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Byron-Bergen girls soccer raises $3,000 for cancer research

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Byron-Bergen soccer teams took to the field looking to score more than one kind of goal. Of course, they wanted to win their games but they also wanted to raise awareness for testicular cancer and a monetary donation to the Wilmont Cancer Institute.

They were successful on all fronts. The varsity girls won 3-0 against Alexander and the varsity boys won 4-1 against Attica. Byron-Bergen players set aside their burgundy team jerseys and played in T-shirts, blue for testicular cancer awareness, reading “Kickin' Cancer” on the front. In addition, they collected $2,910 in cash and checks.

Several vendors were present at the event who will donate a percentage of their sales to the total. When those final numbers are in, the teams are hopeful that it will bring the total to $3,000.

The check presentation to the Wilmont Cancer Institute will be scheduled for later in the school year. 

Photo: Varsity Girls Soccer Team, from left, Miriam Tardy, Chloe Shuskey, Hope Hersom, Holleyann Winder, Rebecca Johnson, Veronica Duell, Lydia Campbell, Zoey Chambry, Elizabeth Donnelly, Julianna Anesbury, Melissa MacCowan, Eden Goff, Kelsey Fuller, and Jillian Menzie.

Bardol opens season with 299--814 at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen

By Mike Pettinella

Chris Bardol of Brockport wasted no time in getting his name on the Genesee Region USBC bowling honor score list as he posted a season-opening 299 game and 814 series in the G&W Vending League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

The 30-year-old right-hander is one of the most accomplished bowlers in the area, having registered numerous tournament titles at the local, collegiate and national levels.

For a list of scores around the GRUSBC, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Mike Pettinella's Pin Points column will return to The Batavian this season, with his first column to appear this Thursday (Sept. 20).

Batavia Coach Buddy Brasky offers basketball mini-camp this fall for boys in grades 9-12

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Batavia Varsity Basketball Coach Buddy Brasky will hold a Basketball Mini-Camp at the Batavia High School gym this fall. This Mini-Camp is for boys in grades 9-12.

The camp will start Wednesday, Oct. 3rd, and run from 7 to 9 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Oct. 3
  • Oct. 11
  • Oct. 15
  • Oct. 22
  • Oct. 25
  • Oct. 29
  • Nov. 1

This program is for the experienced and serious player only! The program will emphasize offensive skill development. The cost is $95.

For more information call Buddy Brasky at 356-4050 or email mbrasky@bataviacsd.org

** PLAYER MUST BRING THEIR OWN BASKETBALL

Validus Deo overpowers field in Batavia Open

By Billie Owens

Photo of Valudis Deo with trainer/driver/co-owner Kevin Cummings.

By TIm Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

For the second time in three weeks, Validus Deo laid claim to being the best pacer in Western New York after winning the $10,000 Open Handicap pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 15).

The starter released the field and they all hit the pylons in draw order going into the first turn. Halfway up the backside, Bugatti (Ron Beback Jr.) pulled to advance but Valudis Deo (Kevin Cummings) swooped three-deep around him and took the lead by the quarter in a tepid :28 and at that point, the race was won.

Validus Deo motored down to the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:24 flat as Whosurpapa (Billy Davis Jr.) tried to challenge first-over but didn’t have any answers once out there. Rounding the last turn Cummings got more aggressive with his drive, knowing the pocket-sitting Barry Hanover (Shawn McDonough) was ready to pounce. As that situation unfolded, Validus Deo was up to the challenge and maintained his lead to the wire in 1:52.2, which was a new seasonal mark for the winner.

Validus Deo ($5.70) registered his ninth win of the year and 35th of his career for trainer/driver Kevin Cummings who co-owns the winner with Matthew Rosiek and Robert Johnson.

The $9,000 Open II was won by Upfront Countryboy (Billy Davis Jr.) who got away last before sliding up to fourth along the pylons past the half and shaking loose three-deep at the top of the stretch to pull away and win by a length in 1:52.4.

It was the 11th win of the year for Upfront Countryboy ($17.40) who is owned by William Emmons and trained by James Clouser Jr.

The fastest mile of the night was orchestrated by Lucan Hanover (John Cummings Jr.) who went wire to wire in 1:52 in an upper level condition race. The very classy $1.1 million earner Lucan Hanover ($5.10) took up residency at Batavia Downs in early August after a private purchase by Vogel & Wags Nags Stable, Jack Rice and Pine Hill Racing. Maria Rice trains the winner.

Drew Monti led all drivers on Saturday with three wins followed by John Cummings Jr. and Billy Davis Jr. who both had two.

There was no winner in the early Pick-5 wager on Saturday, meaning there is a carryover pool of $620 for the early Pick-5 when racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Sept. 19) at 5 p.m. DIrector/General Manager of Live Racing Todd Haight has also announced that the early Pick-5 pool will be guaranteed at $1,500 on Wednesday.

Photos: Genesee Orleans Arc 5K in Elba

By Howard B. Owens

Brandon Rebert had the best time today in the Arc of Genesee Orleans 5K in Elba.

Liz Bender (second picture) had the best time among the women.

Batavia shutsdown Letchworth-Warsaw in 40-0 win

By Howard B. Owens

The Blue Devils dominated another good team on the gridiron Friday night, beating Letchworth-Warsaw 40-0.

Ray Leach, who said after the game he's feeling much better physically, rushed for 187 yards on 17 carries. He scored four touchdowns. Leach also had two receptions for 38 yards giving him 225 all-purpose yards for the game.

Alex Rood added another 75 yards to the ground game on 10 carries. Taiyo Iburi‐Bethel had five receptions for 45 yards. Andrew Francis lone reception was for a nine-yard touchdown. Ethan Biscaro was 10-13 passing for 112 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 34 yards. Josh Barber and Cody Burns led the defense with six tackles each.

"They are a good football team," Coach Brennen Briggs said of Letchworth-Warsaw, now 2-1. "I think they're going to have a good run. I think they're going have a very good season. But again, we know we've got some big boys.

"We've got some powerful kids. We've got some kids that like to hit. We have some athletes out here and you know I think that they showed that tonight."

In other Friday night football action:

In the game a lot of people are talking about today, Alexander beat Geneseo 90-14. With his team up 60-14 at the half, Coach Tim Sawyer offered to let the clock run in the second half and Geneseo's coach, Tim Dolgos, refused the rule modification.  In the second half, Alexander, now 3-0, played its second and third-string players and outscored Geneseo 40-0. Chris McClinic scored three TDs and rushed for 157 yards on only four carries. He also had two receptions for 82 yards and a TD. Terrez Smith had six carries for 72 yards and two TDs. He also had a 73-yard kickoff return for a TD. Robert Fazzio had eight carries for 66  yards and a TD. JJ Goodenbury had five carries for 42 yards and a TD.  Ty Woods had two carries for 27 yards and TD receptions. Josh Devries had three receptions for 80 yards and a TD. QB  Dylan Busch was 7-8 passing for 211 yards and four touchdowns.  Jake Jasen had eight tackles, Woods seven plus a sack and a forced fumble. Hayden Walton had seven tackles.

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba opened its inaugural eight-man football season with a 46-30 win over CG Finney/Northstar. It was the first eight-man game in Section V in nearly 50 years. Colton Dillon had two TD runs. He had 188 yards rushing on 16 carries. Ty Mott scored twice and Gage Dieterle, Ty Kropelin, and Jayden Hughes also scored. Peyton Yasses had 13 tackles and Dieterle had 11.

Notre Dame beat Cuba-Rushford 20-9. Gabe McDonald had 27 carries, 201 yards, and two TDs. Tim Klotzbach had 36 yards rushing with a touchdown and 43 yards passing. Cody Henry had eight tackles and an interception and Gabe McDonald had 7 tackles with an interception.

Attica beat Le Roy 21-20. Jake Hill was 9-16 for 89 yards passing and Kyler LaCarte was 3-4 passing for 77 yards and two TDs. Hill rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries and LaCarte had 53 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Alex Bordonaro had seven tackles, Cole Rauscher, six, and Anthony Leitten, six.

Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen beat St. Mary's 35-12.

No score available for Perry/Mt. Morris vs. York/Pavilion.

The Blue Devils honored first responders, veterans and active military on Friday night, which included free admission, a hot dog and drink, and end-zone seats.

To purchase prints, click here.

Southern Palms sways opponents in Batavia feature

By Billie Owens

Southern Palms, with driver Kevin Cummings, takes the lead.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

After settling for minor spoils in the top class at Batavia Downs over the last few weeks, Southern Palms swelled up on the front end to win the $10,500 Open Handicap trotting feature on Friday night (Sept. 14).

After a lengthy delay for a shoe malfunction, Southern Palms (Kevin Cummings) returned to the track well-heeled and uncharacteristically left the gate hard to take the front. He cut fractions of :27.2, :57 and 1:26.2 with only a mild challenge from last week’s Open winner Empire Earl N (Ray Fisher Jr.) which didn’t last into the final turn. 

However the pocket-sitting Chelsea’s Chance (Billy Davis Jr.) was fresh and popped the deuce to bring game down the lane. Davis was urging Chelsea’s Chance as best he could but Southern Palms was on cruise control and wouldn’t allow the mare to get any closer than a length and won in a season’s best 1:56.2. 

Southern Palms ($9.90) scored his sixth win of the year for owner Mike Torcello, who has now pocketed $47,946 this year as a result of his horse’s good work. Gerry Sarama trains the winner. 

In the $8,000 Open II trot, Barn Winner (Ray Fisher Jr.), who made his first start since July 20, tripped-out to the half before pulling to take a lead he would hold to the wire and win in 1:57.4. It was the second win in only 10 2018 starts for Barn Winner ($4.90) who is owned by Tanah Merah Farms and the Swift Racing Stable. Ryan Swift trains Barn Winner.

Ray Fisher Jr. had a big night in the bike, scoring a driving grand slam. Besides the already mentioned Barn Winner, Fisher also won with Drive ‘Em Cowboy (1:55.4, $4.20), Wallflower, (1:56.2, $6.50) and Lougazi (1:57, $24.20).

Kevin Cummings also drove three winners on the night and those wins put him back on top of the dash driver standings by two, ahead of Drew Monti who had the lead going into the evening. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 15) at 6 o'clock.

Batavia Downs announces 10-percent purse increase

By Billie Owens

Batavia Downs announced today that starting on Wednesday, Oct. 3, and continuing through the end of the meet, all purses will be raised by 10 percent across the board.

The increase is due to a combination of two factors: there has been a significant rise in handle realized by the track so far this season plus there were 43 less races run than last year.

“Our on-track betting is up 4.9 percent and our export handle is up 15.3 percent after the first 26 cards of racing,” said Todd Haight, director/general manager of Live Racing at Batavia Downs. “By raising purses starting next month it will put approximately $204,000 back into local horsemen’s pockets and that in turn can help bring new and better racing stock to Western New York. We’re pleased the numbers are heading in the right direction.”

The increase would take the current low to high purse structure from $2,750 - $10,500 to $3,025 - $11,550.

The racing has been very aggressive this year, providing a better product to wager on and one of the reasons for that was the removal of the passing lane that had been in place since 1988.

“There is no question that removing the passing lane has led to more competitive racing and both on and off track patrons have responded in a positive manner to that change. We’ve gotten feedback from our customers since the start of the meet and now they’ve also made a statement through the betting windows,” Haight concluded.

The Batavia Downs live meet continues through Saturday, Dec. 15, with a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday schedule. Post time remains 5 p.m. midweek and 6 p.m. on the weekends. There is a special Columbus Day matinee on Monday, Oct. 8, that starts at 1:15 p.m.

Melodies Major sets track record at Batavia in NYSS

By Billie Owens

Photo of Melodies Major with driver Tyler Buter.

By TIm Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Two divisions of New York Sire Stake (NYSS) 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers were in town on Wednesday (Sept. 12) to compete for $109,000 in purses at Batavia Downs and in the first $54,500 split, Melodies Major (Art Major-Hilarious) left a lasting impression on the locals by setting a new track record.

Bicorne Hanover (Matt Kakaley) left from post one and opened up a quick two-length advantage while Melodies Major (Tyler Buter) dropped in second to get the perfect garden spot trip. The top two broke away from the field while setting fractions of :28.3, :58 and 1:26.3. At that last station Buter popped the plugs and pulled Melodies Major and he went right past Bicorne Hanover in the blink of an eye. At the top of the lane, Buter sat chilly while Melodies Major paced home in :27.3, well in hand at the wire in 1:54.1.

The time of 1:54.1 is a new track record for 2-year-old pacing colts at Batavia Downs, replacing the 1:54.2 standard set by Doctor Butch in 2012 and matched by He’s Watching in 2013.

“When I pulled him he was loaded with pace,” said Buter after the race. “We got a perfect trip, everything went well and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

It was the sixth win in eight starts this year for Melodies Major ($5.50) who now has earned $166,433 in NYSS purses and finished as the top point-getter in his division with 325. Melodies Major is owned by Martin Scharf, is trained by Mark Ford and was bred by James Avritt Sr.

In the second $54,500 division, Covered Bridge (American Ideal-Stonebridge Kisses) provided a major upset in a blanket finish.

The heavily favored Reining Deo (Jim Morrill Jr,) took an expected spot on the front end and with no early challengers, Morrill took advantage and backed the half off to :59.1. Having his fill of the slow fractions, Ray Schnittker pulled Hurrikane Kingklee from fourth and started moving up the outside.

Photo of Covered Bridge with Kevin Cummings.

Morrill responded with a :28.1 third panel effectively ending the first challenge. However, Covered Bridge (Kevin Cummings) who was drafting second-over, tipped three wide at the same time and was raging with pace. Covered Bridge got to within a length of Reging Deo going into the final straight and then proceeded to run him down to the wire, winning by a head in 1:55.4 at 22-1. 

The time was a new lifetime mark for the winner.

“Off a half in :59, she went a big mile from where she was,” said Cummings. “She raced huge, I like her a lot. She’s a nice horse.”

It was the second win of the year for Covered Bridge ($46.80), both in NYSS action for owners David Smith and James Giannuzzi and trainer Jessica Okusko. Covered Bridge was bred by WInbak Farm.

There were also two $15,000 Excelsior “A” races on the card.

The first division was won by Shim (American Ideal-Feel Life) who got away sixth by 12 lengths, survived an interference break then rallied to win by two in 1:57.1. Shim ($5.90) was driven by Ray Fisher Jr. for owners Pat Lachance (who also trains the winner), M & M Harness Racing, Ira Rosenblum and the Royal Flush Stable. Shim was bred by White Birch Farm.

The second division went to Cal (American Ideal-Hula’s Z Tam) who got away third before pulling at the half to take the lead and eventually the race in 1:58.1. Cal ($10.40) was driven by Matt Kakaley for owners Crawford Farms Racing and the Northfork Racing Stable and trainer Chris Oakes. Cal was bred by Pat Lachance and the Z Tam Stable.

The $320,000 NYSS consolation races will be held at Batavia Downs on Friday (Sept. 21). The $1.8 million NYSS finals are the following night, Saturday (Sept. 22) at Yonkers Raceway.

Batavia Blue Devils football fans recognition night this Friday

By Steve Ognibene

Press release:

This Friday, Sept. 14th, the Batavia Blue Devils Football Team and its supporters would like to recognize all those who have worn or currently wear a military or first responder uniform by inviting them to come to the home game.

Any military personnel, police officer, firefighter or first responder will get free admission (with proof of ID) as well as a complementary hot dog and drink. They will also be seated in the end zone; and to thank them for their service, they will be honored at approximately 7:15 p.m. prior to the start of the game.

Vandetta Stadium is located at 120 Richmond Avenue in the City of Batavia.

$109,000 up for grabs in NYSS at Batavia on Wednesday

By Billie Owens

Photo of Hickfromfrenchlick with driver Ray Schnittker courtesy of Ken Weingartner.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

The eighth and final “regular season” visit of the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) to Batavia Downs brings the 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings to Genesee County on Wednesday (Sept. 12) to compete in two divisions for a total of $109,000 dollars. The Batavia Downs track record for 2-year-old pacing colts is 1:54.2 and that standard is definitely in danger of going down. 

The NYSS events are carded in race three and five. Two $15,000 Excelsior “A” legs will be held in race one and two. Post time for the first race is 5 p.m.

The first $54,500 NYSS freshman pace features the top point earner in the series Melodies Major (Art Major-Hilarious) and the red hot Hickfromfrenchlick (So Surreal-My Girl’s A Star) in a race that could easily rewrite the local record book.  

Melodies Major has raced exclusively in NYSS events this year and has excelled, winning five out of seven of them. And he’s been successful over every size track in the state. In his most recent outing he scored a big come-from-behind win at Vernon Downs, taking a new lifetime mark of 1:51.3 in the process. He comes in here sharp as a tack and looking forward to the final. 

Melodies Major is 2-1 morning line and leaves from post five with his regular driver Tyler Buter aboard for trainer Mark Ford.

Pushing the issue will be Hickfromfrenchlick who has won four out of his last six outings. 

Hickfromfrenchlick has won his last two NYSS races and like Melodies Major, took a new lifetime mark of 1:51.3 at Vernon Downs last week. The start before that he won in 1:53.3 at Yonkers, beating Melodies Major by only a half-length. He hasn’t been worse than second all year and he will be a force to deal with here. 

Western New York native trainer/driver Ray Schnittker will be aboard from post six as the second choice at 5-2.

The second $54,500 split has Reining Deo (Rock n Roll Heaven-Little Miss) looking to cement his spot in the NYSS final. 

Reining Deo is currently eighth in points but could still be knocked out in a worst-case scenario. He has been one-two-three in four NYSS starts and has a mark of 1:54.2 at Saratoga. A win would give him 142 points and a ticket to ride in the final. 

Trainer Brett Pelling has Jim Morrill Jr. in the bike and they have been made the 2-1 morning line favorite from post five. 

JoJo’s Place (Roll With Joe-Angel Place) is winless this year but has hit the board in three NYSS races. He has a very outside chance of making the final but only if he could win here. Recently he has been hampered with outside posts for the last five outings and drawing post two will definitely help. Although he finished fifth last week at Vernon, he still paced in 1:52.3 in defeat. 

Matt Kakaley will be driving for trainer John Butenschoen and they were made 3-1 by the track handicapper. 

Major March (Art Major-March You And Me) has been a bit of a late bloomer. After winning big in an Excel “A” race at Saratoga in 1:54.1 by seven lengths, he stepped up to the NYSS for the last two starts and acquitted himself well. He seems to fit this field nicely and should not be overlooked given his recent outings. 

Hall of Fame trainer Linda Toscano has tabbed Drew Monti to drive and they will start from post six at 7-2.  

The 2018 NYSS Consolations races which carry a total purse value of $320,000 will be held at Batavia Downs on Friday (Sept. 21). 

Focus Power rallies late in Batavia Open

By Billie Owens

Photo of Focus Power with reinsman Drew Monti.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs 

Finding himself hopelessly boxed in approaching the stretch, Focus Power somehow shook loose and out-paced everyone to the wire to win the $10,500 Open pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 8). 

China Dream (John Cummings Jr.) took the lead by the quarter and backed the half off to :57 flat as no one challenged the position. But last week’s Open winner Validus Deo (Kevin Cummings) started to advance on the outside in front of the stands with Heaven Rocks (Ray Fisher Jr.) following him. This left Focus Power locked in on the pylons fifth, with nowhere to make a move. 

China Dream threw in a swift :27.4 third panel which stifled the advance by the outside horses. Cummings Jr. had let China Dream out another notch around the last turn and had a solid two length advantage at the top of the stretch. Still fifth on the pins, Focus Power found a lane to move forward as Validus Deo drifted out and then driver Drew Monti went to work. Under a solid right-hand drive Focus Power was a blur with pace, making up the five lengths he was behind to win by a neck in 1:53.3. 

Focus Power ($7.20) got his third win in his last six starts and fifth overall of the year for owner Jim Caradori, who has now benefitted the amount of $41,541 from his gelding's efforts. Darrin Monti conditions the winner. 

In the co-featured $9,000 Open II pace, Whosurpapa (Billy Davis Jr.) rebuffed and early challenge from Mr. Euroman N (John Cummings Jr.), another try from him at the three-quarters and then a late push from the pocket-sitting Barry Hanover (Shawn Mcdonough) to go gate to wire never headed in 1:54.1. Whosurpapa ($11.80) got his 10th win of the year and padded his bank to $59,318 for owner William Emmons and trainer James Clouser Jr. 

Billy Davis Jr. got his second consecutive driving hat trick on Saturday, besting all reinsmen for wins on the night. Davis currently sits third in the dash driver standings with 35 wins behind the leading Kevin Cummings (47) and Drew Monti (46). 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday afternoon (Sept. 10) with a post time of 5 o'clock.

Genesee Rugby Club wins first home match

By Howard B. Owens

The Genesee Rugby Club opened its home schedule Saturday with a match against the Binghampton Barbarians at the Batavia Sports Park.

The local club won 17-5.

Their next home game is at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Batavia Sports Park.

Empire Earl N goes career best in Batavia feature

By Billie Owens

Photo of Empire Earl N with driver Ray Fisher Jr. in the forefront.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

He may be 10, but Empire Earl N looked more like a 3-year-old as he came from far back to brush down the lane and win the $10,000 Open Handicap trot in the fastest mile of his life on Friday evening (Sept. 7) at Batavia Downs. 

Post time favorite BZ Glide (Mike Caprio) and 13-1 shot Empire Earl N (Ray Fisher Jr.) started and finished the race side by side but took two different paths to the wire. BZ Glide went right for the front from post six while Empire Earl N got away last from post five. BZ Glide set his own set of fractions as no one challenged him until halfway up the backstretch when Southern Palms (Kevin Cummings) came first over at the five-eighths and got even with the leader by the three-quarters. 

As the action was unfolding up front, Empire Earl N was tracking it second over and Fisher was timing his move. That came as they rolled out of the last turn; Empire Earl N tipped three-deep and was barreling down the center of the track with Fisher rocking and knocking all the way. The three horses hit the wire a neck apart with Empire Earl N getting there first ahead of BZ Glide in 1:56.3, which was a new lifetime mark.  

It was the eighth win of the season for Empire Earl N ($28.60) and it bolstered his 2018 earnings to $61,378 for owner Kim Asher. Riley Stalbaum-Asher trains the winner. 

In the $8,000 Open II, Call My Broker (Kevin Cummings) took no prisoners going gate to wire in 1:58.3, holding off the fast-closing Snapshot Springs (Drew Monti) and Barn Star (Mike Caprio) to chalk up his fourth win of the season. Frank Meier owns the Angelo Nappo trained gelding. 

Billy Davis Jr. led all drivers on the card as he started the night out hot with a natural hat trick in races one through three. 

The Batavia Downs early Pick-5 was part of the USTA Strategic Wagering program and was featured as the USTA Play of the Day on Friday with a carryover of $2,900 and a guaranteed pool of $6,000. That pool ballooned to over $10,000 when the first race went off and it yielded an instant jackpot payoff after the fifth. A $1 ticket on the combination of 1-7-6-5-3 returned $4,417.50. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs with a twilight card today (Sept. 8) featuring a post time at 4:45 p.m. 

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel chosen as site for 2019 New York Sire Stakes 'Night of Champions'

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund on Friday announced Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel as the host of the 2019 New York Sire Stakes Finals, also known as the “Night of Champions.” The Fund’s Board of Trustees selected Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel at a scheduled board meeting Sept. 7, following a proposal submission process. The date for the 2019 Finals has yet to be set.

The Fund invited race tracks from across New York State which host New York Sire Stakes events to submit proposals. Tracks were considered on various criteria including the offering of a 24-hour detention barn, ability to promote the event and offer an exciting fan experience. Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel was chosen based on the merits of an impressive proposal, and its capacity to host the championship finals for the top state-bred 2- and 3-year-old Standardbred horses.

"Batavia Downs Gaming is extremely proud and excited to have been selected to host the 2019 New York Sire Stakes Finals,” said Todd Haight, director/GM of live racing at Batavia Downs Racetrack. “This series has annually been a centerpiece of our live racing presentation since its inception in 1965, as our track has been so committed to the development of New York-bred horses going back to the 1950s when we facilitated our own colt and filly stakes.

"We look forward to welcoming all the owners, horse people and horses that make the New York Sire Stakes the premier program of its kind, to Batavia Downs to enjoy our new paddock, new hotel and excellent clubhouse facilities."

“The Sire Stakes Night of Champions shines a spotlight on the excellence of our equine industry, which supports the agricultural economy across the State,” said M. Kelly Young, executive director, Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. “Having hosted significant New York Sire Stakes events in the past, Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel will provide an excellent showcase for the 2019 'Night of Champions,' our premier event of the season. Batavia Downs offers a fantastic clubhouse and fan experience that will only complement an outstanding racing program.”

The 2018 “Night of Champions” is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22, hosted by Yonkers Raceway. The eight-race event will hand out $1.8 million in purse money.

The New York Sire Stakes program promotes the breeding, buying, and racing of Standardbred horses in New York State, and is administered by the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. It was the first program of is kind, featuring 2- and 3-year old colts and fillies, and has become the model for state-bred racing programs in North America.

About the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund:

The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund is a public benefit corporation established in 1965 by the Laverne Law (Laws of New York, Chapter 567 of the Laws of 1965). The mission of the fund is to promote agriculture through the breeding of Standardbred horses and the conduct of equine research within the state. To carry out its legislative mission, the Fund administers the New York Sire Stakes races, Excelsior/State Fair Series races, and County Fair Races. Additionally, the Fund provides assistance to county agriculture societies and contributes to the statewide 4-H program and to the Harry M. Zweig Fund for Equine Research.

Muckdogs seem unlikely candidate to fill baseball vacancy in Pawtucket

By Howard B. Owens

Pawtucket, R.I., doesn't look like a good bet for a future home of the Batavia Muckdogs franchise according to a report in the Providence Journal.

A PawSox spokesperson said Thursday the organization has no current plans to acquire any other baseball franchises and move them to the city as a sort of parting gift. Franchise Chairman Larry Lucchino and President Charles Steinberg are focused on building a 10,000-seat stadium in Worcester’s Canal District and redeveloping the surrounding area. 

The Pawtucket mayor's office also told the Journal that no ownership group has contacted the city about using McCoy Stadium once it's vacant in 2021.

And if another owner wanted to bring a team into McCoy, they would face substantial renovation costs for the aging complex.

The cracking concrete and widespread leaking ceilings and floors are among the issues faced by any tenants, as the stadium wrapped up its 77th season of baseball earlier this week. Renovation costs would run into the millions of dollars, and the day-to-day costs of maintaining the playing surface and surrounding grounds run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As previously reported by The Batavian, there would also be territorial agreements to overcome in Pawtucket, which is Red Sox territory. The Red Sox currently have an affiliate to Lowell and if the Muckdogs moved to Pawtucket, Lowell would have to move, putting the New York-Penn League in the same bind it has with Batavia -- where to locate the team that doesn't run afoul of territory restrictions and has a baseball-ready facility.

Le Roy comes up short against Wellsville

By Howard B. Owens

The Oatkan Knights had a chance to win their home opener against the Wellsville Lions at Hartwood Park on Friday night but didn't make the plays they needed to make.

That will be an area of focus in the coming week of practice, said Head Coach Brian Herdlein after the game.

"The biggest thing is they came out and they (Wellsville) wanted to play tonight," Herdlein said. "I thought that we came out a little bit slow. You know they stayed in the game which gave them a lot of confidence. We had some opportunities to make plays that we didn't make...."

