Set to go head-to-head in all 13 races on the Wednesday afternoon card of November 19, 21-year-old Jordan Stratton is Monticello Raceway's leading driver while 26-year-old Jason Bartlett leads the driving colony at Yonkers Raceway.

Not only are the youngsters tops at their respective racetracks but both are in the top five in races won in North America. Stratton, currently with 536 winners, is fifth on the North American leaderboard and Bartlett's 559 driving victories ranks him 4th best in North America.

Stratton, only in his second full year of driving standardbreds, has already blossomed into a top-notch catch driver. He began here at Monticello Raceway in 2006 driving in amateur races prior to receiving his provisional license and then after showing great abilities quickly moved on to his full fledged "A" license.

His first pari-mutuel drive was behind Smiling Seth in Billings Amateur Trot at Monticello Raceway on May 8, 2006 and two races later on that same afternoon Stratton scored his first pari-mutuel driving victory behind a pacer named Meditator in 1:58:4.

Thus far in his fledgling career Stratton already has reined 851 winners.

Bartlett, like Walter Case, Jr and Billy Parker, Jr, is a product of the Maine racing circuit and he developed his skills initially racing around the state's county fairs before becoming the top-gun at Scarborough Downs.

He drove his first pari-mutuel race on August 14, 1998 at the Topsham (Me.) Fair where he finished second with Beach The Clock and later, on September 1, he reined his first winner; a 2:01 victory behind pacer Geri's Beauty at the Windsor (Me.) Fair.

A former small college (University of Southern Maine) All-American basketball player Bartlett's driving career started slowly but picked up momentum in 2003 when he reined 194 winners. Since then he has reined over 2100 winners.

In the Battle of the Rising Stars on November 19 each reinsman will get his pick of drives in every other race on the card. Besides their driving percentages $1000 is on line and it'll be winner take all for the driver who scores the most points in the competition.

John MANZI