Jim Taggart Jr. wins 5 at Monticello Raceway

October 3, 2019

By: Shawn Wiles

Photo Credit: Geri Schwarz

On Tuesday afternoon Oct 2, Jim Taggart Jr. dominated the card and won 5 races on the afternoon, 4 of the races came in consecutive races. The win streak started in the second half of the early daily double in race 2 aboard Road Untraveled from the rail, the Dave Dziengiel trained son of the recently deceased Stallion Grimfromeartoear notched his 9 win of the year, scoring in 1:57 ($3.80) Natalie Hanover was up next from post position 6, she worked hard to make the front end but once she did, she cruised to a win in 1:59 ($4.90) Needles And Pins also started from the rail had a similar trip as Natalie Hanover and scored in 1:58 ($5.00), the 11 year old gelding by Village Jove scored his 5th seasonal win for trainer Anthony Regina.  Race 5 saw Lightupbullville bull his way to the front end and never looked back, scoring an easy 7 length win and the fastest mile of the day in 1:56.3 ($2.80) for longtime Monticello Raceway trainer Murray Bassen for owners Gray Thunder II Stables of New Rochelle NY.

After a brief 2 race hiatus, he scored with former Monticello Raceway Horse of the Year Warrawee Preferred, the 8-year-old gelded son of Federal Flex is trained by Gary Messenger and won it 1:57.3 ($4.00) and is on the cusp to eclipse over $225,000 in lifetime earnings.

The 49-year-old Taggart currently is in second place in the Monticello driver’s colony with 184 wins, trailing leader Michael Merton with 203 wins, rounding out the top 3 leading dash winners is Austin Siegelman with 143.