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Post by trackrat on Jul 23, 2010 10:44:59 GMT -5
Giss, what is the latest news about the recovery of these two Northfield drivers?
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Post by trackrat on Jul 26, 2010 9:01:45 GMT -5
Posted July 26, 2010
"Russell Swartz said he could've returned to harness racing at fairgrounds a couple weeks ago, after recovering from a broken right shoulder he suffered three months ago during a nasty spill at Northfield Park near Cleveland.
The longtime driver from Attica, with more than 1,600 wins to his credit entering this year, elected to wait until the Seneca County Fair to make his return. He was rewarded in his first race back Sunday, driving Money Runner to victory in the second of nine races at the fairgrounds.
"The last couple weeks I felt like (driving), but I decided to wait until Tiffin," said Swartz, who hopes to gain full clearance this week to return to racing at paramutual tracks, where fields generally are tighter and bigger. "Everything worked out. I had a couple good horses. It made me feel alive again [to win the first one].
"I was getting bored sitting on the couch. I was used to going 4-5 nights a week, and then I wasn't going at all."
Money Runner, a winner in last year's Seneca County Fair races, took the first 3-year-old filly pace by three lengths. Trained and co-owned by Tiffin's Thomas Watson, she clocked the day's second-best time, 2:00 3/5.
Over numerous years in the sulky Swartz has racked up a few injuries, but the broken shoulder was the worst one, he said.
"I've had a couple broken ribs before and had some falls. I'm getting older and I guess I'm getting more fragile," he said jokingly. "I used to be able to bounce right back up."
Swartz came close to another win in his three starts, when another 3-year-old filly pacer, Inawhile Crocodile, took second by a head to Funny Lena and Republic's Ryan Stahl in the seventh race.
Funny Lena, also a Seneca County winner last year, is owned by Stahl and trained by Republic's Alan Smith. She needed the day's fastest time of 2:00 1/5 to hold off Inawhile Crocodile, a trainee of Tiffin's John Burks, in the day's only close race.
"It's kind of surprising," said Stahl, who topped 2,000 career wins early this year and always is a crowd favorite at his hometown track. "I actually thought the 1 horse was the one to beat, but I know she's had trouble coming out of the gate.
"Russell got the good trip and gave me a run. It was exciting for the fans."
Stahl, who is Northfield's third-winningest driver thus far in 2010, started next to Swartz in the race he got injured.
"I was down for three horses that race, and I asked them to put Russell down for one of (the horses)," he said.
Stahl and Findlay's Ed Greeno Jr. were Sunday's double-winners. Stahl, who also had two runners-up in his five starts, got his first win in race No. 4 when Lima Silk dominated a four-horse field of 2-year-old filly trotters. With the 15-length win (2:07 1/5) Lima Silk, a Smith trainee and owned by Tiffin's Joe Ewald, has two wins and three runners-up in five starts.
Toledo's Tom Marts Jr. drove Our Little Philly to a victory (2:04 1/5) in the day's first race, a 2-year-old filly pace. The four-length win was the horse's third in four starts.
Greeno's first win came in the third race, a 3-year-old filly trot that his father's trainee Sublime Begonia took by 10 lengths (2:06 1/5).
The second 2-year-old filly trot saw Bowling Green's John Konesky III drive his own trainee, Hardrockenjessica, to a 10-length victory in 2:07 4/5. In the second 2-year-old filly pace, Attica's Kenneth Fortney and his trainee Special Dark held off a mild challenge from Stahl's own Gran Mer Jac, winning in 2:02 1/5.
The Billings Amateur trot, featuring successful drivers who donate their winning portions to charity, Berkey's Larry Farley drove 7-year-old gelding Rewrite The Rules to a 12-length win (2:01 4/5).
Greeno's second win closed the day's races, as Peach Me, another trainee of his father's, took the second 3-year-old filly trot by three lengths (2:04)."
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Post by thegiss on Jul 28, 2010 10:37:27 GMT -5
Sorry guys, was away over the weekend and just nowgetting caught up-- Aaron got the casts off and the Docs are very pleased with his progress. Russ as above.
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