Ft. Washington, MD — As the second division of the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Drivers Club took to the track on Tuesday (March 28) at Rosecroft, 18-year-old Wyatt Long didn’t even have a drive.
Long’s drive in the first division, Power Of Tell, broke a head check and did not finish, so his 13th drive of the meet never made it to the finish line. His luck was about to change.
As the horses for the 11th race were scoring down, Do Ya Think became as rank as you can be from a pulling perspective. Driver Scott Woogen, after getting him slowed down, became unseated as he went to turn him back toward the starting gate. Medical personnel rushed to aid Woogen, who seemed to get tangled within the lines and fortunately Do Ya Think never attempted to run off or fall to the ground.
With Woogen being cared for, Do Ya Think needed a driver. That’s where Long, like many young drivers, jumped in, seeking all the experience he could get and it turned out to be something like a legendary fish story from Sunday afternoon.
Never Easy Z Tam, never had it easy on the lead, facing constant pressure from a parked out Wisers Deluxe and Catscratchfever who were in the outer flow from the get go and never saw the pylons. Long bided his time behind the leader and pocket sitting Classic Pro.
As the parked out challengers faded, Long tipped the 7-year-old son of Ponder to the outside and just nailed the leader by inches at the finish line for his first lifetime pari-mutuel win. Scott Warnick trains the winner for owner Daniel Chansky.
Long is part of an amazing family of horsemen dating back over 50 years in the Mid Atlantic Region.
David Rearic won the first division of the MAADC with 15-year-old Hi Sir who secured his 68th career win.
In the Tuesday night feature, Somegirlsomewherea held off her chief rival Beyond Words N for a second straight week, winning the $16,500 Mares Handicap in 1:52.3. It was one of two wins for Johnathan Ahle who scored for owner Robert Cacamese and trainer Steve LeBlanc.
Jonathan Roberts and Justin Walters also had driving doubles.
Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway
