks and a closing Downhill Skier, Hechkoff was able to coast down the stretch, en-route to a three-length victory.

Hicks finished second while Lopez and Gerry’s Rocket held on for the third spot.  David Yarock and Shania Twain finished fourth while Phil Winkler and Fantastic Dream N completed the order of finish.  Time of the mile was 2:00.3 over a fast Freehold half-mile racetrack after fractions of 29.1, 59.4 and 1:30.2.

The top-ten point earning drivers from the regular season series will now move on to The Meadowlands as the AHDC will present the 2007 Fall Pacing Series Final to be contested on a yet-to-be-announced date during the early weeks of December.

With an early scratch reducing the division one field to just four starters, South Salem, New York’s Carmen Ciccone notched an easy score with his own Paul’s Laughing on the strength of a big backstretch move.

Ciccone waited at the back of the bus before tipping the twelve-year-old Die Laughing gelding to the outside as the race was reaching the five-eighths marker. He then circled the field and easily swiped the lead from Richard Timmerman and a tiring Falcons Past.

From there, the sales manager for the Stamford, Connecticut-based Primedia Business easily strolled home taking his first victory of the series, stopping the Freehold timer at 2:01.2 after fractions of 29.2, 1:00.2 and 1:31 through three-quarters.

Timmerman and Falcons Past held on for second. Don Hicks and Downhill Skier took the show spot while Monica Thors and American Rose Lee rounded out the order of finish.

By the three-quarter mark, Lopez had things well under control as the competition began to move backward.  Opening up a comfortable lead, he waltzed home taking his second victory of the series.  Time of the mile was 2:02.1 after fractions of 29.2, 59.1 and 1:31 to the three-quarter marker.

Brad Rathbone and Golden Boy came up to finish second while Yarock and Shania Twain were third.  Completing the order of finish were Joe Froelich and his Know Stones; John Regina with his Meigs Nobel Sammy and Israel Galarza and Spiritus.

The American Harness Drivers Club returns to Freehold for the fifth leg of the series on Saturday November 24.  The top ten point earning drivers will then move on to the Meadowlands for the series final in early December.

In the first of two divisions, West Babylon, New York resident Don Hicks won for the first time as a member of the AHDC, taking a wire-to-wire victory while steering Downhill Skier. He had to survive a late bid from Carmen Ciccone and Paul's Laughing who had come after him as the field was passing the three-quarter mark.

Down the stretch, Hicks and the six year old gelded son of Rambaran were up to the challenge and pulled away, getting to the wire a half length to the good. They stopped the timer at 2:03 after fractions of 30.1, 1:01.3 and 1:32.2 to the three quarter mark.

Neil Goldstein finished third with Gamblers Legacy; Richard Timmerman was next with Falcons Past while Joe Froelich rounded out the field with Know Stones.

As they turned for home, Hechkoff pulled his seven-year-old Katorzheniki gelding to the outside to engage Lopez. In the final strides, Hechkoff took the lead, and the win keeping his record a perfect three-for-three in the series. Time of the mile was 2:01.4 after fractions of 30.1, 1:01 and 1:31.

David Yarock took the show spot with Whitsunday Beach; John Regina was fourth with Meigs Nobel Sammy while Israel Galarza completed the order of finish with Spiritus.

Lopez and Gerry’s Rocket finished second, while Richard Timmerman and Falcon’s Past took the show spot. Also competing were Monica Thors and American Rose Lee and Neil Goldstein with Sharp Diamond.

As the field entered the stretch, Yarock had cleared Rathbone and had taken the lead.  However, the move left an opening for Hechkoff, the owner of an Executive Search firm, to pull out and begin an attack of his own.  In a classic battle, Hechkoff and Yarock dueled right to the finish. In the end, it was Hechkoff who willed the eight-year-old Stritross gelding to the wire first, a short neck in front of Yarock and Whitsunday Beach. Time of the mile was 2:02.1 after fractions of 29.3, 1:00 and 1:31.1. For Hechkoff, it was his second victory in as many starts for the series.

Rathbone and Gambler’s Legacy held on to take third in front of a hard-charging Joe Froelich with Know Stones while Regina and Meigs Nobel Sammy fell back to finish fifth.

Miguel Lopez, steering Gerry’s Rocket and Bob Hechkoff with KD’s Power Shift took divisional honors as the American Harness Drivers Club kicked off the 2007 Fall Pacing Series on a gorgeous autumn Saturday, September 29 at Freehold Raceway.

These three stared each other down all the way to the five eights marker. Hechkoff then kicked out the plugs that trainer Jim Doherty, Jr. had so meticulously placed into KD’s Power Shift's ears. This prompted a forward burst from his seven-year-old altered son of Khatorzheniki, opening a gap between them and their two main rivals. 

By the time the field was rounding the turn into the stretch, Hechkoff had things well under control.  Winker had fallen back with Fantastic Dream after a rough outside trip while Ciccone was trying to coax a little more juice from the tiring twelve-year-old Die Laughing gelding. 

As they turned for home, another club first-timer, Tenfly, New Jersey Insurance analyst David Yarock was making things a little exciting as he charged beyond the weary challengers in an attempt to engage Hechkoff, steering Whitsunday Beach.  A few taps of the whip reminded KD’s Power Shift of just what he was there for and he did not disappoint. He got Hechkoff to the wire, a length and three quarters in front of Yarock to take the score, stopping the clock at 2:01.2. 

Ciccone held on for the show dough with Paul’s Laughing while Winkler and Fantastic Dream managed a fourth place finish. Brad Rathbone and Shoot The Artist ran into traffic trouble at the three eights marker from which he could only recover into a fifth place finish.

Richard Timmerman rounds out the field as Poker Oak had nothing left, having already completed his race before they even got started.