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Racing at WCIS: Big wins for Gusafson, Schenk, Horvatits and Hanbury as the Shootout at the Bullring approaches

By Billie Owens

Press release and results for Wyoming County International Speedway
By: Dan Turner /Speedway announcer

As the 2018 whines down, everyone thought turn to one of biggest racing weekend in the Northeast.   Known as the Shootout at the Bullring.   It’s a 2 day event this year with racing starting Friday night Oct 12th and more racing Saturday Oct 13th.  To cap off the fall weekend is the 100 lap Jim Pierce Memorial race.   Why is this race so important?   Well first it’s a tribute to a great Driver, Mechanic and family man.  Jim Pierce was a SST Modified driver that was well respected and a great wheel man.   Was always helping others no matter what class you ran, Mod, Super stock, 4 cylinder.   It also helps that it’s a significant payday for the winner of $2600. (26 being Jim’s racing number).  Details of the racing itinerary and camping info can be found on the tracks web site www.wcisbullring.com 

With the Shoot just a few weeks away, many drivers and crews were on hand to try and get some good note and set up for the big race that caps off racing for 2018 at the Wyoming County Intl. Speedway.   It was a full house in the garage area with nearly 70 cars signed in to race.   And for those that came to watch most definitely got their money’s worth with fantastic racing and some flared emotions on the speedway.   

I was told by an older gentleman in the midway area, “it’s a great night of racing, when you have 4 to 8 cars all with a very capable of winning in any given class, “ and he was right.   The smallest of cars are the 4 cylinders, but they are far from the smallest in excitement.   1/3 of the cars in this division have won feature in 2018.  Sickles and Sass where the two guys pacing this field to green.  It would take no time for the non-regular, but 3x winner in 2018, Jacob Gusafson to jump out front from his third starting spot.   Most thought the race was for the seconf position, but we were all wrong as the 2x winner of Greg Moldts would find his way to the front and the #26 The Shadow Jimmie Pierce Jr would come from last starting spot to battle with Moldts and then start running down Gusafson.   Jacob had to put together 25 almost perfect laps to keep the Pirce and Moldts behind.   That’s exactly what he did.   “She’s a lil' banged up, Thanks Jody, but it’s mostly cosmetic, it’s still a rocket,” said Gustafson.   

Super 6’s got a bit of good new on this night.   With all the effort by local teams and participation from other track‘s teams, Super 6 will be a weekly class at the Blacktop Bullring in 2019.   Great to give new drivers and crews a great entry level class and they have a  whole winter to get a car and get it prepared for 2019.   More invaders were on hand than WCIS regulars.   Parthemer and last weeks winner Barrett Schenk brought this highly compitive fields to green for their 20 main event.   Schenk wasted no time in showing why he is a track champion and that last week’s win was no fluke.   Hallett in the #36 had a valient effort to no avail as his right rear tire was going bad for the mid point in the race, but would hang on for second as new comer or first time to Wyoming this season, Brandon Allen would put his #89 in third at the conclusion of the Super 6 feature.

SST Super Stocks, this is where the emotion and tempers flared tonight.   Mike Chenaille and Scott Gleed would bring this field to green for their 50 lap event.   Both Chenaille and Gleed have had terrible luck. Gleed, all year in the features as he has won some heats.  Chenaille was had bad luck in the second half of the season.   Both looking to turn it around and close out 2018 strong.   Gleed and Chenaille would battle for the lead and it was not long befor the Stealth missle of Joe Horvatits would take control of the race.   Thru a few cautions and restarts, Horvatits was dominating.   His closest competition was the 17x of Meyers the 2018 track champion and the 14 of Dan Majchrzak.

Early in this feature there seemed to be some bad blood between Majchrzak and Meyers from the previous week.   Last week these two came together in a heat race cutting down a tire on the 17x and the 14 bent a rear axel.   Both would make repairs and run the balance of the night.   That brings us to tonight where you have two very good drivers that was not going to cut any slack to the other.   Early in the 50 lap main these two were racing hard and they made contact with each other entering turn 3.   Both cars heading for the concrete wall that always wins.   Majchrzak hit the hall a ton and the right side of the car climbed the wall doing significant damage to the Majchrzak machine.   Meyer on the other hand had significant damage to his right side.   What appeared to be mostly cosmetic, as Meyers went pit side and was checked over by his crew.   Meyers would return and get a very respectful second for the night.

Lots of action on the speedway for the Modifieds.  As I stated earlier, a bunch of invaders came to the track to shake down their cars in preparation of the BIG Shootout at the Bullring  October 12th -13th.   Twenty six cars on hand and that calculates into tons of action on a 1/3 mile speedway.    After the redraw, Bro Bradshaw would be on the pole with last weeks winner Alan Bookmiller to his outside.    Then it looked like the who’s who of Modified drivers, Rusty Smith, Tony Hanbury, TJ Potrzebowski, John Barbar, Patti Pruitt and our weekly runners.  Rick Knapp Jr,(2018 WCIS Champion),  Dan Majchrzak, the Bradshaw Brothers and the Dennie Girls.   A great start for all and it would not last as the first a a handful of cautions would slow the field.

