Sports

Photo: Howmac Dancer out in front with driver Denny Bucceri.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

After winning his way up through the non-winner ranks, Howmac Dancer scored a major upset in his first top class $12,500 Open Handicap pace victory at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (11-9). 

There was a mad rush off the gate with Major Authority (Wade Tomaszewski) parking out Mr. Euroman (Billy Davis Jr.) and Tullow N (John Cummings Jr.) two and three deep to the quarter in :27.3. With everyone finally taking a seat, Major Authority kept rolling to the half in :55.3. 

At that point Howmac Dancer (Denny Bucceri) pulled from mid-pack, moved smartly up the backstretch and took command by the three-quarters in 1:25. Rounding the far turn, Howmac Dancer had a gapped advantage but still had to withstand a late rush from Black Is Back (Dave McNeight III) and Race Me Rocky (Shawn McDonough) which he did to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.1. 

It was the fifth win in seven Batavia starts and seventh win of the season for Howmac Dancer ($42) who is owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Jim Clouser Jr. 

The $11,000 Open II Handicap pace went to Cultural Paradise (Renaldo Morales III) who led every step of the way en route to his third win in his last four starts and fourth win of the season, timed in 1:56.3. Don Rothfuss trains for owner Howard Ouriel.

The biggest win mutuel of the year was paid out on Saturday after 74-1 shot Raylan Givens (Billy Davis Jr.) rallied late in the fourth race to win by a neck in 1:56.2. The Brittney Ohol owned and trained gelding returned $151 for the win and sparked a $946.00 exacta (7-3), $1,447 trifecta (7-3-1) and $5,175 superfecta (7-3-1-8). 

Drew Monti and Denny Bucceri led all drivers on Saturday with three wins while trainers Don Rothfuss and Mike Ohol won two races apiece.

There was no winner in the Pick-5 wager again on Saturday and as a result there is a $2,343 carry-over and Batavia Downs will be offering a guaranteed pool of $6,000 for the pick-5 wager on Wednesday (Nov. 13) when live racing resumes at 5 p.m.

The pool will be part of the United States Trotting Association’s (USTA) Strategic Wagering Program and as such, there will be free program page available on the USTA’s website starting on Sunday morning.

Photo of Wheels A Turning leading with driver Denny Bucceri.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A class drop spelled victory for Wheels A Turning who moved down from Open I company on Friday night (Nov. 8) to win the $11,000 Open II trotting feature at Batavia Downs.

Getting away fourth, Wheels A Turning (Denny Bucceri) watched in wait while the only other mare in the race, CR Blazin Beauty (John Cummings Jr.), grabbed the lead and set the tone. They went to the half in :58 flat before Bucceri pulled Wheels A Turning first-over and started to march for the front. 

CR Blazing Beauty maintained command of her lead but Wheels A Turning was trotting alongside within a length at the three-quarters, around the turn and into the stretch. As they moved down the lane the two trotted stride for stride to the wire until Wheels A Turning gained a slight advantage and won by a neck in 1:57.3.

It was the ninth win of the year for Wheels A Turning ($6.10) who has now earned $79,310 in purses in 2019. Allan Schmucker Jr. owns the 5-year-old daughter of Mr. Cantab-Free Wheeling that is trained by Sabrina Shaw. 

The Downs leading driver, Billy Davis Jr., Shawn McDonough and Renaldo Morales III all had three winners during the evening on Friday. That pushed Davis’s win total for the meet to 103 wins ,which is a commanding 24 tallies ahead of Jim Morrill Jr. who sits in second place. Patrick Shepherd led all trainers with two wins on Friday, putting him at 25 wins and catapulting him into third place behind the leading Jim Clouser Jr. (42) and Maria Rice (33), who each scored one win on Friday.   

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Nov. 9) with post time at 6 o'clock.

Photo of Protect Blue Chip in the lead with driver Billy Davis Jr.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A pair of distaff Open paces topped the card on Wednesday night (Nov. 6) at Batavia Downs and fittingly, both winners came from barns of female trainers. 

