International intrigue in $1m International Trot

The many twists and turns, and a pinch of irony, make this year’s $1 million harness racing Yonkers International Trot (Saturday, October 14, Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway), well, “internationally intriguing.”

 

The trainer-driver, Ake Svanstedt, and the owner, Hans Enggren, of the UNITED STATES’ defending champion Resolve were both born in SWEDEN. Svanstedt now resides in Wrightstown, NJ, while Enggren calls Abbottstown, PA home.

 

Confused or at least intrigued yet? There’s more, of course. Enggren was born on August 21, 1929, making him EIGHTY EIGHT years old. Devin Keeling, co-owner of CANADA’s flag-carrier Marion Marauder is just TWENTY! Juxtapose the two and you have a SIXTY EIGHT year gap in ages, that’s a wide gap. Meanwhile, Keeling’s co-owner is his GRANDMOTHER, (Marion) Jean Wellwood, who’s SEVENTY NINE (April 21, 1938), not as wide a gap.

 

More on Marion Marauder: The name came from Wellwood’s first name Marion, and that young Devin was a college football player at McMaster Universtiy (Hamilton, Ontario), nicknamed the Marauders.

 

The wife-husband team of Paula Wellwood and Mike Keeling, Devin’s PARENTS, train Marion Marauder; Paula is the elder Ms. Wellwood’s DAUGHTER.

 

Then, there’s Italy‘s Oasis Bi, driven by Kim Eriksson, and “countryman” Twister Bi, reined by Christoffer Eriksson. No, they’re NOT related! Oh, by the way, they are however both from SWEDEN.

 

And naturally, FRENCH standard-bearer Dreammoko will have Gabriele Gelormini of Turino, ITALY in the sulky.

 

Record-breaking USA star driver Tim Tetrick, who hails from Flora, Illinois, will be in the bike behind Shadow Woodland of FINLAND. In America, we call this a “catch drive.”

 

Oh, finally, no “musical countries” here:  Tripolini VP of Denmark will be driven byJeppe Juel of Denmark; the Swede Johnny Takter will be in the bike behindSweden‘s On Track Piraten; and In Secret of the United States is guided byGeorge Brennan, from Monticello, New York.

 

The driving “colors” of Scott Zeron Marion Marauder’s driver, are RED, WHITE, AND BLUE, which of course are the colors of the UNITED STATES’ flag.

 

Tripolini is a tiny bow pasta that commemorates the Italian conquest of Tripoli, ask trotting maven, USHWA member and harness racing foodie Barry Lefkowitz just how good it is! But TRIPOLINI VP is DENMARK’s not Italy’s representative in this year’s global classic, very good too.

 

Twists, turns, irony, a million dollar purse on the line, not to mention some good pasta, that’s the intrigue of the Yonkers International Trot!

By John Cirillo