Sports

The Genesee Community College baseball team hosted Monroe Community College on Thursday afternoon for the first of three double-headers in three days and split with their fellow Western New York Athletic Conference opponent, winning game one 8-3 and falling in game two 3-0.

Brandon Collins (Toronto, ON) gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a solo homerun in game one, his second homerun in three games. Genesee added two runs in the fifth inning, which was led off by a Tyler Koronas (Naples, FL) triple. He would score on an error and then Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, PR), who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored on a hit by Collins.

Monroe rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning with three runs off of starting pitcher Dan Sharpe (Youngstown, NY). GCC answered with five runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a three-run triple from Collins to take back the lead for good.

Sharpe threw a complete game and allowed just the three runs on four hits while striking out three.

Collins finished game one with four runs batted in, Koronas went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and Rodriguez scored two runs.

In game two, Cougars starter Adam Pratt (Batavia, NY) allowed an unearned run in the first inning that put GCC behind early.

The Genesee offense managed only seven singles in game two and only once had multiple runners on base. Monroe added two late runs to add to their lead and shut Genesee out in game two.

Fauchedre Celestijn (Willemstad, Curacao) finished game two 2-3, Collins was 1-3 and Koronas was also 1-3.

(Batavia High School graduate Adam Pratt (white jersey) took the loss on Thursday afternoon in game two of GCC's double-header against Monroe CC)

Pratt pitched all seven innings and allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out seven.

Genesee will play their second double-header in as many days tomorrow when they travel to Erie Community College for a 2pm start.

The Genesee Community College men's lacrosse team traveled to Niagara County Community College on Wednesday night and routed the Thunderwolves, 26-5.

It was another dominating performance, as eleven different players recorded a point. The Cougars held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter and led 12-2 at the half.

Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) led all scorers with eight goals and five assists. Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) added four goals and three assits. With his three assits, Printup broke the single season assist record. The previous record was 37, Printup now has 40 on the season.

Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) led the midfield with two goals and two assists, Chip Chapman (Batavia, NY) added two goals and an assist and Neil Kabesh (Nepean, ON) and Keaton Taylor-Lazore (Salamanca, NY) each had two goals.

Aaron Hayward (Hilton, NY) led the defense with five ground balls and two takeaways. Dylan Hickey (Hilton, NY) chipped in with three assists.

In net, Pat McMahon (Amherst, NY) and Brady Lawrence (St. Catherines, ON) split time and combined for 11 saves.

Genesee (11-2) will play next at Tompkins Cortland Community College on Saturday at 1pm.

The Genesee Community College women’s lacrosse team could not keep up with Erie Community College on Wednesday afternoon, falling to the Kats 26-5.

Genesee was in a hole early, giving up the first three goals of the game. Anna Modera (Geneva, NY) put GCC on the board about five minutes into the first half and cut the Erie lead to 3-1. Modera scored three more first-half goals, but Erie held an 18-4 lead at the break.

In the second half, Erie extended their lead to 20-4 before Modera scored her fifth goal of the game. The Lady Cougars would not find the back of the net the rest of the second half, and Erie cruised to the 26-5 win.

Arielle Lambert (#5) makes a play on the ball in Genesee's loss to Erie Community College on Wednesday afternoon

Sarah Bosa (Buffalo, NY) made 23 saves in net.

With her five goals on Wednesday, Modera now has 30 goals on the season.

With the loss, Genesee falls to 0-8 on the season and will travel to Onondaga Community College on Saturday for a 1pm start.

Genesee Community College starting pitcher Ruben Medina (Maracaibo, VEN) was nearly perfect on Tuesday afternoon against Finger Lakes Community College. Nearly. Medina started game one of the afternoon double header and allowed a one-out walk in the first inning to the visiting Lakers before retiring the next nineteen batters in a row, completing the first no-hitter in nine years for GCC. Medina quickly erased the top of the first inning walk with a ground ball double play and then set down the next eighteen batters on ten ground balls, five fly-outs and three strike outs.

“Ruben has done a great job for us all year,” said Cougars head coach Skip Sherman. “He was rewarded for all the hard work he has put in this year. He comes ready every game and prepares like he should.”

Genesee took the lead in the bottom of the first inning after Shakeel Newton (Christiansted, Virgin Islands) led off with a double and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Collins (Toronto, ON). The Cougars added two more in the first on a two-run double by Rafael Lozada (Santo Domingo, DR) that plated Tyler Koronas (Naples, FL) and Fauchedre Celestijn (Willemstad, Curacao).

GCC added to their lead with a run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Lozada, a run in the fourth inning on a solo homerun from Collins and two runs in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Mark Knight (Christiansted, Virgin Islands) and a sacrifice fly from Koronas.

The 7-0 lead was more than enough and would hold for Medina who knew throughout the afternoon that he was in the middle of something special.

“I knew I had a no-hitter going but I just focused on the game and took it pitch-by-pitch,” said Medina. “I tried to just spot my pitches and use my curveball and changeup to set up my fastball.”

Ruben Medina (red glove) celebrates with teammates after throwing a no-hitter in game one against Finger Lakes Community College on Tuesday afternoon

Genesee won game one 7-0 on Medina’s first collegiate no-hitter and third lifetime, as he threw two no-hitters in Little League.

Celestijn went 1-2 with two runs scored, Collins was 1-2 with a run scored and two runs batted in and Lozada was 1-3 with two runs batted in.

In game two, GCC starting pitcher Kyle Taylor (Ajax, ON) held the Lakers scoreless until the fourth inning when he gave up the game’s first run. The Cougars responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning highlighted by a Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) RBI single to take the lead.

Taylor surrendered a run on a suicide squeeze in the fifth inning, which tied the game and proved to be his final inning pitched in the game. Finger Lakes CC took the lead in the sixth inning, scoring a run off of reliever Dan Harms (Hamburg, Germany) and then added an insurance run in the seventh off of Collins. The insurance run proved to be a big one, as the Cougars managed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to close to within one at 4-3, but could not complete the comeback and fell by the same score.

Overall, the Genesee offense managed just four hits in game two. Rodriguez was 1-2 with an RBI and a run scored, Collins was 1-4 with an RBI and Celestijn was 1-4 with a run scored.

Genesee (20-10 overall) will host Monroe Community College for an afternoon double-header on Thursday starting at 1pm.

The Genesee Community College men’s lacrosse team responded to Saturday afternoon’s loss at the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex with a dominating win over visiting Mohawk Valley Community College, 22-0 on Monday night.

Coming off just their second loss of the season, the Cougars scored seven times in the opening quarter to take the early advantage. They took a 13-0 lead into halftime, added five goals in the third quarter and then four goals in the fourth.

Genesee's Will Mulcahy (white #13) fires a shot on net in GCC's shutout win over Mohawk Valley Community College on Monday night

Genesee had fifteen players record a point in the game, led offensively by Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) with four goals and three assists. Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) and Jon Gill (Cattaraugus Territory) each added four goals and an assist.

At midfield, Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) added three goals and two assists and Joe Pedro (Batavia, NY) chipped in a four-point night with a goal and three assists.

Dylan Hickey (Hilton, NY) led the defense with nine ground balls, two takeaways and one goal. Dave Lehman (Edmonton, AB) also had a strong night defensively with four ground balls, two takeaways and one goal.

Goalies Pat McMahon (Amherst, NY) and Zack Wilson (Lewis Center, OH) combined for eight saves in Genesee’s first shutout win since March 16, 2011 when the Cougars beat Cayuga Community College 17-0.

Genesee improves to 10-2 on the season and will travel to Niagara County Community College on Wednesday for a 4pm start.

The Genesee Community College softball team split a double-header with Erie Community College on Monday afternoon, winning game one 7-1 and dropping game two 10-2.

In game one the Lady Cougars scored three times in the second inning and added four in the sixth behind a strong outing from starting pitcher Alishia Foss. Foss threw a complete-game, allowing one un-earned run on five hits while striking out four. She also added an RBI triple at the plate.

Chelsea Lynch was 2-3 at the dish and scored two runs. Jennifer Merle went 2-3 with two doubles, two runs batted in and two runs scored. Alex Miller was 2-4 with an inside the park homerun.

#2 Chelsea Lynch drops down a bunt single in GCC's first game against Erie Community College

In game two, Genesee was doomed by a rough second inning. Erie CC scored nine runs in the second frame on four hits, a hit by pitch, a walk and five errors.

The Lady Kats added a run in the fifth inning to take a 10-0 lead. GCC scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, but were unable to close the gap further, falling via the eight-run mercy rule.

Lynch went 2-3 with a run scored and Sabrina Wilhoite was 1-2 with a run scored. Foss pitched game two as well, throwing five innings and striking out four.

With the split, Genesee is now 10-10 on the season and 3-1 in Western New York Athletic Conference play. They will travel to Jefferson Community College on Thursday at 3pm for their next game.

The Genesee Community College softball team opened Western New York Athletic Conference play on Thursday afternoon with a two-game sweep of visiting Alfred State College.

Alishia Foss pitched well in game one, allowing five runs while striking out three in a complete game effort. Her offense built an early lead, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning, including an RBI triple from Miki Kawaguchi. The Lady Cougars led 8-5 in the fifth inning and won via the eight run mercy rule after putting together a five-run fifth. They sent all nine batters to the plate and got a two-run single from Kawaguchi and a sacrifice fly from Amanda McGowan. Genesee won game one 13-5.

Kawaguchi finished the game 2-4 with 3 RBI’s, Alex Miller went 2-3 with four runs scored and Sabrina Wilhoite went 3-3 with three runs scored.

Alex Miller delivers a hit against Alfred State College

In game two, Genesee answered a top of the first inning run from Alfred State with a three-run home half of the inning, highlighted by an RBI single from McGowan, to take the early lead. The Lady Cougars were a run away from another mercy rule victory, leading 11-4 in the 6th inning before Alfred State scored seven times to tie the game at 11. GCC went quietly in the sixth and the seventh innings, and the game went into extra frames.

Both teams exchanged a run in the eight inning. Alfred State kept the pressure on with a run in the ninth and put two runners on base with a chance to extend the lead. GCC pitcher Abbey Rocque kept the Lady Cougars in the game by striking out the next three hitters, keeping it a one-run game. Genesee quickly tied the game in the ninth on an RBI single from Foss and then won the game when Wilhoite hit a line drive to center that was dropped, scoring Foss. GCC won game two 14-13.

Members of the GCC softball team celebrate #8 Sabrina Wilhoite's game-winning hit

Rocque pitched the entire game and also delivered a two-run double. Lindsay Chatt was 2-5 in game two, scoring twice and driving in a run. Kawaguchi was 2-5 with two runs scored and Chelsea Lynch was 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

With the wins, Genesee is now 2-0 in conference play and 9-9 overall. They will play again on Tuesday when they host Erie Community College at 3:30pm.

The Genesee Community College men’s lacrosse team upped their win streak to nine straight games on Wednesday night with a 26-3 victory over visiting Cayuga Community College.

The Cougars lit up the scoreboard with 19 first half goals and allowed just one. They followed with seven goals in the second half and allowed only two.

Rashad Brown (white jersey) wins a faceoff against Cayuga Community College on Wednesday night

Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) led all scorers with 12 points. He scored four goals and broke his own record for assists in a game (previously seven) with eight assists. Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) scored four goals and also added four assists, Jon Gill (Cattaraugus, Territory) scored three times and assisted once, Marcus Palvino (Spencerport, NY) had a five point night with three goals and two assists and Steven Raimondi (Amherst, NY) and Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) each added two goals and an assist.

Mike Breindel (Hamburg, NY) was 18 of 20 on faceoffs and also led the team with eight ground balls.

#4 Genesee (9-1) will travel to Maryland on Saturday to take on #3 Community College of Baltimore County-Essex at 1pm.

The Genesee Community College women’s lacrosse team fell to Broome Community College at home on Wednesday afternoon, 20-3.

Genesee faltered out of the gate, allowing Broome CC the first three goals of the game. Anna Modera (Geneva, NY) got the Lady Cougars back to within two with an unassisted goal about five minutes into the first half, making the score 3-1. The Lady Hornets quickly responded with a goal to go back up by two, but Modera scored again to cut the lead in half. Broome would then score the next ten goals before Modera netted her third goal of the game, but by that time it was too late. Broome scored six unanswered goals and shut out Genesee in the second half and cruised to the victory.

#7 Anna Modera scores three times for GCC on Wednesday afternoon against Broome Community College

With her three goals in the game, Modera now has 20 on the season.

