September 2, 2017 – An excellent afternoon of trotting accompanied a three day Food Truck Festival an Kincsem Park and it drew a fine audience, also on the Friday night twilight harness racing program.
Saturday was highlighted by the Josef Marschall Memorial (purse 6Huf million, or US$23,300, 1800 meters autostart) and victory went to 1.13.9kr timed Rapido OK (7g Ganymede-Movida OK-Indro Park) handled by trainer Josef Franzl. The German invaders bested Othellovictory (6g Diamond Way-Victory Blue-Malhana Sascha) handled by Christopher Fischer for trainer Gregor Krenmayer. Bronsvlinder (9m Castleton Bass-Jasmin Dear-Manza Buitenzorg) took third catch driven by Hugo Langeweg Jr. for trainer Tibor Hajnal.
The co-featured Hungaria DIJ (purse 4Huf million, US$15,533, 2560 meters distance handicap based on age, three and four year olds) went to 1.17.8kr timed Baxter Hill (3m Muscle Hill-Bentane Hanover-Andover Hall) reined by trainer Josef Franzl. Great day in Hungary for Franzl. Urilany R was second for Veljko Mazsity and Villam Ville (3b Beissinger Hanover) took the third spot for driver/trainer Imre Fazekas.
The Istvan Szegedy Memorial for open trotters was contested over 1900 meters autostart for the 1.2Huf million purse and the 1.15.4kr winner was Underpaid Hanover (8m Revenue-Up Front Lisa-Lindy Lane) trained by Jozsef Rutkai and driven by Imre Fazekas. He rallied to lead and hold off Donato Luca (8m Donerail-High Weeds-Tagliabue) driven by Hugo Langeweg Jr. for trainer Csaba Lakatos. Local stalwart Milliondollar Lux (11m Ganymede-Dedaumpa Jet-Supergill) was third for driver/trainer Emil Csordas, the game pacesetter.
Other noteworthy winners on the card were Henrik Ibsen AT (5m Worship) for trainer/driver Tibor Hajnal timed in 1.16.6kr over 1800 meters autostart in the 600,000Huf purse Laszlo Fekete Memorial. Urania RG and Rocket Boy were next across the line. Earlier, two year olds contested the 1800 meter autostart Nyerfetlem Ketevesek and the 1.20.6kr timed winner was Zenit Charme (2m Offenbach Bigi-Jolly Beauty-Jolly Guardian) for trainer/driver Imre Fazekas. Zseda (2f Frullino Jet) and Zseneroz (2f SJs Photo) were second and third.
The program also included the second leg of the Budapest-NY Amateur Challenge. This day Sunny (6g Oncoming Hush-Vivian King-Crowning Point) scored timed in 1.19.4kr over the 1900 meter autostart course for Andrea Fazekas. Ms. Fazekas won an amateur event at Pompano Park last year. Ors (9m Pickaflick) was a rallying second for Andras Gaspar ahead of Primusz (8g Rajon Jet) driven by New York’s Paul Minore.
Minore won the initial challenge leg Friday evening, driving Sholty Geri (6f Sholty Boko) to defeat Oklahoma Font, Andrea Nagyvary up, and Rozsakert (7f Wall Street Banker) with Joe Faraldo.
Thomas H. Hicks