Triple for Er Sophia

Er Sophia secured three consecutive harness racing victories on Wednesday in the Monticello Raceway Open Trot with a double move mile.

Jim Taggart Jr. left-lined the mare to the inside at the start behind a leaving trio and settled her into fourth while Cinnamon Stick (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) moved up to the lead. Er Sophia shifted to the outside past the quarter in :28.1, and she tucked into the vacant pocket after the half in :58.3.

Cinnamon Stick trotted to three-quarters in 1:27.3 with Er Sophia in tow. Taggart Jr. pulled Er Sophia off the pylons for the second time while rounding the final turn, and the mare strode past Cinnamon Stick after a tight stretch battle to claim the top-class victory in 1:57.2.

Cinnamon Stick finished second. Credit List (Justin Huckabone) flew in the final quarter for show.

ER SOPHIA REPLAY

Gary Messenger trains the $9.20 winner by Swan For All. The horse has won 14 of 75 career races and raked in more than $70,000 in earnings. Brenda Messenger, a Monticello local, and Scott Woogen of North Chesterfield own her.

Also on the card, Tony Verruso bagged another amateur contest victory in the North American Amateur Driving Association Trot.

He directed his own gelding, Winneress, to the lead from the rail, and the duo completed the first three stations in :29.1, :59.3 and 1:29 before sealing the score in 1:59.2. Stealing (Matt Zuccarello) took place; Raceace (Alan Schwartz) was third. The win price was $5.70.

WINNERESS REPLAY

“I scratched [Winneress] last week because of a quarter crack and since then I had the blacksmith fit him with a bar shoe,” Verruso told John Manzi. “In today’s race it was a good thing that I had a steady hold on him up the backside because for a quick moment his stride was affected when he forged but I gathered him quickly and it was hard to notice that he skipped a beat.”

Verruso currently holds a 0.521 UDRS with nine victories in 29 starts this season. His lifetime win total is 91.

Winneress, a seven-year-old Credit Winner mare, has 18 career wins from 122 starts. She has made just less than $250,000 lifetime. Symon Spencer trains the mare.

Monticello Raceway will conclude its raceweek on Thursday, Jun. 24, with a card of 11 scheduled dashes. The first race will go off at 12:10 p.m. EDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink