By Paul Ramlow
9/23/04

A pair of $61,410 divisions of the Old Oaken Bucket were contested on the Thursday (September 23) program at the Delaware County Fair. The first division went to Doug and Ada Jean Ackerman's Coventry in a time of 1:58.4. D.R. Ackerman was in the sulky as the three-year-old Mr Lavec colt posted his fourth victory in 16 season's starts. His share of the purse hiked his 2004 earnings to $316,978. "He's a very steady performer," said Ackerman of Coventry, "although he's a cut below the top ones. He was OK today. He hadn't been on a half-mile track for a while, but he got the job done." Coventry was parked out three wide as Uncle Vernon guarded the rail and took the field to the opening quarter in a time of :28.1. Coventry finally cleared to the lead on the second turn and set subsequent fractions of :57, 1:28.3, and 1:58.4. Uncle Vernon (Jack Baggitt, Jr.) tried to rally and came at the winner in the stretch, but finished a half length back in second. Samurai Hall (Michel Lachance) picked up the third place check. The second $61,410 division of the Old Oaken Bucket went to Joseph Chnapko's Make It Hot and driver Luc Ouellette in a lifetime best time of 1:55.3, a clocking which also was a national season's record for a three-year-old trotting colt on a half-mile track. "He's kind of a sleeper," said trainer William Gallagher of Make It Hot, who won for the sixth time in 13 season's outings and lifted his 2004 earnings to $45,078. "Luc did a fantastic job with him. I told him 'I get him ready and you take over'. You can drive him anyway you want!" Ouellette took Make It Hot right to the front from post position five and he was never headed through fractions of :28, :57, 1:26 and 1:55.3. Castle Of Fortune (David Miller), who sat the pocket the entire mile, finished second, a length and a quarter back of the winner. Favored Dream Photo Kosmos (Dave Palone) was third.