But we are not talking about the driver standings you will find printed elsewhere in this race program. Oh, that is a competitive race also, as the usual suspects like Jason Bartlett, Mike Eaton, Jim Hardy, Drew Campbell, Ron Cushing, and others battle for the top spot among the regular catch drivers and the laurels that comes with that crown.

There is, however, another battle for a top driving spot here at Plainridge, and that competition is at least as fierce, if not more so, that the one just mentioned. That is the tug of war currently taking place for supremacy among several of the participants in the New England Amateur Drivers Club. With five months of action in the books, six of the thirty club members have earned more than one hundred points as a result of their performances in NEAHDC events. And those half dozen drivers say something about the diversity of an organization that has become a fixture here over the past few seasons.

Take Billy Abdelnour, for instance. Currently the top point getter in NEAHDC action, Abdelnour is a retired teacher who bought his first horse when Plainridge was still in its infancy. A former employee of the Massachusetts State Racing Commission, Billy is now a full time member of the local harness racing industry and has been active on behalf of all horsemen. Then there is Cathy Smith, who currently holds down the second spot in the standings. Many longtime fans probably remember this veteran horsewoman from her Foxboro and Hinsdale days. Though she now works in Maine as a realtor, Cathy faithfully makes the trip to Plainridge each and every week. Third place in the standings belongs to Jeff Gulya, a horseman with three decades of racing experience under his belt. Though he works full time with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Jeff has always found time for harness racing. He currently campaigns JK Jake, the horse with the most starts in the history of Plainridge Racecourse.

The next few positions in the standings reflect the same variety. Tom Eaton, who currently trails Jeff Gulya by just four points, is a former police officer. Four points behind Eaton is Marc Bouthillier, whose "real job" is as an aerospace engineer. Dave Gulya, rounds out the top half dozen, and works as a police officer in Abbington.

All told, more than two-thirds of the drivers that belong to the NEAHDC have visited the winner's circle thus far in 2006. That is perhaps the best testament to the balanced nature of the amateur competition that is a weekly feature here at Plainridge Racecourse.

To keep track of the standings, be sure top visit the club's website at www.neahdc.com.

Courtesy Of Plainridge Racecourse