Harness racing driver Austin Siegelman's favorite number recently has been 5, on 2 occasions already in the young 2019 season, 27-year-old Austin Siegelman has won 5 races at Monticello Raceway, today he did it again for the third time. It didn’t matter if he was starting from the rail or the 8 hole, Siegelman found a way to find the winners circle.
The winners started in the first race where he piloted River Run for Ryan to a 1:57.3 win for trainer Arthur Jones, the son of Western Terror notched his first win of the year. Badlands Palace took the 3rd race from post position 2 for his first pari-mutuel win of the year in 1:59.3 for Trainer Robert Lounsbury and owner Margaret Olmstead, the daughter of Badlands Hanover returned $3.10 to win. Siegelman scored from the 8 hole with Woodmere Rondevous in 1:59.4 by a scant neck and paid $12.60 to win. Reflexionofroyalty would account for the 4th win of the afternoon, the 4-year-old mare by American Ideal is trained by Allen Sisco (2:01 – $3.70) The last winner of the day was Yankee Devil (PP2) who scored a wire to wire win in 1:59.2 ($5.70) for trainer E. Bucky Angle Jr. Yankee Devil a 14-year-old son of Yankee Cruiser was winless in 2018 in 14 starts.
With a bit more luck Siegelman could have won 7 races, he was just nailes at the wire in the 7th race with the 3/5 favorite Histoire Eternelle in a tight photo. In the 8th race, post time favorite Ironbarbassy was scratched lame in the post parade.
In the paddock after the conclusion of racing when asked about his day, the reserved Siegelman said “I have been getting live mounts and I have been putting them in good spots”
Siegelman is atop the leader board for leading Dash Winners with 65 wins, followed by Michael Merton (61) James DeVaux (47) Bruce Aldrich (46) and Jim Taggart Jr rounding out the top five with 30 wins
$599,529 was wagered on the 9-race card, an average of $66,000 per race, live racing resume Monday March 11 at 12:50.
By:Shawn Wiles