The final score was 12-7.

For Le Roy, Kyle LaCarte carried the ball 18 times for 85 yards. At QB, Jake Hill was 10-22 for 139 yards and TD. He was picked off twice. Cody Lytle lead the receivers with six receptions for 67 yards and a TD.

The Knights are a young team and Wellsville seemed to have the size advantage but Herdlein didn't think that made a big difference in the game. Technique and execution can overcome size.

"I do think up front that they beat us up a little bit today and again we'll look at the film and we'll see what we have to do to make adjustments," Herdlein said.

Le Roy is now 1-1 on the season. After two weeks of ball, Herdlein sees room for improvement.

"We have we have some young guys hopefully they learn from this," Herdlein said. "I don't think that we had the best week of practice and I told the guys that. Hopefully, we can come back and have a better practice.

The team is going to work on being more focused and disciplined, Herdlein said.

"Like I said, there were definitely opportunities where we had a chance to make plays," Herdlein said. "It was maybe little alignment issues that we weren't doing right or some plays that we weren't running correctly and we just need to tighten those things up."

In other Friday night action:

  • Batavia beat Livonia 26-14. Alex Rood carried the ball 22 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 11 tackles. Ethan Biscaro was 11-14 passing for 194 yards and a TD. Taiyo Iburi‐Bethel had five receptions for 87 yards and Andrew Frances had three receptions for 65 yards and a TD.
  • Alexander crushed Canisteo-Greenwood 28-0. Chris McClinic carried the ball 15 times for 147 yards and three TDs. Dylan Busch tossed a TD pass to Takari Lang-Smith. The defense held Canisteo to 50 yards rushing. Jake Jasen and Hayden Walton each had six tackles.
  • York/Pavilion beat Bolivar-Richburg 32-0.
  • Pembroke fell to Cuba-Rushford 26-14.
  • Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen fell to Letchworth/Warsaw 14-0.

There are no local football games today. Notre Dame has no game this week because Oakfield-Alabama/Elba switched to eight-man football.

Batavia Downs offers a $6,000 guaranteed Pick-5 tonight

By Billie Owens

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

As a result of no winning ticket once again on Wednesday (Sept. 5), Batavia Downs will offer a $6,000 guaranteed early Pick-5 pool when racing resumes on Friday (Sept. 7) at the oldest lighted harness track in America.

Friday’s guarantee is part of the USTA’s Strategic Wagering program which offers free program pages for those five races under the “Handicapping” tab at www.ustrotting.com . You can go directly to that page to access the programs by clicking here. (http://handicapping.ustrotting.com )

The Pick-5 is a 50-cent base wager that begins in race one and runs through race five. There is no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners, the entire pool (minus takeout) will be carried over once again. 

Post time for the first race today (Sept. 7) is 6 p.m.

Ghost Dance, Ideal Feeling fastest in NYSS at Batavia

By Billie Owens

(Ghost Dance with driver Scott Zeron.)

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Three divisions of 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings went postward at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Sept.5) to compete for the $117,600 in purses up for grabs as well as the last chance to accrue available points to make the $225,000 final for this group.

In the first $39,200 division, Ghost Dance (American Ideal-Epoxy Queen) pulled the upset at 9-1 and closed hard to do it. 

The heavy post time favorite Topville Olympian (Brett Miller) shot right to the front and took the field to the half in :55.3. There, Rockapelo (Jason Bartlett) pulled first up with Ghost Dance (Scott Zeron) on his back as they heaed into the turn. Rockapelo cleared quickly around the tiring Topville Olympian, whose gap then allowed Ghost Dance to drop back to the pylons behind the new leader to save ground. These two stood pat until the top of the lane where Zeron pulled Ghost Dance and paced by Rockapelo at the wire winning by a length in 1:52.

“The race set up well for us and he got brave with the two-hole trip. And then he paced strong in the lane” said Zeron after the race.

It was the fourth win of the year for Ghost Dance ($20) and it pushed his earnings to $98,002 for owner Millar Farm. Rick Zeron trains the winner.

(Ideal Feeling with driver Jason Bartlett.)

The second $39,200 split was won by Ideal Feeling (American Ideal-Feelinglikeastar) who made a statement move at the half and then stretched out from there.

Ostro Hanover (Louis Roy) rushed to the front and set early splits of :27 and :56.3. But before they hit that second timer, Ideal Feeling (Jason Bartlett) was out and rolling and took the front by the time they hit the third turn and from there, the race was history. Ideal Feeling opened up a three-length advantage as he hit the third quarter in 1:24 and then rounded the final bend and cruised home in :28 flat, winning by as many as he wanted in 1:52.