The first was the #66 of Geoff Sharkey, seems the fuel cap came off and he was spilling fuel on the track.  Back to green and bookmiller had the lead with Bradshaw second and the charging Rusty Smith on his way to the front.   Hanbury, Potrzebowski and Majchrzak and Knapp were bidding their time and making their way to the front.   The surface of the Bullring is not overly abusive to tires, but these seasoned racers were not going to waste the tires in the first have of the race.  They all knew they needed some tire in the last 10 -15 laps if they wanted a shot at the win.

About 20 laps in it was Smith , Hanbury and Potrzebowski in the top three positions and as the restart happened it seemed Smiths car when wide forcing Hanbury up in the marbles.   Hanbury gathered it up and we stayed green, a few laps later Hanbury passed Smith and coming down the front straight Hanbury repaid the favor as he break checked Smith allowing Potrzebowski to blow by both cars.   That was short lived as both Hanbury and Smith would get back by the Potrzebowski  #72.   Then it seemed every 20 or so laps we would draw a caution and that would tighten the field back up and add to what could be a lot more drama.   Lap 25 the Billy Kosachook would spin his #19 machine.   Lap 32 the Timmy Lewis car would come to a stop in the infield just off the racing surface in turns 1 and 2.  Lap 55 saw the 6j machine of Carrie Bolton loose the handle and spin her ride off turn 2 and slide thru the grass on the back straight away.

The last caution flew on lap 85 with Jen Dennie looping her #22 ride off turn four.   This left us with a 15 lap shoot out, sort of a look into the future and see who was best prepared for the 100 laps tonight as well as the Jim Pierce Memorial race in a few weeks.  Hanbury was on point, Smith at the ready and local runners Knapp and Majchrzak representing WCIS well.   Also representing the speedway wall was the fact our four lady racers were all running together and in the top ten. Cassie Logsdon, 7th, Beth Dennie 8th, her sister Jen 9th and Carrie Bolton rounding out the top ten.  So the 15 lap shoot out.  The questions were answered soon as the green fell for the last 15 circuits or 5 miles.   It looks as if the top ten or so had played it just about perfect.  Hanbury jumped out front, smuith in second followed by Knap, Majchrzak and Potrzebowski.

Winner circle interviews were as expected, “Well Rusty ran me up in the loose stuff cause he knew we were a rocket on restarts, so after a few laps and the tires were cleaned off we got back around him and repaid the favor”  Smith said “ Tony has run into us before and this is twice I let him gather it up and we raced on, next time I won’t be so nice”.   So with the Writing on the wall it will be interesting at the very least to see if this power struggle of two very talented drivers carries thru to the Shoootout at the Bullring October.

Order your pictures and video of the Sept. 1st race and you decide who was right and wrong at www.mmsportsphotos.com  or www.racingfanchaser88.com 

The new 2018 Shootout at the Bullring format will be as follows:

Friday, Oct. 12th
WCIS Super Stocks (50), 6 Cylinders (25), 4 Cylinder Dash-4-Cash (20)
SST Modified Pit Stop Challenge during intermission
- 4 person crew/driver in-car
- 2 right sides
- $100 bonus to winning crew + 2 new air tire changing guns
Entertainment/Camp Fires to Follow

Saturday, Oct. 13th
SST Modified Jim Pierce Memorial 100 (100), NYSS Sandra Vogler Memorial 51, 4 Cylinders (30), Vintage Racecars (15)
SST Modified Race is $2,600 to Win! 

Sunday, Oct. 14th
Rain date for either days events

4 Cylinders          Heats:  O.Bradshaw,  J.Gustafson
1) J.Gustafson,  
2) J.Pierce Jr,  
3) G.Moldts,  
4) O.Bradshaw,  
5) J.Klamut,  
6) S.Sickles,                   
7) K.Ricketson, 
8) J.Sass,  
9) M.Hurlburt,  
10) K.Kocher,  
1) M.Virts,  
12) K.Landcastle,                
13) D.Heimes (DNS)

Super 6             Heats:  J.Parthemer,  B.Hallett
1) B.Schenk, 
2) B.Hallett,  
3) B.Allen,  
4) J.Parthemer, 
5) R.Cassidy,  
6) F.Kline,  
7) A.Cocilova,      
8) T.Faro, 
9) A.Knoepfler, 
10)  C.Parsons  

Super Stocks          Heats:  D.Majchrzak,  J.Horvatits
1) J.Horvatits,  
2) Z.Meyers,  
3) P.Flye,  
4) S.Gleed,  
5) E.Hastreiter, 
6) C.Hicks,  
7) K.Lanni,          
8) F.Kline,  
9) K.Skoney,  
10) D.Majchrzak, 
11) M.Chenaille, 
12) B.Raycroft,  \
13) E.Stone (DNS)

