"Bullet Bob" Davis may have started out slowly in this season's CKG Billings Amateur Driving Series but lately he's caught fire winning his last three starts in harness racing's seven-month traveling sideshow.
His latest victory was at Batavia Downs on Friday night, September 2 when he guided pacer, Royal Ashton, to a 1:57.3 triumph in a Billings test there.
Davis, a self- employed business man and horse owner from Saratoga Springs, NY, thinks nothing of getting in his car and traveling the Billings circuit to drive against his fellow amateurs.
And all his wayfaring hasn't been in vain, especially of late.
"On August 30th I drove 15 hours — one way — to race on Prince Edward Island in the Canadian Maritimes and I won the Billings split there.
Then on September 13th I traveled seven hours one way from my home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to race in the Billings series at Flamboro Downs and scored a victory there, too," Davis explained.
"And my third win in a row in the Billings was on September 25th after trekking five hours to Batavia Downs."
At that western New York double-oval, Davis used the front end route with his catch-drive to vanquish his competition.
Sent off as the second choice from the two-hole Davis not only rated an even mile but his charged incredibly paced every quarter in exactly :29.2 en route to a 1:57.3 tally.
"I never really had any challenges until the half but even then my horse was well in command and we sailed home an easy winner," Davis said.
That he did. A late charge from "Howie the Horse" Gelfand, with favored Precise Accusation, fell a length short at the wire.
Third place, some three lengths behind the winner, was Inform, driven by Anthony "Tough Tony" Cuiffetelli.
Royal Ashton, a 4-year old His Mattjesty gelding, owned by Keith Pinkowsi and Curtis Edholm and trained by Mihajlo Zdjelar, Jr. paid $6.50 for win.
On Saturday (Sept 26) Davis will try to keep his win-streak alive when he comes in Billings event at Vernon Downs.
John Manzi