NEWYORK LEGENDS READY TO RUMBLE(HarnessDrv)

[Dennis]

WOW-This sounds like fun!!!-I do remember all those guys.
NEW YORK LEGENDS READY TO RUMBLE
Posted by Harnesslink Admin at 11:19 AM 19-Jun-2003 NZST

A total of 12 of the most talented reinsmen from the 1960’s and 1970’s who

competed successfully on the Roosevelt-Yonkers Raceway circuit will gather at The Mighty M on Sunday, June 22.

The 12 drivers will compete in a four race contest dubbed the Battle of the New York Legends.

Among those ready to rumble are three Hall of Famers Carmine Abbatiello, Buddy Gilmour and Del Insko.

Joining them will be Bill Popfinger, Butch Dokey, Eddie Lohmeyer, Real Cormier, Benny Webster, Ken McNutt, Ben Steall, Frank Popfinger and Norman Dauplaise who will serve as an alternate.

At 12.15 pm on Sunday the legends will be available for an autograph session where racing fans can meet and greet them on a one to one basis.

Collectively, the legends can account for over 34,000 driving victories and purses in excess of $243-million, a great amount considering that during their era there were smaller purses and shorter racing seasons

Director of Racing, Eric Warner, has lined up four races on the Sunday matinee card in which each of the drivers will compete three times.

The battle will be in races three, five, six and eight on the 11-race card.

Race three is a nine-horse superfecta field while the others are the usual eight-horse races.

The European Point System will be used to determine the overall point champion.

A scratched horse will earn their driver four points and should there be a tie in the final totals the best universal driving average in the Legends events will determine the winner.

Sponsored by businessman, horse owner and avid racing fan, Larry Roman, the Battle of the New York Legends is offering over $8000 in cash and prizes to the participants.

Roman will also conduct a harness racing trivia contest where correct answers by attending fans can win them instant cash.

Also on hand on Sunday will be representatives from JokeVision, the newest cable TV- show.

They will be travelling throughout the grandstand filming fans willing to tell jokes on camera that can later be used on their cable-TV program.

Post time for the first race on Legends Sunday will be at 1.05 pm.

Courtesy Of John Manzi, Publicity Director, Monticello Raceway

[Dennis]

By Kevin Gleason
Times Herald-Record
kgleason@th-record.com

Benny "The Whip'' Webster has a message for today's harness racing drivers: Invest in a #$@% stopwatch.
Pardon the French, Webster says before uncorking the R-rated adjective, but he's sick of drivers misjudging race pace.
Hey, Webster's 63 years old with 4,318 wins under his belt. You want King's English, stay out of the backstretch.
And stay out of Webster's path. Chances are he won't give way, even Sunday when he races in the Battle of the New York Legends at Monticello Raceway.
Webster and 11 others will gather for a nostalgic afternoon at the Sullivan County oval. Three Hall of Famers – Carmine Abbatiello, Buddy Gilmour and Del Insko – will turn out to scrap for more than $8,000.
The gang represents more than 34,000 victories and purses in excess of $220 million.
"Haven't seen some of them since Moby Dick was a minnow,'' Webster chortles.
The 1960s and '70s stars are reminders of a kinder time in harness racing. OTB and several other factors have left the sport spitting the bit.
It's an industry, after all, that considers on-site casino gambling the savior. But not today. Not up Route 17 west where once the Mighty M and the Catskill resorts exchanged smiles.
"It was a beautiful place,'' says Frank Hopfinger, who will compete with brother Bill. "It was clean and neat. Everything was new.
"It's 30 years older,'' Frank sighs. "Like all of us, we deteriorate a little bit.''
"Almost difficult to sum it up,'' says Webster, who lives in Lincoln Park, N.J., near the Meadowlands. "There were good horses, good laughs, good parties. Most of us guys did good. We lived extremely well.''
Harness racing may be the only sport where you could make more money 40 years ago. Purses were better. Costs were less.
"Anybody today at Monticello training horses might better be on welfare,'' Webster says.
Webster ain't hurtin'. He owned a 40 percent share in a racer called No Nukes, sold it to a syndicate for $5 million and a neat $2 million profit.
Webster chuckles. Make that a $1 million profit. Ink was barely dry on the deal when he wrote a $980,000 check to cover his divorce settlement.
"That's life,'' The Whip says with a chuckle. "You just go with the roll.''
Sunday should be rollicking fun. There is Benny The Whip and Red Man Abbatiello and Steady Eddie Lohmeyer and Showbiz Bill Popfinger.
There aren't even good nicknames in the sport anymore.
"It's going to be a hell of a thing,'' says Webster, whose nickname is a joking reference to his days as a playboy.
Webster keeps a hand in the game with two horses stabled in Flanders, N.J. But he hasn't itched to get in the sulky. The other day someone asked him to drive and Webster said not unless the horse is 1-to-9.
Webster used to say he didn't want to lie down until he drove a fourth world champion. He is resigned to finishing his career with three champs.
But that's OK. Webster isn't trading in his years for anyone's.
"I'll tell you what,'' Benny The Whip says, "I've had not a good life but a great life.''