SST Modifieds         Heats:  A.Bookmiller,  R.Smith,  P.Pruitt
1) T.Hanbury,  
2) R.Smith,  
3) R.Knapp Jr,  
4) D.Majchrzak,  
5) Tj.Potrobowski,  
6) T.Bradshaw,    
7) C.Logsdon,  
8) B.Dennie, 
9) J.Dennie,  
10) C.Bolton,  
11) T.Lewis,  
12) Z.Kosachook,               
13) A.Bookmiller,  
14) P.Pruitt,  
15) B.Bradshaw,  
16) S.Fuchs,  
17) J.Barber,  
18) N.Michielsen,  
19) B.Kosachook, 
20) B.Kosachook Sr,  
21) G.Sharkey,  
22) D.Kluth,  
23) J.Matzen,  
24) T.Alloco,  
25) J.Whithey, 
26) G.Noe (DNS)

Validus Deo charges late to win Batavia feature

By Billie Owens

Photo of Validus Deo with driver-trainer Kevin Cummings.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs​

After taking air for over a half mile, Validus Deo looked finished coming off the last turn. But he regrouped in the stretch and rallied to win in close quarters at the wire in the $10,000 Open Handicap pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday evening (Sept. 1). 

Bugatti (Billy Davis Jr.) outdueled Heaven Rocks (Ray Fisher Jr.) for the lead off the gate and had the front by the quarter in :27.2. Positions remained unchanged until the half when Validus Deo (Kevin Cummings) pulled first from fourth and started up the rim. As he advanced toward the leader he forced Heaven Rocks out of the two-hole and found himself with live cover for the rest of the race. 

Buggati and Heaven Rocks continued to battle up the backstretch and around the far turn and looked like the two to beat as Validus Deo was fading away from the action. But heading into the stretch, Focus Power (Drew Monti) tipped three-wide and pulled next to Validus Deo and rekindled the latter’s interest in the proceedings. Cummings continued heavy prompting during the final eighth and Validus Deo split horses mid-stretch and hit the wire first by a neck in 1:54.4. 

It was the third win in the last five starts and eighth win of the year for Validus Deo ($6.30) who now has earned $552,307 lifetime. Matthew Rosiek, Robert Johnson and his driver-trainer Kevin Cummings own Validus Deo. 

In the undercard event $9,000 Open II, China Dream (John Cummings Jr.) followed up a second place finish last week, coming off a two-month hiatus, with a winning effort; going gate to wire and fending off a late charge from the pocket-sitting R M Hawk (Ray Fisher Jr.) in the lane to win in 1:54.1, tying his seasonal best. China Dream ($3.60) scored his fifth win of the year for owners Jack and Maria Rice. Maria Rice is the winner’s conditioner.  

For the second straight night, Drew Monti scored a driving Grand Slam on the nine-race card. Monti won with Sunset Sid (1:55.1, $3.30), Linkjack Hanover (1:53.3, $6.30), Littlebitaclass (1:55.1, $3.30) and Arch Hanover (1:57.3, $9). With those four wins Monti now jumps into the lead in the dash win category for the meet ahead of Kevin Cummings (who had one winner on Saturday) 42 to 40. 

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Labor Day Monday (Sept. 3) with a special matinee card that has a 1:15 p.m. post time.

Fighting Irish fight back to snag win on final offensive play

By Howard B. Owens

The Fighting Irish battled the heat, their own mistakes, a good Canisteo-Greenwood, and to some partisan eyes, some questionable penalty calls but in the end the home team came out top.

Notre Dame beat the Redskins 31-25, scoring the winning touchdown on a five-yard reception by Zach Cocking (top photo) with 30 seconds left on the clock.

"We persevered and one thing I've been telling these kids all year is to believe in themselves," said Head Coach Joe Zambito, who notched his first win in his first official game at the helm. "It was something in previous years that they would get down and they would hang their hat and they just would quit. Today, they wouldn't quit and they kept coming back and they kept coming back and you know a lot of things didn't go our way today. But at the end of the day, we had the ball last and we were the last team to score and we made it happen."

Zambito said it was a team effort and many ways it was but Gabe McDonald had a special game, going for 210 yards on 23 carries leading to two touchdowns.

Tim Klotzbach was 12-21 and 147 yards at QB, tossing two TDs. He also had three interceptions.

His favorite target was Cocking, who had seven catches for 82 yards and that game-winning reception in the end zone.

The defense was lead by Lucas Calarco and Dakota Sica, who had nine tackles each. McDonald had seven and one interceptions.

There was little scoring in the first half and the Irish took an 8-0 lead into the locker room at the half. After the Redskins scored to make it 8-6, Zambito sensed his team was playing a little flat. He mentioned to a coach at that point that here they were with the lead but the team looked like they were losing.

"Bad habits are hard to break," Zambito said. "They've had two wins in two years and they're just not used to being the dominating team on the field. They're not used to being ahead. They're used to playing from way behind. I think that played a role in it but as the game went on I think they realized that we had a shot."

Zambito would like to keep the momentum going but Notre Dame gets an usual bye next week because Oakfield-Alabam/Elab dropped out of 11-man football just before the season started, leaving a hole in the schedule (O-A/Elba elected to play eight-man football). His team, he believes, that with day-by-day improvement, they do indeed have a shot at post-season play.

"Yeah, I think we've got a shot to get to sectionals," Zambito said. "I mean this Canisteo-Greenwood team is a good football team and obviously Alexander is just phenomenal. But I think we have a shot to get to sectionals and we know what do we have to do. We have to limit our turnovers we have to limit our penalties. Our mistakes. We have to play mistake-free football but then again we didn't do that today at all and we still managed to come out of here with a win. And it's all because they persevered."

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GC YMCA gets grant from USA Swimming Foundation to offer free or reduced-cost swim lessons

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County YMCA was chosen as one of 151 Make a Splash Local Partner programs in the United States to receive grant funding from the USA Swimming Foundation in 2018. The awarded money will go toward Genesee County YMCA’s continued efforts to provide free or reduced cost swim lessons to underserved communities.

The USA Swimming Foundation awarded a total of $702,819 to programs across the country that will help provide swim lessons to an estimated 27,239 children, the most distributed since Make a Splash’s inception in 2007.  

 “We are excited and honored to be chosen for this grant,” said Aquatics coordinator Megan Boring. “The funding we received will be put toward our goal of reaching 50 new kids from within our community to have them be a part of the YMCA’s Learn to Swim Program.

"We are specifically reaching out to children in our community who may not be able to afford swim lessons, and therefore have not learned how to swim. We feel this is a great opportunity to introduce kids on how to be safe around water and learn the basics of swimming.”

The Genesee County YMCA will be working with the Genesee County Youth Bureau to identify participants who would most benefit from free or reduced-cost swim lessons.

The YMCA’s Learn to Swim Program has been around for more than 100 years. At the Genesee County YMCA, we offer swim lesson classes to all ages and abilities.

  The USA Swimming Foundation vetted more than 200 applications through a competitive annual review process and chose 151 programs to receive funding, many of whom are first time Make a Splash grant recipients.

“We are thrilled to be awarding this funding and so proud that it will be used to create a valuable swimming experience for thousands of children who may not have had the opportunity to learn how to swim,” USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hesse said.

“These exciting and lifesaving opportunities would not be possible without the support of our USA Swimming Foundation partners and donors, who continue to help us make a difference across this country.”

More than 850 Make a Splash Local Partners in all 50 states promote water safety education in their communities and provide scholarships and transportation for children to participate in their swim lesson programs.

For more information on the Make a Splash grants distributed, visit www.USASwimmingFoundation.org.

For more information on swim lessons at the GLOW YMCA contact the YMCA at 585-344-1664, or visit www.glowymca.org.

Icanflylikeanangel soars in Batavia feature

By Billie Owens

Photo of Icanflylikeanangel with driver Drew Monti.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

In four starts in the top trot class this year at the oldest lighted harness track in America, Icanflylikeanangel has not been worse than second. That trend continued on Friday night (Aug. 31) when he won the $10,000 Open Handicap trot at Batavia Downs.

Empire Earl N (Billy Davis Jr.) left hurriedly to grab the lead immediately off the gate. The remainder of the field hit the pylons behind him allowing a tepid first quarter split of :29.2 to occur. But things changed quickly as Southern Palms (Kevin Cummings) pulled first up at the three-eighths bringing Icanflylikeanangel (Drew Monti) in tow.

Southern Palms drew even with Empire Earl N in the third turn and the two trotters tangled to the three-quarters just whiskers apart. That battle continued around the final bend but Icanflylikeanangel, who had been shadowing the leaders, was loaded with trot and tipped three-deep and head-long into the fray. With three horses now strung across the track, Monti asked for more from Icanflylikeanangel and more is what he got. Icanflylikeanangel dug in and gained the advantage by mid-stretch, winning by a neck in 1:58.1.

Icanflylikeanangel ($2.70) registered his sixth win of the season and bulked his bank to $58,795 for owner Joseph Hess. D. Benny Eggers conditions the winner.

In the $8,000 Open II, Bold Dresser (Shawn McDonough) pulled off an instant replay of his win last week, going gate to wire cutting fractions of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:28.1 before trotting away down the lane under no duress in 1:58.2. It was the fourth win of the year for Bold Dresser ($5.50) who is owned by Harry Wortzman. His driver McDonough also does the training.

Drew Monti had the hot hand driving Friday, winning four races on the card. Besides taking the feature with Icanflylikeanangel, Monti also won with Gimme The Pacifics (1:57, $2.80), Golden Kronos (1:59.3, $3.20) and Barn Sis (1:58, $3.50). Monti now with 38 wins for the meet, is only one win behind Kevin Cummings (39) for first place in the dash driving competition.

There was no winner in the early Pick-5 wager on Friday night so there is a carry over pool of $496 for tomorrow. As a result, Batavia Downs is offering a guaranteed pool of $1,500 for the early Pick-5 on Saturday (Sept. 1) when live racing resumes at 6 p.m. The early Pick-5 runs from race one to race five.

Blue Devils easily knock off top-ranked Hornell in season opener

By Howard B. Owens

The Batavia Blue Devils have a message for the rest of Section V Class B: We're coming for the block.

They delivered that message loud and clear last night to #2 ranked Hornell (Batavia is ranked #1), the team that took the block (the Section V sectional trophy) from them in 2017, with a convincing 48-14 win at home.

The Blue Devils relished the win against a perennial Class B rival and Southern Tier powerhouse.

