June 10, 2017 – Saturday was a special trotting raceday at Kincsem Park with two classic events. The Nemzeti DIJ (purse 2Huf million, 1960 meters distance handicapped) went to 1.18.8kr timed Villam Ville (3g Beissinger Hanover-Izaville-Endless Sands) driven by trainer Imre Fazekas for owner Pimri i. Walking John M (3m Cigar Dan-Dream Broline-Ald Palema) was second for Istvan Papp, also trainer, and third was the 40 meter age penalized Urilany R (4f Maximus Lindy-Elegant Lady-Mill H) piloted by trainer Veljko Maszity.
The co-feature was the Dr. Jozsef Versekloy Memorial (purse 2Huf million, 1800 meters autostart, seven starters, two heats and raceoff). The opening heat went to 1.16.9kr timed Time To Say Goodbye (5m Maximus Lindy-Jungfrau-Valley Guardian) driven by Lajos Marton. Speedy Boy (6g Wall Street Banker-Vas Lady-Endless Sands) was second for trainer/driver Veljko Masity. Third was Rocket Boy (7g Wall Street Banker-Ekegany Lady-Mill H) reined by trainer Imre Fazekas. The top two were reversed in the second heat as Speedy Boy scored in 1.17.8kr ahead of Time To Say Goodbye and Rocket Boy. In the raceoff it was a tactical affair as Time To Say Goodbye jogged on the lead for the first 1200 meters until Speedy Boy made a bold backstetch bid, a bit early perhaps. After a head-to-head battle around the final bend Time To Say Goodbye pulled away for a two length win and the trophy, pictured below.
The undercard saw some good action too. The Kekszakall DIJ (purse 400,000Huf, 1800 meters autostart) went to 1.18.7kr timed Euklid AT (4m Even Better Odds-Echalote-Credit Winner) for trainer/driver Tibor Hajnal. Rafael Bit and Urban Legend were the next two home. The Butterfly DIJ (purse 600,000Huf, 1900 meters autostart) resulted in victory for 1.17.8kr timed Spartakus Ans (6g Cantab Hall-Valganna OK-Lemon Dra) teamed by Csaba Lakatos for trainer Laszlo Toth. It was the winners’ fourth straight success. Timoteo and Donato Luis finished second and third. Driver Gyorgy Horvath scored another win, this time with the Imre Fazekas trained Sunny (6g Oncoming Hush-Vivian King-Crowning Point) in the Tokay Handicap over 2400 meters autostart. The sire Oncoming Hush, a winner of US$101,000, is a Sierra Kosmos half-brother to Hellava Hush, a former Nat Ray winner of over US$1.1 million. They are out of the mare Kindava Hush (Arndon-Quiet Elegance-Speedy Crown-Namarra), she a producer of 15 foals and winner of US$224,000 including the Lexington Filly and Johnston Memorial. One could say it’s a “Hellava” family.
Thomas H. Hicks