“Last time he had the eight hole and had no chance, but he just felt like he was a great horse. I was hoping Mike (trainer Deters) would bring him up here because I thought he’d be good. He showed it today, he’s a real nice horse. He left, he came first over and he won easy,” Bartlett said after the race.

Rick Berks owns Ideal Feeling ($7.90) who now has four wins this season and $62,791 in purses.

(Mach N Cheese in the lead with driver Jim Marohn Jr.)

The third $39,200 division looked to be a match race between Springsteen and Hitman Hill and it was for three eighths of a mile. But it was Mach N Cheese (Betterthancheddar-Mach You And Me) that pulled off the upset at 19-1 when they hit the wire,

Hitman Hill (Brett Miller) was intent on cutting the race and he got his way; leading the group to the half in a slow :57.1. Not happy with the tepid pace, Springsteen (Louis Roy) came up first with Mach N Cheese (Jim Marohn Jr.) in tow. Springsteen locked up with Hitman Hill up the backside and the two tangled from there, around the last turn and down the stretch. But Mach N Cheese who had been drafting during the up-front battle, tipped three-wide in the straight and under heavy prompting from Marohn, paced by the leaders to win by a neck in 1:53.4.

“It was a slow half but we picked it up pretty good up the backside and there was a really good horse on the front. But I followed the horse I needed to follow and everything just worked out for us from the top of the stretch home. He got around here very well. He’s a very good half mile track horse,” said Marohn in the winner’s circle.

Mach N Cheese ($41) scored his sixth win of the year for the Save The Day Stable and trainer Rob Harmon.

There was one Excelsior “A” race on the card and the winner there could have competed in the top class tonight.

Thor De Vie (So Surreal-Pebblebeach De Vie) was very impressive leading every step of the way and winning by four lengths in 1:52.2, which was a new lifetime mark for the winner. Thor De Vie ($3.30) is owned by his trainer, Jim Graham, Lee WInters, Paul Tandlmayer and Giuseppe Micchia.

Batavia Downs offered a $2,000 guaranteed early Pick-5 pool on Wednesday and there were no winning tickets once again. As a result there is a $2,900 carryover for Friday (Sept. 7) and there will be another guaranteed pool of $6,000 for the early Pick-5 (which runs from race one to race five) that will be part of the USTA Strategic Wagering program. Post time tonight is 6 o'clock.

Expect Muckdogs baseball in Batavia for a couple of more years, but under a new general manager

By Howard B. Owens

It still remains likely that the Muckdogs will be back in Batavia for the 2019 season but General Manager Dave Chase said today he won't be back.

"It was a one-year deal," Chase said. "I finished that year. Ben and I have talked about me continuing as a consultant for some period of time but I don’t think I’ll be here next season."

Chase has lived at the Quality Inn & Suites this summer but at one point thought about renting an apartment downtown with the idea of staying longer but decided against it.

"I will admit I go back and forth," Chase said. "There are parts of Batavia that I really like but I did it for a year and that’s what I wanted to do and it was a difficult year, professionally and personally."

Chase said he has had medical issues doing the year that made things more difficult.

"The reality is this is my third city in four years," Chase said. "I’ve sort of developed a reputation of going into troubled markets and none of them have failed yet so I might have one or two more years of that lifestyle left in me."

He thinks he will leave Batavia in good shape but the day the Muckdogs leave Batavia is still close at hand. It gives the team two or three more years before moving.

"That's still better than it was a year ago," he said.

At the start of the season, associates of one of baseball's top executives, Larry Lucchino, former president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox and co-owner of the AAA team in Pawtucket, inquired about the Batavia franchise, Chase said.

The scenario discussed at that time involved the Muckdogs either moving to Pawtucket or Worcester. 

There have been no further discussions since but it's been announced that the Pawtucket franchise will move to Worcester, where a new stadium is being built.

The problem with any such move is that the Red Sox have territorial rights over the area and currently, the NYPL team in that market is Lowell, a Red Sox affiliate. For the Muckdogs to move to Pawtucket, the team would need to become the NYPL Red Sox affiliate and the Lowell franchise would have to move to another city.

One reason the Muckdogs haven't moved yet is there appears to be no city in the Northeast that has the facility and market availability to accommodate a short season Class A team, so if Lowell had to move the league would face the same difficulty in trying to relocate that team.

The earliest, apparently, any of this can happen, is 2021.

Meanwhile, the affiliate agreement between Batavia (which has not gone bankrupt, contrary to a story in the Lowell Sun), and the Marlins is up for renewal. The renewal is expected to take place by the end of the month. The length of any such agreement could complicate a move by Batavia to New England.

Chase is confident the Marlins will return to Batavia in 2019. He said when the team packed up after the last game, they left a lot of equipment behind.

"That seems to indicate a desire to come back," Chase said.

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