Milby wins four and Shaker Reid scores again
Posted 171 days
Milby wins four and Shaker Rei scores again!
In what is a seemingly endless series of outstanding driving nights, leading driver Frank Milby just about clinched the 2012 Fall Meet Leading Driver award with another multiple win night, this time it was a four-bagger as he won with Rocknroll Rhapsody in the third, John Carroll in the fifth, Mark’s Quik Pulse in the ninth and JK Cameo in the eleventh giving him forty-seven wins for the meet. Perenial leading driver John Wagner is a long way back in second place with twenty five wins after record two this evening.
Perhaps the biggest story of the night is the continuing development of Shaker Rei who , facing the best field of distaffers assembled at Rosecroft in many years, scored her third win in a row and fifth of her last seven starts. This week, in a bulky field of nine, driver-trainer John Gazzerro left enough from the five post to get away mid-pack as Raquel and Owhatastunner battled through a brisk opening quarter of 26.4. Owhatastunner won the battle for the lead near the quarter and tried to back the fractions off to the half in 56.4. Shaker Rei aggressively pulled near the three-eighth pole, much earlier than she usually moves, and flushed the cover of OK Amelia as the field approached the half.
Owhatastunner and driver Milby held off pursuit down the backside hitting the three-quarters in 1.26.3 and Scarlet Pandemic launched a huge three wide and wingin’ move from last to storm into contention but Gazzerro and Shaker Rei managed to avoid getting blindswitched and as the field entered the turn, Gazzerro hit the ignition and Shaker Rei roared past the leaders like she’d been shot out of a cannon. Ok Amelia developed troubles as she too cleared and was taken to the infield for safety reasons. Ok Amelia’s troubles may have made a difference in the “how much” but the issue was not in doubt as Shaker Rei drew clear quickly and was in hand to the wire winning by over four lengths. The extremely sharp closer GE’s Alex was last at the head of the lane and swallowed up the remainder of the field for the place money in another sharp effort for trainer Gary Ewing and driver Mark Gray. Raquel showed good late pace to grab the show money after being hard used early for driver Sean Bier and trainer Richard Malone Sr.
Shaker Rei is a five year old daughter of Cheyenne Rei out of a Ambro Cadet mare and is co-owned by Deborah Gazzerro with husband John. This win marked her ninth start for the Gazzerro’s and was her fifth victory along with three place finishes. The final time was a quick 1:55 on a crisp December night and firmly places Shaker Rei into consideration for the Horse of the Meet honors.
