Monticello: Michael Merton, Bob Lounsbury nab 2018 titles

Last year was a very good one for Michael Merton as the 47-year-old Monticello native earned his first ever leading dash winner title at his hometown track Monticello Raceway. He finished with 267 wins, well ahead of former Monticello Raceway dash winner Bruce Aldrich Jr. with 235 wins, followed by the young Austin Siegelman with 228 trips to the winner circle.

The Monticello native was reared in the backstretch of Monticello Raceway as a youngster and is no stranger to the Catskill Mountain oval. Merton hit the road hard this summer as he also won the leading dash driver title at Tioga Downs with 82 wins. Between Monticello Raceway and Tioga Downs, Merton amassed over $1,440,971 in purses and 349 wins. Merton’s combined season tally of 382 ranks him 16th in the nation.

Bob Lounsbury earned his fourth overall leading trainer title at Monticello Raceway with 93 wins. Gary Messenger was second with 80 wins. Bob Lounsbury also won the leading training award in 2013, 2014 & 2015. He also ranked nationally . . . in 2013 and 2015 he was the percentage leading trainer in North America for trainers having over 500 starts. The Bob Lounsbury Stable earned over $305,797 in 330 starts, an average of $926 per start for the 2018 season at Monticello Raceway.

-edited release (Monticello)