Genesee (0-6) will host Mohawk Valley Community College on Saturday at 1pm for their next contest.

The Genesee Community College softball team took two from visiting Finger Lakes Community College on Tuesday afternoon to improve to 7-9 on the season.

In game one the Lady Cougars fell behind early after Finger Lakes CC scored twice in the first inning and then nine times in the third inning to take an 11-0 lead. Genesee began their comeback in the bottom of the third, scoring three times on four walks and an RBI single from Miki Kawaguchi. They then sent 13 hitters to the plate and scored eight times in the fourth inning to tie the game at 11. Finger Lakes CC regained the lead with three runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth and held a 17-11 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Down to their final three outs, Genesee put together a seven run inning including a two-run base hit from Alishia Foss and won the game on a walk-off single by Kawaguchi.

Genesee celebrates Miki Kawaguchi's walk-off single in game one against Finger Lakes Community College

Kawaguchi finished the game 3-4 with three runs batted in. Amanda McGowan added two hits and two runs batted in and also scored twice. Sabrina Wilhoite scored three runs.

Abbey Rocque pitched all seven innings and struck out two en-route to the win.

In game two, Genesee grabbed the early lead when they scored three times in the bottom of the first inning including an RBI single from Chelsea Lynch. Finger Lakes CC responded with four runs in the second inning to take a 4-3 lead. The lead did not last long as Lynch reached base in the third inning after being hit by a pitch, stole second and then scored on an error to tie the game at four. After retiring the Lady Lakers in order in the fourth, Genesee took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning when Wilhoite reached on an error and then scored on an error with two outs. Genesee added a run in the fifth and a run in the sixth and held on for a 7-5 victory.

Foss was the winner on the mound in game two, pitching all seven innings allowing eight hits and struck out two.

Kawaguchi again went 3-4 at the plate, Lynch delivered a run batted in and scored twice and Jennifer Merle went 3-3 with a run batted in.

Genesee will play on Thursday afternoon at 3pm when they host Alfred State for a double header.

The Genesee Community College softball team hosted Corning Community College on Thursday afternoon and split the two-game double header with the visiting Red Barons.

Corning jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game one. The Lady Cougars responded when Chelsea Lynch delivered an RBI single that scored Alex Miller to cut the lead to one. Genesee took the lead in the third inning after Miki Kawaguchi tied the game with an RBI single and then came around to score on a Lindsay Chatt hit. GCC led 4-3 in the fifth inning before the Red Barons scored six runs to take the lead for good. Genesee added a run in the seventh but could not come back further.

Kawaguchi finished game one going 3 for 4 with a run scored and a run batted in. Chatt and Lynch each went 1 for 4 with a run batted in. Abbey Rocque pitched seven innings and allowed nine runs (four earned) and struck out one.

In game two, Genesee fell behind early once again. Corning scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take the lead. The Lady Cougars cut into the lead with two runs in the second on RBI singles from Sabrina Wilhoite and Kawaguchi. The Red Barons added a run in the sixth and the seventh to take a 5-2 lead into the final frame. Down to their final two outs, GCC put together four straight hits including a three-run double by Alishia Foss, tying the game at five and sending it to extra innings. In the eight, Corning took a 6-5 lead with a run on a hit and a sacrifice fly. The Lady Cougars responded scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth, winning the game 7-6 on a walk-off single from Miller.

The GCC Softball team  celebrates Alex Miller's walk-off single in game two against Corning CC on Thursday afternoon

Mallory Frew scored two runs in game two, Chatt went 2 for 4 with a run scored and Rocque went 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Foss picked up the win on the mound going eight innings allowing six runs and sruck out three.

Genesee moves to 5-9 on the season and will host Finger Lakes Community College on Tuesday at 3pm.

The Genesee Community College baseball team split an afternoon double header with Western New York Athletic Conference rival Monroe Community College on Thursday, with each team winning a one-run game.

In game one, the Cougars only managed two hits, singles, both of which came from Brandon Collins (Toronto, Ontario). Genesee hitters were retired in order in five out of the seven innings and they did not score a run. GCC starter Ruben Medina (Maracaibo, VEN) went seven strong innings and allowed one run on seven hits. Monroe scored the only run of the game in the top of the seventh inning on a lead off single, sacrifice bunt and game-winning single with two outs. The Tribunes held on to win 1-0.