In the $12,500 Open I Handicap for fillies and mares, Protect Blue Chip (Billy Davis Jr.) got away fifth while Blue Bell Bonnie (Dave McNeight III) and HP Sissy (Drew Monti) battled for front supremacy in a speedy :27.2. Davis pulled first-over with Protect Blue Chip and brought Gia’s Surreal (John Cummings Jr.) in the flow. 

Positions grew tight as the race reached three-quarters in 1:25.3 with the top four horses pacing in a bunch and it didn’t get any easier down the lane. With a mad rush to the wire, from the pylons out was Blue Bell Bonnie, HP Sissy, Protect Blue Chip and Gia’s Surreal all within a head of each other until Protect Blue Chip got the slightest advantage to win by a nose in a blanket finish on a cold night in 1:54.4. 

It was the seventh win of the year and a new seasonal mark for Protect Blue Chip ($18.00) who is owned by Vogel and Wags Nags Stable, Jack Rice and Adelphi Bloodstock. Maria Rice trains the winner. 

Then in the $11,000 Open II Handicap for fillies and mares, Lady London (Ray Fisher Jr.) went a mile that could have gotten her the top prize in the main event. After leaving sharply from post four in :27.1, Lady London led at every station by a gapped advantage that grew as the race progressed. After hitting three-quarters in 1:24.1, Fisher let Lady London pace home of her own volition and she stretched out to a 5-3/4 length win at the wire in 1:54.1. 

It was also the seventh win of the year for Lady London ($5.30) who is owned by VHF Racing and trained by Sabrina Shaw, who had a training double on the card. 

John Cummings Jr. and Billy Davis Jr. were the hot drivers on Wednesday, each scoring a hat trick of victories. Kevin Cummings joined Shaw in the trainer ranks with two wins on Wednesday as well. 

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Nov. 8) with post time at 6 p.m.

Photo: Down On My Luck with driver Drew Monti.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

The formidable team of owner Robert Woodburn, trainer Patrick Shepherd and driver Drew Monti struck again in prime time to win both feature races on Saturday night (Nov. 2) at Batavia Downs. 

In the $12,500 Open I Handicap pace, Down On My Luck scored his sixth win in only eight starts at Batavia Downs this year after he made a second-over move past the half, took over the lead from the front-running Howmac Dancer (Ray Fisher Jr.) at the top of the stretch and then held off a late rush by Tullow N (John Cummings Jr.) to win by a nose in 1:55.3. 

It was the 10^th win overall this year for Down On My Luck ($3.50) who now has $63,492 on the card in 2019. 

Then in the $11,000 Open II Handicap pace, Sir Pugsley left from his assigned seven post and dropped in third by the quarter. But he was out and rolling early moving up to second by the half, taking over the lead from China Dream (Billy Davis Jr.) at the three-quarters and then clearing and pulling away down the lane to win by a wrapped-up 3-1/4 lengths in 1:55.3.

It was the sixth win of the year for Sir Pugsley ($3.00) and pushed his bank to $81,020. 

Monti ended up the leading driver on the night, scoring a total of four wins and three seconds during the card. Besides Down On My Luck and Sir Pugsley, Monti also won with In Runaway Bay N (1:55.3, $8.10) and Brunello N (1:55.1, $3.60).  

Billy Davis Jr. also finished the night strong getting a natural hat trick in the final three races. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 6) with post time at 5 o'clock.

Photo of Dragin The Wagon with driver Aaron Byron.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

It was a landmark night for owner Cary Cantelon as her prized trotter Dragin The Wagon shipped in from a three-week stint at Yonkers Raceway to score his 50th lifetime win in the $12,500 Open Handicap trot at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Nov.1). 

Driver Aaron Byron left hard with Dragin The Wagon from post five and crossed-over in the first turn. But he was soon joined by Joey Pro (Jim Morrill Jr.) who made his way up the outside to the front by the quarter in a swift :27.3. Now in control, Joey Pro trotted strong on the point past the half and on to the second circuit. 

The lone mare in the race, Wheels A Turning (Billy Davis Jr.), pulled first-over and made her way alongside the leader by the time they hit three-quarters in 1:26.2. Joey Pro was far from finished and he continued to park out Wheels A Turning around the last turn, although that one was matching strides all the while. When the race hit the stretch, Joey Pro drifted off the pylons which allowed Byron and the pocket-sitting Dragin The Wagon enough room to squeeze through and draw away by 1-1/2 lengths at the wire in 1:57.1. 

It was the fifth win of the year for Dragin The Wagon ($7.30) who now has $443,879 in earnings to go along with his 50 wins.

In the co-featured $11,000 Open II Handicap trot, Southern Palms (Jim Morrill Jr.) made a first-over move past the half, tangled with the front-running Rose Run Rudi (Aaron Byron) for a quarter of a mile before gaining a one-half length advantage under the wire to win in 1:59.2.

Southern Palms ($5.40) is owned by Mike Torcello and trained by Gerry Sarama.

Southern Palms was just one of five wins driver Jim Morrill Jr. had on the night, including the natural hat trick in races two through four. He also scored with Well Connected Kid (1:59.3, $3.20), Let’s Be Honest (1:59.1, $4.50), JNR Express (2:00.4, $2.30) and Can’t Win (2:01, $4.20). 

Morrill also had two seconds and a third to top off his night. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs this afternoon (Nov. 2) with a special Breeder’s Cup Day post time of 3:15 p.m. 

Photo of Gia’s Surreal with driver John Cummings Jr.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

After being narrowly defeated in this same class last week, the lightly regarded Gia’s Surreal went from worst to first for her 10^th win of the year in the $12,500 fillies and mares Open I Handicap pace at Batavia Downs on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 30). 

Blue Bell Bonnie (Dave McNeight III) took the lead and played hardball with the heavily favored Little Joke (Billy Davis Jr.), parking the latter to the half in :56.1. As the field made its way around the third turn they were in two-rows with Gia’s Surreal (John Cummings Jr.) sixth and last at the pegs. 

When the race passed the five-eighths pole, Cummings hit the gas and tipped Gia’s surreal three-wide to the three-quarters, circling the field and finally taking the lead at the head of the stretch. With Blue Bell Bonnie still a force at the pylons, Cummings rocked and knocked Gia’s Surreal all the way down to the wire where she won by one-half length in 1:55.1. 

On the strength of the win, Gia’s Surreal ($17.80) pushed her earnings to $93,244 for owners Jim Graham, Edward Peron, Lee Winters and Thomas Mariano. Graham also train the filly. 

There were no surprises in the $11,000 fillies and mares Open II as Protect Blue Chip (Billy Davis Jr.) returned from a three-month layoff to go gait to wire handily in 1:55. Going off the post time choice, Protect Blue Chip ($3.20) won by two-lengths for owners Vogel and Wags Nags Stable, Jack Rice and Adelphi Bloodstock. Maria Rice trains the winner. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Nov. 1) with post time at 6 p.m.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - For the second time in his short professional career, Canada's Francois Lavoie donned the coveted green jacket at the U.S. Open.

The 26-year-old right-hander defeated 14-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion and top seed Sean Rash of Montgomery, Illinois, 221-172, on Wednesday night to become the 12th bowler in history to win the prestigious title multiple times.

His first time hoisting the U.S. Open trophy was in 2016 on the way to PBA Rookie of the Year honors.

The latest win gave Lavoie his fourth PBA Tour title and made the fourth-year professional the first foreign-born player to win the U.S. Open more than once. Finland's Mika Koivuniemi (2001) and Dom Barrett of England (2018) also have won the event.

Wednesday's star-studded stepladder at Victory Lanes was broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

Along with the iconic outerwear, Lavoie also earned a $30,000 top prize. The U.S. Open was the fifth, and final, major of the 2019 PBA Tour season. The win was Lavoie's first since 2017.

"This is so surreal, and I don't even know where to begin," Lavoie said. "To win the first one was unbelievable and a dream come true. Winning the second one, wow. Especially with the way the season started, I never could've expected this. It's not something you think will happen again, and definitely not this year of all years. I feel so fortunate."

Lavoie started the final match with five consecutive strikes and cruised to the title. Rash opened with a strike but did not throw another until the ninth frame when his third major title already was out of reach.

Rash was in a familiar position as the No. 1 seed, having won the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters and 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions from there.

"I'm great, honestly," Rash said. "I led the U.S. Open, which is a dream come true. I've always wanted to make this show. Frankie bowled unbelievable. He started with the front five on a pair that was extremely brutal. He's a two-time champion at this event for a reason. It was a great performance, and he out-bowled me. I'm happy with my preparation and thought process and everything that was going on. I have no regrets from today, and I feel like this still was one of my best seasons overall."

Despite the loss, Rash indeed is winding down one of his best seasons in a career that began in 2005. His 2019 campaign includes two titles and more than $145,000 in earnings. He took home $15,000 for Wednesday's runner-up finish.

In the night's four matches, there only were three strings of strikes longer than a double, and Lavoie had two of them on what he considered the most challenging of the week's four oil patterns.

His keys to success on all the patterns were surface management and different hand positions.

"I wasn't ever really comfortable on this pattern for the 32 games we bowled on it, and going into match play, I was pretty nervous about holding onto a spot on the show for another 24 games," said Lavoie, who averaged less than 200 for his first eight games on the week's final oil pattern. "I had a hard time getting my hand to do what I wanted to get the right ball motion, but we stuck with it and stayed in it. Throwing the front five in the final game was huge, especially since our plan was just to try to hit the 1-3 every time. That pair was really hard."

On the way to his first U.S. Open title in Las Vegas, Lavoie also managed to string strikes in what is considered one of the sport's toughest environments. That year, he also was the second seed and advanced to the title match by becoming the first bowler in history to roll a perfect game on a U.S. Open television show.

Lavoie rolled into this year's championship match simply by filling frames, another key to success on the demanding conditions at the U.S. Open.

The Team Canada member posted a clean 214-164 win against two-time major champion Anthony Simonsen, 22, of Little Elm, Texas, who was looking to earn his eighth PBA Tour title and become the youngest player to win three majors.

Simonsen, who won the 2016 USBC Masters and 2019 PBA Players Championship, advanced to Wednesday's semifinal with a 187-148 win against 11-time major champion and 2019 PBA Player of the Year front-runner Jason Belmonte of Australia.

After three solid shots to start the match, Belmonte failed to get more than six pins on four of his next five first balls. The 36-year-old two-hander tried everything to get back in the match, including a switch to a urethane ball in the seventh frame and moving from the left side of the lane to the right.

The move worked on the right lane, but the 22-time PBA Tour champion split twice on the left lane, including the 2-8-10 combination in his final frame. A missed 10 pin from Simonsen in the ninth frame gave Belmonte an opportunity to at least force Simonsen to mark, but the final split ended his chances for a fifth title in 2019.

A win Wednesday would've given Belmonte his first U.S. Open title, and he would've joined USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby as the only players to win the Super Slam.

Belmonte has four wins at the USBC Masters, three PBA Tournament of Champions titles, two victories at the PBA World Championship and two wins at the PBA Players Championship.

His 148 game was the lowest he has bowled on TV. His previous low came in a 214-156 loss to Wes Malott in the title match of the 2013 U.S. Open.

In Wednesday's opening match, neither Simonsen nor Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, looked immediately comfortable on the fresh 40-foot oil pattern, but two rolled 10 pins early in the game gave Simonsen a small advantage over O'Neill, who didn't deliver his first strike until the fifth frame.

A 2-8-10 split from O'Neill in the sixth frame widened the deficit, and Simonsen followed the first commercial break with four consecutive strikes to pull away for a 226-193 victory.

O'Neill, the 2010 U.S. Open winner, also was looking to become the 12th bowler in history to win the event multiple times. The 38-year-old right-hander owns 11 PBA Tour titles, including two this season.

The field this week started with 144 players, all of whom bowled 24 games of qualifying over three days (eight games each day). Each round featured a different oil pattern, and a fourth lane condition was introduced for the cashers' round, match play and championship round.

All rounds leading up to the TV show were broadcast live at BowlTV.com and simulcast on FloBowling.

2019 U.S. Open
At Victory Lanes, Mooresville, N.C.
Wednesday's results

FINAL STANDINGS
1, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 435 (two games), $30,000
2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Illinois, 172 (one game), $15,000
3, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 577 (three games), $12,000
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 148 (one game), $10,000
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 193 (one game), $8,000

STEPLADDER RESULTS
Match No. 1 - Simonsen def. O'Neill, 226-193
Match No. 2 - Simonsen def. Belmonte, 187-148
Semifinal - Lavoie def. Simonsen, 214-164
Championship - Lavoie def. Rash, 221-172

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - After 56 games over five days, five competitors have advanced to the championship round of the 2019 U.S. Open.

The quintet conquered four challenging oil patterns at Victory Lanes and now will battle for the for the $30,000 top prize, coveted green jacket and final major championship on the 2019 Professional Bowlers Association Tour schedule live on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The standings seemed to be on a continuous spin cycle throughout the final round of match play Tuesday evening, with three different people topping the leaderboard during the eight-game block.

Sean Rash of Montgomery, Illinois, a 14-time PBA Tour champion, spent the most time out in front and held a 60-pin advantage over 2016 U.S. Open champion Francois Lavoie of Canada heading into the day-ending position round.

Though Lavoie was able to win the position-round matchup, 217-211, Rash had enough of a lead to claim the top seed for the TV stepladder by 24 pins.

Lavoie held on for the No. 2 spot, which is the same place he qualified the year he won. He and Rash will be joined on the show by Australia's Jason Belmonte, Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas. All five are major champions.

"I have one game to bowl for a title, which is something I've done six, seven or eight times this year, and it's a great feeling," said Rash, who was the No. 1 seed for both of his major titles - the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters and 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions. "There's four unbelievable players on the show with me, all major champions, so it's going to be an amazing show. I'm extremely happy right now, but there's still so much left to do."

Rash, who set the pace through 32 games of qualifying and led the final 24 players into the match-play portion of the event, finished with a 56-game pinfall total of 12,379, which included 30 bonus pins for each of his 12 wins in match play. He started match play with seven consecutive losses.

Lavoie finished with a 12,355 total, Belmonte closed with a 266-233 win over Houston's Shawn Maldonado to jump from fifth place to third (12,312), O'Neill finished with 12,303 and Simonsen held on to the final spot with 12,261, just 27 pins ahead of Maldonado.

"Tonight was very much needed and something I felt was coming," said Belmonte, a 22-time PBA Tour champion. "I finished the second round with 279 and realized that game put me back in contention. I was about 100 out of the show and thought I could get there with a couple good games in a row. Through the middle of the last block, I did some of the best bowling I've done in a really long time."

The star-studded stepladder includes some amazing storylines.

Rash is looking for his third title of 2019 and third career major. A win would make Lavoie the first foreign-born player to win the event twice, while he and O'Neill, the 2010 winner, both have a chance to become the 12th bowler in history to win multiple times.

Belmonte and Simonsen both have found the winner's circle in majors this season. Belmonte won the PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA World Series of Bowling X PBA World Championship, and he was the runner-up to Simonsen at the 2019 PBA Players Championship.

Belmonte's win at the 2019 PBA World Championship was the 11th major victory of his career and moved him past PBA Hall of Famers Earl Anthony and Pete Weber on the all-time list. They each own 10 major titles.

Simonsen, who along with O'Neill has won twice this year, is looking to become the youngest player with three majors - he also won the 2016 Masters - and Belmonte is hoping to extend his record. The U.S. Open is the major that has eluded him. The Australian's best finish at the event was a second-place effort in 2013.

"This has put me in a position to have a crack at No. 12, and I'm excited and nervous and can't wait to get out there and leave it all on the lanes," said Belmonte, a four-time champion in 2019. "I'll give it everything I've got, and if the pins want to fall, it'll be my year. I know there will be plenty more U.S. Opens, but I'm kind of hoping they fall for me this time."

Defending champion Dom Barrett of England also made match play this week and finished 14th, one spot ahead of 2017 champion Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida.

The field this week started with 144 players, all of whom bowled 24 games of qualifying over three days (eight games each day). Each round featured a different oil pattern, and a fourth lane condition was introduced for the cashers' round, match play and championship round.

All rounds leading up to the TV show were broadcast live at BowlTV.com and simulcast on FloBowling.

The U.S. Open is conducted jointly by USBC and the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America.

For more information on the U.S. Open, visit BOWL.com/USOpen.