"It means a lot," said senior QB Ethan Biscaro. "To lose last year (in the Section V title game) and have them open up here at home, it couldn’t have been any better."

The message the rest of the class might want to heed is the 2018 Blue Devils are more than their two-time All-Greater-Rochester star Ray Leach. This team has weapons in players like Biscaro, Alex Rood, and Cody Burns who can also chew up yards and put points on the board.

Batavia had 379 total yards on the ground. Rood carried the ball 13 times for 168 yards and a TD. Burns had five carries for 95 yards and a TD. And Leach ran 14 times for 88 yards and two TDs.

Biscaro was also 3-5 passing for 32 yards and a TD. Burns had the TD reception.

Head Coach Brennan Briggs can't deny he's excited by the talent on the team but he also pointed out, it's one game, it's early in the season, the team still has a lot to learn and improve on and if they don't improve every week they won't be able to handle the rigors of post-season play.

"I'm never going to get complacent with where we are I can guarantee that," Briggs said. "I'll be watching film tonight. I'll be watching it tomorrow morning. I'll be going down watching Lavonia a couple hours away tomorrow. So we'll we'll have his team ready to go next week and we'll fix our mistakes and hopefully get better every day."

Briggs is never going to come into a game expecting his team to lose, even against a team like Hornell, but he did not predict a blow-out win.

"I still don't know if the score tells the true story," Briggs said. "You know, as the season goes on we'll see. This is a great win. But you know it's going to be more important if we see them in the sectionals, sometime in the sectional tournament, to see if we play our best game against them."

Rood and Leach, along with Briggs, gave all the credit to the offensive line for the team's dominant performance offensively.

"They did a fantastic job and we're tough on them," Briggs said. "We're as tough on them as any of the positions on the team because we told them, 'hey you know you win or lose games up front.' They take pride in it. They're a brotherhood."

For Burns, a junior, this was a break-out game. At 5'6", he's one of the smallest players on the field but he plays big. And he's fast. He scored his TD on a busted play where the offensive line pushed left and he ran right. By the time the Hornell defense realized it was following the line and not the ball, it was too late. Burns was gone. Nobody could catch him. He streaked more than 60 yards untouched for a TD.

On defense, he started at linebacker. Yes, at 150 pounds, linebacker.

"On defense, he plays tough," Briggs said. "He's not big at all but he'll bring it. He's ready to go bust the wedge on kickoff or knock their teeth in."

This season was also a test for the home team. They had to show they could overcome off-season turmoil and focus on football.

A month ago, Leach and teammate Antwan Odom got into a fight on Ross Street. Odom is accused of pulling out a pocket knife and stabbing Leach at least 10 times, leaving him with eight wounds that required stitches.

Briggs said his players did a good job of keeping the off-field antics out of the locker room and off the practice field.

"Everybody really put it behind them," Briggs said. "It's an unfortunate thing, but you know we're here now and we're living in the moment and moving forward."

Leach said he's feeling much better and came into the game ready for the season.

"I just had to stay positive and lean on my teammates," Leach said. "My teammates picked me up and I just had to work hard and practice on whatever little things I can do."

Also in Genesee County football on Friday: 

  • Alexander beat York-Pavilion 50 to 12. Chris McClinic had 11 carries for 149 yards and 1 TD run and 1 kick return for TD. Terrez Smith rushed five times for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Ty Woods hauled in three passes for 64 yards and a TD. QB Dylan Busch was 6-7 for 81 yards and a TD. Jake Jasen had 19 tackles. He also rushed three times for 15 yards and TD late in the game.
  • Geneseo beat Pembroke 30-9.
  • Le Roy beat Avon 47-13. Le Roy's offense rolled up 413 total yards. Cineque Robinson had 11 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown, Jake Hill had eight rushes for 93 yards and two TDs, Kyler LaCarte picked up 62 yards on 13 touches and scored twice. Hill was 5-10 passing for  60 yards and TD. Anthony Leitte led the team with seven tackles.

Top Photo: Biscaro (#8) and Burns (#12) celebrate after Burns scored a TD on a busted play.

Alex Rood

Ethan Biscaro scores.

Ray Leach just about to cross the goal line on the second of his two TDs.

Rood with a tackle in the backfield. He had eight tackles to lead the team Friday.

Rood breaks away for another TD.

Cody Burns

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Labor Day doings at Batavia Downs

By Billie Owens

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A full card of harness racing action, food specials and a driver’s bicycle race are all on tap as part of the annual Labor Day activities at Batavia Downs on Monday (Sept. 3). 

The live harness racing action kicks off at 1:15 p.m. with 10 exciting races. But there will also be something for the whole family to enjoy all day long and no one will go hungry for sure. 

The featured meal is a $10.95 chicken barbecue provided by the Center Street Smoke House from noon to 3 p.m. in the clubhouse. The smell of the on-site prepared barbecue chicken with “all the fixin’s” will permeate the grandstand and come with built in value. Every meal purchased comes with $10 in Batavia Downs Gaming Free-play to be used on the gaming floor after earning one base-point. 

If chicken is not to your liking, there will also be $1 Sahlen’s hot dogs, $1 draft beer and $1 soda available on the track apron outlets from noon until the last race. 

