By John Manzi
MONTICELLO — January 1, 2010 — Bob’s Alibi was moved three-deep on the final turn and rallied to win the $7,700 weekly pacing feature in a time of 1:58.3 on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 29 at Monticello Raceway.
Newcomer Jamie Dunlap reined the winner for trainer Peter Stratton.
The temperature that day was hovering around 10 degrees and the winds produced a wind chill factor of minus 20 degrees.
According to the meet’s leading driver, Billy “Zeke” Parker Jr., who was also in the race guiding DM Sundance, “It was one of the toughest days to be on the racetrack in recent history.
“That comes with racing in the north during the wintertime,” Parker added.
With the stalwarts of this division, Southbound Trucker and Keystone Rideau, on the sidelines, the door was opened for a host of visiting pacers to gain the lion’s share of the offered purse.
Bob’s Alibi, a hard-hitting, 5-year-old altered son of His Alibi in from Yonkers Raceway, had drawn the pole position and driver Dunlap took advantage of his location and gave his pacer a perfect two-hole journey behind pace-setter DM Sundance until the final turn.
But racing circumstances  made Dunlap move off the pylons and wheel his pacer three-wide as they rounded the bend. Bob’s Alibi proved to be the best as he wore down the leader and held off all challenges to be victorious.
At the wire, Bob’s Alibi was a head winner over Jake Of Diamonds, another Yonkers Raceway import driven by Bruce Aldrich Jr. 
DM Sundance, also up from the Hilltop oval, held on for the show dough.
Dunlap, who has been among the most preferred catch-drivers since coming to Monticello Raceway in late November, notched his 18th driving victory and was quick to praise the talents of his charge.
“This was the first time I sat behind him [Bob’s Alibi], but he is a nice animal and has shown he has a lot of pace,” Dunlap said.
Dunlap then continued to  explain why he had to move his pacer three-wide on the final turn after being on the pylons most of the mile.
“We were really in a good spot,  but on the final turn Billy’s  horse [DM Sundance] began to tire and Eckstrom [driven by Jimmy Marohn] was in high gear two-deep, so I thought I’d follow him [around the turn],” Dunlap said. “But when Eckstrom got eye-to-eye with DM Sundance, he sulked and wouldn’t go by and I had no other choice than to move out from behind around him.”
That move proved to be the winning one for Dunlap as four horses rushed to the finish line with Bob’s Alibi getting the final call over Jake of Diamonds, who used the passing lane in the homestretch.
Owned by Michael D’Abbraccio of Monticello, Bob’s Alibi raised his seasonal earnings to nearly $60,000 and scored his fourth triumph of the year. He paid $12.80 for win.
Dunlap also won the 12th race with another Stratton trained-D’Abbraccio owned pacer, Behind Enemy Lines, in 2:00.1 and in the process scored the pacer’s 15th victory of the season.