#19 Brandon Collins picks up three hits in Thursday's double header against Monroe Community College

In game two, Genesee jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jean Rodriguez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) lead off the home-half of the inning with a single and Tyler Koronas (Naples, FL) followed with a hit and run single perfectly placed through the vacated shortstop hole to set up first and second with no outs. Collins continued his hot hitting and delivered a two-run hit to put GCC in front with their only two runs of the game. The lead was kept safe thanks to more strong pitching from Genesee. Starter Dan Harms (Hamburg, Germany) pitched around a solo homerun in the second inning and threw five strong innings allowing three hits and struck out three. Brandon Stagg (Guelph, Canada) and Collins combined to throw the final two innings and shut out the Tribunes to give GCC the 2-1 win.

Rodriguez finished the game 2-3 with a run scored and a stolen base and Collins went 1-3 with 2RBI's.

The Cougars improve to 13-9 on the season and will travel to Mercyhurst North East on April 12th for their next contest at 1pm.

The Genesee Community College men’s lacrosse team got off to a fast start on Thursday night against visiting Alfred State College and did not look back.

The Cougars scored the first ten goals of the game and cruised to a 27-6 victory. In total, 18 different players recorded a point. GCC was 22 of 23 on clears and a perfect five for five with the man advantage.

Jon Gill (Cattaraugus Territory) led the way with five goals on the night. Marcus Palvino (Spencerport, NY) scored four times, Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) added two goals and three assists and Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) scored twice and also added four assists. Brady Lawrence (St. Catherines, Ontario) played 45 minutes in net and made ten saves allowing just three goals. Dylan Hickey (Hilton, NY) Jordan McElligot (Spencerport, NY) and Dave Lehman (Edmonton, AB) combined for five takeaways and 16 ground balls on defense. Rashad Brown (Lockport, NY) was 10 of 15 on faceoffs.

The Cougars improve to 7-1 on the season and have now won seven straight games. They will travel to Herkimer County Community College on Saturday for a 1pm start

The Genesee Community College men’s lacrosse team won their sixth straight game on Tuesday night, defeating the visiting Cardinals of the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville 15-7.

Genesee scored under a minute into the first quarter when Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) cashed in on a pass from Chip Chapman (Batavia, NY). Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) followed with back-to-back goals and then Latimer returned the favor to Chapman who scored to make it 4-0 GCC with under two minutes to go in the opening frame. The Cardinals added a late first quarter goal, but Genesee responded with the next three tallies in the second quarter, including two from Marcus Palvino (Spencerport, NY). Genesee led 7-2 at the intermission.

Chapman opened the second half with his second goal of the game before Latimer added his second and Printup added his third to give GCC a 10-2 lead. Latimer found the back of the net three more times in the fourth quarter and Printup added one in the final six minutes to boost Genesee to the eight goal victory.

Latimer finished with five goals and an assist, Printup added four goals and also had three assists. Defensively, goalkeeper Brady Lawrence (St. Catherines, ON) made 20 saves in net and Aaron Hayward (Hilton, NY) had three takeaways and six ground balls. Vin Pedro (Batavia, NY) had three takeaways, four ground balls and also added an assist and Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) chipped in with three assits. Mike Breindel (Hamburg, NY) went 8 of 12 on faceoffs.

Genesee (6-1) will play again on Thursday night when they host Alfred State at 7pm.

The Genesee Community College women’s lacrosse team played host to Niagara County Community College on Sunday afternoon and played its most competitive game of the season, but fell to the Lady Thunderwolves 13-12.

Anna Modera (Geneva, NY) put Genesee out in front early with a first half goal just under a minute into the game. Niagara responded with a tying goal before Mercedes Stricklin (Queens, NY) scored her first goal of the season to regain the lead for GCC. The Lady Cougars held on to the lead for the remainder of the first half and had four different goal scorers. Genesee lead 7-6 at the break.