Then after the seventh race, Batavia Downs will present the annual Driver’s Bicycle Race sponsored by Crazy Cheap Cars of Oakfield. This race features eight of the top drivers at the Downs competing in a race on bicycles that will then be given away to the fans who correctly picked the winner of the race. 

Our live guests may place an entry in the box of the driver that they think is going to win from noon to 2:30 p.m. There will be eight names chosen from the winning driver’s box after the bike race is completed and each name drawn will receive one of the bikes used in the race. There is no purchase necessary, you must be 18-years-old or older to enter and you must be present to win. 

This year’s competing drivers include (in post-position order) are John Cummings Jr., Rock Vinci, Billy Davis Jr., Denny Bucceri, Shawn McDonough, Drew Monti, Jim McNeight Jr. and Brad Jackson. 

Monti, Vinci and Bucceri have all won this race and bragging rights will be on the line Labor Day for the next 12 months.

Winning Shadow breaks two records in NYSS at Batavia

By Billie Owens

Winning Shadow with driver Mike Simons.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

The New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters visited Batavia Downs on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 28) and ended up making a big impression on the track’s record book.

In the first $58,000 division, Winning Shadow (Credit WInner-Sheena’s Shadow) came into the race off a new lifetime mark taken at the Poconos last week and at the end of the day not only bested that, he also broke two long standing Batavia Downs track records.

Winning Shadow (Mike Simons) went right for the lead and held it mostly uncontested for the rest of the mile. Simons cut some lively fractions going to the quarter in :27.2, the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:24.3 at which point it was clear a track record was well in reach.  

At that last station the pocket-sitting Clive Bigsby (Jason Bartlett) started to pull and take his best shot at the leader. Coming with him second-over was Cruising In Style (Jim Morrill Jr.) who quickly found himself three-deep leaving Voss Volo (Andy Miller) on the pylons behind the leader. Heading into the lane, these horses were three across the track, trying to advance behind Winning Shadow. But Simons was line-driving down the lane and Winning Shadow crossed the wire with authority by a length in 1:53.4.

The winning time was a new lifetime mark for Winning Shadow, a new track record for 3-year-old trotting geldings and a new all-time track trotting record breaking the previous standard of 1:54.3 set by Archangel in 2012 and tied by his son, Top Flight Angel in 2017.

“Coming into the race I was very confident, but scoring down he was a little more aggressive than he usually is and I was a little worried about that. But he handled himself well; he’s maturing fast. He had plenty left, he just keeps getting better and Jake (Huff) has done a great job with him” said Simons after the race.

Winning Shadow ($10.80) is owned by Our Horse Cents Stable, is trained by Jake Huff and was bred by James Wilhite Jr.

Above photo: I’m The Muscle with driver Jason Bartlett.

A lightning storm rolled in just before the second $58,000 split, but it didn’t detract from the performance of I’m The Muscle (Muscle Mass-Lady Bling) who was the easiest of winners after moving into NYSS action for the first time from the Excelsior “A” ranks.

Perlucky (Trond Smedshammer) was quickest off the gate but that lead was not held for long. I’m The Muscle (Jason Bartlett) who had gotten away fourth, was out and rolling past the three-eighths and took command in front of the stands by the half. Under a tight hold by Bartlett, I’m The Muscle opened up a three-length advantage that he maintained up the backstretch and around the far turn. Heading into the stretch, Bartlett was just a passenger as I’m The Muscle rambled off to a four length lead and won for fun in 1:55.2, which tied his lifetime mark set just last week.

I’m The Muscle ($2.60) scored his fifth consecutive win and the first of his career in NYSS action. Owned by Rheau Viau and trained by Rene Allard, I’m The Muscle was bred by Blair and Erna Corbiel.

There were also two Excelsior “A” races on the card.

Troller (Muscle Mass-Pearls Last Chance) went gate to wire in 1:57. Troller ($4.30) was driven by Jim Morrill Jr. for owner/trainer Paul Kelley and was bred by Bonnie Woodward.

And Crime Fighter (Chapter Seven-Southwind Cocoa) closed late and just got up to win in 1:58.1. Crime FIghter ($6.60) is owned by Richard Gutnik, William Augustine, Joseph Lozito Jr. and T L P Stables. Gutnik and Augustine bred the winner.

Muckdogs GM predicts pro baseball will return in 2019, team happy with improvements at Dwyer

By Howard B. Owens

Right now, it looks like there will be professional baseball in Batavia in 2019, according to General Manager Dave Chase.

As the team heads into its final week of the 2018 season (barring a playoff appearance), Chase said last night that he's pretty confident the team will be back -- he gave it a 90 to 95 percent chance -- and he said he's getting good signals from league officials.

“We do have a draft of the 2019 schedule and we’re on it, so I’ll take that as a sign we’re playing," Chase said.

The NYPL took over ownership of the Muckdogs early in 2018 and hired Chase, with decades of experience in Minor League baseball, to run the team. He promised to improve on-field playing conditions and in-stands fan experience. He thinks both goals were achieved.

