Bange Bi fearless in feature

Bange Bi braved the outside path throughout the first quarter to take the lead in the Monticello Raceway harness racing feature trot on Wednesday, and the mare turned it into a victory.

Jim Taggart Jr. put Bange Bi in play from the start as he sent her away third quickest. She drove on in the two-path and briefly got cover from a quarter-poling Tax Savings (Cory Stratton), but she nullified that rival’s move as she pressed on to the front. Bange Bi hit the top past the quarter in :28.4 and set :58.3 and 1:28 middle splits with no opposition from her six foes.

Tax Savings popped the pocket as they turned for the final time and ducked to the pylons at headstretch, but she wasn’t able to get by on either side as Bange Bi trotted strongly to the finish to win in 1:58. Tax Savings gained late but missed by a neck. Sweet Royalty (Kyle DiBenedetto) finished third. The winner returned $3.20.

BANGE BI REPLAY

Bange Bi improved her career record to 10-for-33 with the victory and increased her total bankroll to $103,431. Gary Messenger trains the four-year-old offspring of Manofmanymissions for Brenda Messenger, a Monticello native.

P C Foreign Affair and Joseph Pennacchio pulled off a last-to-first comeback in the card’s North American Amateur Driving Association contest after the horse was off gait going to the start and gave the field a head start of several lengths.

Pennacchio coaxed a bumpy-gaited P C Foreign Affair into a clean trot by the first turn and improved his position to fifth by the quarter in :29.3 with speed on the pylons. Pennacchio sent his gelding to the outside approaching the half in 1:00 and briefly tucked in third after an off-stride opponent vacated the spot.

“He was choppy at the start and I had all I could do to keep him from running,” Penncchio told John Manzi. “I had a steady hold on him and though we got away badly from the pole position once he flattened-out he was steady as a rock.”

P C Foreign Affair pulled back to the outside as the field of seven moved down the backstretch for the final time and gained ground through the third station, which was finished in 1:30.1. He pulled alongside and slingshotted past leader Railee Workable (Joe Lee) as they spun off the home turn and held off two closing foes to score his first victory of 2021 in 2:01.

Stealing (Matt Zuccarello) finished second after a late burst, and Raceace (Alan Schwartz) was just behind in third. The win price was $4.90.

P C FOREIGN AFFAIR REPLAY

P C Foreign affair was winless in 20 starts this season entering the race. The eight-year-old son of Cornaro Dasolo now has five wins and more than $165,000 in earnings from 145 career starts. Cory Stratton trains for Joe P Racing LLC of Delray Beach.

“We got away badly and though my horse kept hitting the bike throughout the mile he never missed a beat and kept on trotting. And even when I got after him in the deep stretch he was steady,” Pennacchio told Manzi.

Pennacchio now has 195 lifetime driving victories and six this year.

Taggart and Michael Merton both had two winners during the afternoon.

Monticello Raceway concludes its week of action on Thursday, Jun. 17 with a 10-race program. First post is set for 12:10 p.m. EDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink