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A financial and estate planning specialist and co-president of Financial Access Network by profession, Yarock was entering only his second series final.

However, the resident of Tenafly, New Jersey was brimming with confidence as he recently closed out the preliminary portion of the spring series with a resounding victory at Freehold Raceway.

He had the seven-year-old daughter of Keystone Raider sitting patiently in fourth behind pacesetters, Neil Goldstein and Squeekmunn on the engine, Tony Piserchia racing on the outside with Cambar and Phil Winkler just ahead with Jingling as the field was entering the far turn.

Suddenly, Winkler made a daring move through what seemed to be only a tiny opening between Piserchia and Goldstein to take over the lead. Yarock and Shania Twain followed right on his heels.

Turning for home, Winkler was first into the lane as Squeekmunn and Cambar were calling it a night.

Try as they might, Winker and Jingling could not hold Yarock off for very long as Shania Twain found another gear. Yarock first drew even, then beyond and was threatening to pull away.

However, the defending 2007 fall series champion Carmen Ciccone had Heezaclown rolling out from fifth to join the fray with Don Hicks and Sand DLaney shadowing in tandem.

Down the stretch, Yarock, Ciccone, and Hicks were engaged in classic fight to the finish.

With time running out, Hicks had slipped just beyond Ciccone and was poised to take the crown right from Yarock's grasp when, he ran out of real estate.

Yarock, racing like a seasoned veteran, brilliantly kept Hicks at arms length, getting to the wire first, just a horse's neck in front to take the title, his first as a member of the American Harness Drivers Club.

Time of the mile over a fast Meadowlands racing surface was 1:58 after fractions of 27. 4, 57.1, and 1:27.2 through three quarters.

Hicks and Sand D'Laney finished in second while Ciccone and Heezaclown took the show spot. Winkler and Jingling finished fourth.

Rounding out the field were John Regina and Sylvains Friend in fifth, Bob Hechkoff and KDs Power Shift finished sixth, Goldstein and Squeekmunn fell back to seventh as did Piserchia and Cambar who finished eighth.

Dr. Sam Sbarra and West Point were ninth while Monica Thors and According To Hoyle broke before the start and were never in it, finishing tenth.

With the victory, Yarock also clinches the 2008 Spring Series Point championship, gathering 47 points to second place Ciccones 39.

However, Ciccone's 8 points from the final was enough to give him the overall combined points title, awarded to the driver gaining the most series points after competing in the final, combined with total points attained in the 2007 Fall Pacing Series.

He is now eligible to represent the AHDC in the annual Tim Fouts Memorial Amateur Driving Championship, traditionally held during Little Brown Jug week at the Delaware, Ohio Fairgrounds in September.

After the presentation of the championship trophy by club president Bernie Boland in a jubilant winner's circle celebration, Yarock knew he had been in a horse race when he offered:

"It feels great, but it was really a tough fight."

Yarock's wife Laurie, who had joined him for the pictures, was also thrilled but not especially surprised as she stated:

"It's so wonderful, especially since David's only been driving for a little over a year. But, he's always been so competitive in everything from basketball, golf and everything else hes been involved with, it's not surprising he picked it up so fast and at 54 years old ...now, he's the championit's just great."

The American Harness Drivers Club will return with the 2008 Fall Pacing Series in September.

In the meantime, keep up with all of the news through the summer months by visiting our website.

http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=64384