#7 Anna Modera fires a shot in the first half of Sunday's game against Niagara County Community College

Niagara opened up the second half by scoring the first three goals of the period and took their first lead of the afternoon. Modera’s third goal of the game cut Niagara’s lead down to 9-8, but the Lady Thunderwolves responded and regained a two-goal lead about two minutes later. Genesee made a late push and retook the lead after Cassandra Dembik (Pembroke, NY) scored to get GCC to within one, Arielle Lambert (Caledonia, NY) scored to tie the game at 11 and then Modera scored to give the Lady Cougars a 12-11 advantage. Genesee would not find the back of the net after that, and Niagara scored twice in a span of a minute to tie the game and take the lead for good with about four minutes remaining.

Genesee goalkeeper Sarah Bosa makes a save against NCCC

Modera finished the afternoon with five goals, Lambert added three goals and Stricklin scored twice. Stephanie McVicker (LeRoy, NY) also added a goal and goalkeeper Sarah Bosa (Buffalo, NY) made 16 saves in net.

Genesee falls to 0-3 on the year and will travel to Erie Community College on Monday for a 4pm start.

The Genesee Community College men’s lacrosse team played through the cold and snow on Saturday afternoon to defeat visiting Hudson Valley Community College 18-6.

Genesee gave up the first two goals of the game before finding the back of the net late in the first quarter. Marcus Palvino (Spencerport, NY) scored with just over six minutes remaining in the opening period to cut the Vikings lead down to 2-1 and then Connor Latimer (Whitby, ON) tied the game at two, about three minutes later.

Members of the GCC men's lacrosse team celebrate #22 Marcus Palvino's first quarter goal against Hudson Valley Community College

The Cougars took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring six of the seven goals in the period. Gaehnew Printup (Tuscarora, NY) gave GCC its first lead of the game at 3-2 when he came away with a steal behind the Vikings net and then beat the Hudson Valley goaltender on a backhand shot. The Vikings answered to tie the game at three before Genesee ripped off five unanswered goals to end the first half, including a second goal from Latimer and Printup and second and third goals from Palvino.

The Cougars kept up the offensive pressure in the second half and scored six times in the third quarter. Chip Chapman (Batavia, NY) scored early and Latimer’s third goal of the game with just under four minutes left in the third gave Genesee a 13-3 lead.

Hudson Valley ended a nearly two-quarter scoring drought with an early goal in the fourth, but it was too late as Genesee got two more goals from Latimer and cruised to the 12 goal victory.

Genesee midfielder #3 Joe Pedro works his way past a Hudson Valley defender on Saturday afternoon

Latimer finished the afternoon with five goals and three assists, Palvino found the back of the net three times, Spencer Halliwell-Allen (St. Catherines, ON) tallied four assists and Printup scored twice. Rashad Brown (Lockport, NY) and Mike Breindel (Hamburg, NY) combined to go 20 of 23 on face offs and defenseman Aaron Hayward (Hilton, NY) led the way with two takeaways, six ground balls and also added a goal.

GCC improves to 5-1 on the season and will host the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville on Tuesday at 4pm for their next contest.

Press Release:

The $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup, the World’s richest horse race and the $1 Million Florida Derby, a major Kentucky Derby prep, headline a big day of racing at Western OTB and Batavia Downs Casino this Saturday.

OTB will offering wagering on the last five races from Meydan Racecourse located in the United Arab Emirates, the home of the Dubai World Cup. Post time for the World Cup is 1:40 p.m. All OTB branches will be open by 11:15 p.m.

Advance wagering begins on Friday.

History will be made as jockey Chantel Sutherland, a sometime reality star and model, will become the first female rider in the World Cup while Eclipse Award winner Royal Delta attempts to become the first filly to win the race.

Later in the afternoon, Union Rags the current favorite to win this year’s Run for the Roses makes his final prep before the Kentucky Derby in the $1,000,000 Florida Derby from Gulfstream Park. Union Rags has won four of his five lifetime races with the 3-year-olds lone defeat coming in the 2011 Breeders Cup Juvenile.
Post time for time for the Florida Derby is 5:40p.m.

Past performances for the Dubai races and the Florida Derby will be free at all branches and EZ-Bets.  Westernotb.com lists all branches and EZ-Bet locations.

Western Regional Off-Track Betting, the owner of Batavia Downs is a public benefit corporation serving 15 counties and two municipalities.  In addition to being America’s Oldest Lighted Harness Track, the facility at 8315 Park Road is home to over 640 of the most popular slots and Grandstands Bar & Grille.  Batavia Downs’ 66th harness season begins July 23.