"The team has played much better," Chase said. "We don’t win a lot at home but we’re usually in it in 7th, 8th, and 9th inning and we believe if you’re not going to win them, at least be in them, and then when people go home, they’ll forget whether you won or lost, they’ll just know they had something to cheer about late in the game."

Attendance continues to be a concern but Chase said some of the attendance problems can be blamed on the late start he and the rest of the front office got on preparing for 2018. Tickets sales, including season ticket sales, started later than normal and there was no time to push group sales. While support from the local business community was very good this year, Chase said, the staff needs more time than they had in 2018 to work on obtaining sponsorships.

The biggest improvement has been on the field, especially the infield. In April, the infield was laser-leveled with the help of Batavia Turf and DuraEdge and the infield dirt was replaced with the same mixed by the Miami Marlins on their home field. Joe Mogavero took care of the field for more than the first half of the season and then Cooper Thomson finally got his visa to fly in from Australia and become the new head groundskeeper at Dwyer Stadium.

The improvements have been noticeable by players, coaches, and the front office, especially since Cooper Thomson joined the staff.

"Cooper was by far a step in the right direction," Chase said. "He has a vision. He knows what he wants. The question will be whether I can afford it but we are talking about him coming back in April.

That's well in advance of the 2019 season, but not as soon as Chase would like to get him to come back to Batavia.

"I tried to get him to come in March but he said his heart would break if he had to look at a baseball field covered in snow," Chase said.

Manager Mike Jacobs took over the team in 2017 and returned in 2018. He said the improvements on the field and off have been welcome by both him and the players.

"It’s been great, just even on the field, new dirt, finally got our regular head grounds crew guy and he’s been great, Cooper," Jacobs said. "Since he's been here, the surface has played extremely well compared to what it was last year. They’ve made improvements inside the clubhouses on both sides. There are still things to touch up but overall I can’t complain. It’s been great."

The field is also getting high marks from the players, especially those who played on it in 2017 and came back in 2018. Both Demetrius Sims and Sean Reynolds said the improvement was noticeable on the first day of the season and the field has only gotten better as the season has gone along.

"We always looked forward to playing on the road last year but with the improvements from last year to this year, it’s been a lot better with the surface and all the upgrades to the field," Sims said.

Reynolds said he's impressed with the work Thomson has done since he joined the team.

"(He) has done an unbelievable job making sure the field is in shape every night," Reynolds said. "The surface itself is 10 times better than it was last year. Last year it was like, you didn’t know if you were going to be playing on gravel or sand every night. That’s been great."

While Chase is also pretty confident the Marlins will be the Major League parent of the Muckdogs again in 2019, that decision won't be made until the middle of September or later.

Jacobs said he thinks the Marlins should come back to Batavia and neither Sims nor Reynolds expressed any reservations about the team returning.

The one thing they all want to see is more fan support.

"We don’t have the biggest crowds," Jacobs said. "I would say this year we’ve had bigger crowds then what had in the past and that’s a testament to the front office here in Batavia, whether through advertising or whatever to get fans in the stadium. You look at a night like tonight and it was pretty filled up for a Tuesday.  I know they’re trying and I would like to see us be able to come back."

Reynolds said if Batavians want to keep professional baseball in Batavia, they probably need to come to more games.

"Obviously, places like State College and Mahoning Valley, Tri-City, wherever else, they have a pretty cool set up compared to this," Reynolds said. "I think it’s just a matter of people getting out to the game. I know every year there’s kind of deal where it’s like nobody wants baseball in Batavia to leave because it’s a staple of minor league baseball but at the same time if you don’t want it to leave then, you know, you’ve got to show a little bit of support."

The fan support, he said, matters to the players. There should be more games like the July 3 match against West Virginia when Dwyer was packed.

"There was, what, 2,500 people (ed. a little over 2,300) here, I think, and that was incredible because they were all cheering and they were chanting for us to win," Reynolds said. "That’s what real baseball should feel like."

If asked by a prospect just starting out his career next year whether Batavia was a good place to play ball, Sim said he would say yes, but with a caveat.

"It depends on where you’re from," Sims said. "If you’re a big city guy, then you’ve kind of got to adapt to the area and what’s around, but it’s been more than welcoming to be back here."

Top photo: Manager Mike Jacobs in the dugout on opening night.

In 2018, Muckdogs fans have watched perhaps the most intriguing player in the NYPL

By Howard B. Owens

Muckdogs Manager Mike Jacobs says Sean Reynolds, is, without a doubt, his most valuable player in 2018.

That might surprise anybody who knows that Reynold's has one of the lowest batting averages in the NY-Penn League (.192, fourth lowest of qualifying players) and has already broken the league's single-season record for most strikeouts (currently, 121, with nine games to go, breaking the previous record of 117 set in 1982).

But Reynolds also leads the league in home runs (16), RBIs, (47), Runs scored (47), base on balls (40) and leads his team in stolen bases (13). He's also the only player in the NYPL to play every inning of every game (70 so far).

"Without a doubt, he’s having a great year," Jacobs said. "It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to watch the progression of watching him continue to get better every day."

This is the second season in Batavia for the 20-year-old Southern Californian who was a fourth-round draft pick right out of Redondo Union High School for the Marlins in 2016.

