Todd Marciano Amateur Champion

The driver of So Intense had a family tragedy and someone thought that the also eligible driver would not be allowed to pick up the mount. So the mount doesn't ship. Then I'm Bad To The Bone scratches lame with the two time USHWA amateur driver Mike Strada waiting in the paddock like an abandoned bride at the altar. It couldn't get any worse! Oh, yeah, that's what you think. In the warm-up Carl Tirella's piece Fox Valley Victory falls to the ground and appears to be near death. Though scratched he lives and Carl checks out OK at an area hospital. Of course the weather is as horrendous as the track surface, with mist, rain and wind. Ugh!

The race on the other hand is wildly exciting. Boys that was $5,000 not $500,000 you were going for, but the driving was sure like it. Lead changes abounded. First, Todd Marciano popping off the mark in :284, overtaken by Robert Hechkoff who whizzed by a seat to take it away past the quarter, followed by that of Miguel Lopez, - fresh off a meaningless Jersey Championship performance two days earlier - pulling the pocket at the half and going for a double in as many days, who then lost the lead to a swinging, rockin and rollin George Newell who slipped past Lopez only to find Marciano and a very leg weary, collapsing but game and aptly named campaigner State Champion regaining the lead down near the wire to hold off, only by the smallest of Schonola's, the "hit 'em one more time" Mario D'Abruzzo who wanted the lead just once - when it counted the most. Yes, this was the Meadowlands Shuffle brought to the excitement of all at the famed Yonkers oval by the Amateur gang.

Five and 99/100ths lead changes at just about every point in the hotly contested mile. The winner was so sure that he was beat he left our premier presenter, the talented Jeff Gregory, out in the rain soaked winner's circle just like Mike Strada. At least Jeff had a cool looking trophy for someone, if just someone would show up. No one did. Marciano and his sore steed departed the track the short route in deference to his concerns for the horse and probably thinking at first that he lost to the "slasher".

All in all, considering that only one Derick Giwner, off a very poor start, didn't take part in the action on the track, the race was a great conclusion to the Series. It was no surprise that off the quarter in :284 and a half in 1:003 and a three-quarters in 1:312 that our heroes would only have enough to come a last quarter in :334 for a mile in 2:051. But what a mile it was.

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