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 69 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; IBC Youth Development; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

2019 U.S. Open
At Victory Lanes, Mooresville, N.C.

Tuesday's results

MATCH PLAY
(56 games, 30 bonus pins for a win, 15 bonus pins for a tie)
     
      1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 12-12-0, 12,379. 2, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 15-8-1, 12,355. 3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 13-11-0, 12,312. 4, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 13-10-1, 12,303. 5, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 14-10-0, 12,261.

TELEVISED STEPLADDER FINALS
(Will be live Wednesday on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern)

Match No. 1: O'Neill vs. Simonsen
Match No. 2: Belmonte vs. Match No. 1 winner
Semifinal: Lavoie vs. Match No. 2 winner
Final: Rash vs. semifinal winner

DID NOT ADVANCE:

      6, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 15-9-0, 12,234. 7, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 18-6-0, 12,221. 8, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 14-10-0, 12,207. 9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 13-11-0, 12,169. 10, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 12-12-0, 12,121. 11, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 11-11-2, 12,105. 12, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 12-12-0, 12,087.
      13, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 13-11-0, 11,993. 14, Dominic Barrett, England, 12-12-0, 11,991. 15, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 12-12-0, 11,958. 16, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 11-13-0, 11,920. 17, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 11-12-1, 11,899. 18, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 11-12-1, 11,860.
      19, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 10-14-0, 11,838. 20, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 8-16-0, 11,797. 21, Greg Ostrander (a), Freehold, N.J., 11-12-1, 11,764. 22, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 7-17-0, 11,612. 23, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 8-16-0, 11,542. 24, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 8-15-1, 11,494.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

On Wednesday (Oct. 30) there is a carryover of $1,381 and a guaranteed pool of $5,000 for the Pick-5 wager that day.

The pool is part of the United States Trotting Association’s (USTA) Strategic Wagering Program and as such, free program pages are available courtesy of Trackmaster on the USTA’s website or by direct download by clicking here.

The Pick-5 wager begins in race one and runs through race five. It is a 50-cent base wager and if all five winners aren’t selected, the carryover amount will move to the Friday (Nov. 1) program.

Post time for the first race Wednesday is 5 p.m.

Photo of Black Is Back with driver Dave McNeight III.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

It was a simple plan for Black Is Back. Take the lead, steal the half and cruise home for the win. And that's exactly what he did in the $12,500 Open I Handicap pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Oct. 26). 

Black Is Back (Dave McNeight III) left unchallenged and set early fractions of :27.3 and :57 flat to the half. Down On My Luck (Drew Monti) was in the breeze first-over at that point and continued to gain ground on the leader up the backstretch and to the three-quarters. 

As they headed around the far turn and into the stretch Down On My Luck was pacing hard and trying to make up the 1-½ length deficit, but Black Is Back was the better horse this night and hung on for the win by one-length in 1:53.4. 

It was the 10th win of the year for Black Is Back ($3.10) who has now earned $75,050 for owners Curtis Edholm and Mihajlo Zdjelar Sr.; Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr. does the training.

The $11,000 Open II Handicap pace saw I’m So Handsome (Denny Bucceri) leave from post one, slow the half to :58.2 and then come home in back to back :28.2 quarters to hold off a fast closing Sir Pugsley (Drew Monti) and win by a length in 1:55.

I’m So Handsome ($10.80) scored his sixth win of the year for owner Mike Torcello and trainer Gerry Sarama. 

The $10,000 Open III pace turned an unexpectedly fast mile when Charmbo Orbit (Denny Bucceri) drafted third for a half before pulling first-over heading to the three-quarters to run down the leading Thisjetsabookin (Dave McNeight III) and hold off a late rush from Brunello N (Drew Monti) in the stretch to win by a neck in 1:53.4.

It was a new seasonal mark for Charmbo Orbit ($21.20) who is owned by Keith Pinkowski and trained by Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr. 

Those back to back wins for Denny Bucceri were two of the three he won on the card, giving him a hat trick for the evening. Drew Monti also won three races on Saturday night. 

With no Pick-5 winner on Saturday, there is a $1,381 carryover and a $5,000 guaranteed pool will be offered on the Pick-5 wager on Wednesday (Oct. 30) when live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m.

The guaranteed pool is part of the United States Trotting Association’s (USTA) Strategic Wagering program and as such, there will be free program pages for races one through five available on the USTA website starting this morning (Oct. 27).