The Marlins will be patient with their young power bat, Jacobs said. 

"What he can bring to the table you just can’t find that every day," Jacobs said. "I think the more he plays, the more games he plays, he will cut down on his strikeouts. I think he will put the ball in play more, and ultimately if he just does that, all those numbers are going to continue to rise."

Reynolds is well aware of his strike out record and his average but he's also pleased with his progress and believes he will continue to improve the more he plays.

"Obviously, that’s the thing going forward in my career that’s going to be the focal point, being able to put the ball in play more," Reynolds said. "Personally, I don’t see any reason why I can’t improve because it’s all about getting at-bats. This is my first full year in a sense of playing over 70 games and getting 300-plus plate appearances."

At 6'7", Reynolds invites comparisons to Dave Kingman, AKA "King Kong," who hit 442 major league home runs over 16 seasons starting in 1971. He also struck out in prodigious numbers (153 times in 1975, when he hit 36 homers for the Mets, and 138 times in 1979 when he hit 48 homers for the Cubs). He finished with .236 career average.

Whether Reynolds makes contact more often, time will tell, but he is arguably already better than Kingman in one key aspect of baseball: Defense. 

Where Kingman was atrocious in the field (career .895 fielding percentage including 3B and outfield) Reynolds is already doing better (.983) and has improved throughout the season.

"A lot of people may not realize it but he’s played outstanding first base for us," Jacobs said.

Jacobs knows a thing or two about hitting the ball hard at the major league level (100 career homers, including 32 for the Marlins in 2008) and Reynolds credits Jacobs for helping him get better.

"Jakes is a big the influence on me, him and Jesus Merchan, our hitting coach," Reynolds said. "He’s been able to help me with things I wouldn’t even think about because he’s played and been around the game for 20-plus years now. He’s been in the big leagues and able to have a lot of success in the big leagues for the time he was there. When I’m not going good, he knows what to say and how to help me out without saying too much, and then when I'm going good, it's a high five when I’m going around third base and that’s all I need."

Reynolds knows he's getting better and he's obviously playing with more confidence.

"It’s funny we should talk about this right now because this was probably my best series of the year," Reynolds said (he had five hits, three homers, six RBIs). "I was more consistently putting bat to ball and making loud outs even if I wasn’t getting on base, so that was good to feel but obviously for every success and every home run there’s been a lot of struggle."

If Reynolds were hitting .250 instead of .192, he would probably already be holding down first base in Greensboro or Jacksonville. As it is, State College last night showed enough respect for his bat that they used a defensive shift on the left-handed hitter, something you rarely if ever see in short-season Class A ball.  

He was also a member of the NYPL's 2018 All-Star Team.

"You look at where he was last year and you look at even where he was in spring training and the improvement is 10 fold," Jacobs said. "He didn’t hit one homer in spring training and he played in a lot of games down there and obviously you see the numbers he’s putting up and, really, the batting average, it is what it is. He has a lot of swing-and-miss but there’s also a lot of damage that’s in that bat."

Photos: File photos by Howard Owens.

Lost? Find your way using just a map and compass, learn orienteering Sept. 15 at GC Park & Forest, free, must preregister

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Come explore the active and adventurous sport of orienteering at the Genesee County Park & Forest! Learn how to find your way without batteries or a cell phone signal, by using a map and compass. All materials provided, no experience necessary! Orienteering is a family friendly sport for people of all ages and ability levels.

Join us for the Orienteering Event with the Rochester Orienteering Club on Saturday, Sept. 15th, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This program is FREE.

Meet at the Interpretive Nature Center at the Genesee County Park & Forest. Beginner class and basic training will be given from 9 to 10 a.m. Orienteering start is open 10 a.m. to noon.

All courses close at 1:30 p.m. Perfect for individuals and families who love the outdoors!

Come have some fun and find your way in New York State’s First County Forest. More information on the sport of orienteering and the Rochester Orienteering Club can be found here.

Please preregister online here or by calling 585-344-1122.

For additional information on programs at the Genesee County Parks visit our website here, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or 344-1122.

With fourth-straight win, Muckdogs enter final week with a playoff hopes alive

By Howard B. Owens

With six games left in the season, including three-straight day games at home, the Batavia Muckdogs are contending for a post-season playoff berth.

They could get there by making up a four-and-a-half-game deficit behind division-leading Mahoning Valley, their next opponent on the road, and three and a half behind Brooklyn in the wildcard race. Any combination of two Muckdog losses or two Mahoning Valley wins would eliminate Batavia in the division (in other words, the Muckdogs must sweep the Scrappers) and in the wild-card race, the magic number is four.

That means, the hometown team can't really afford to lose any of their final six games.

Fortunately, they're the hottest team in the NYPL right now with four straight wins and a 7-3 record over the last 10 games.

"Our fate is in our hands," said manager Mike Jacobs after last night's 8-1 win over State College, completing a three-game sweep of their division rival. "The step coming in and taking care of business these last three games like we have. If continue to play the way we’re playing, it may go down to the very last game and it’s exciting."

Last night, the Muckdogs scored early and scored often, taking a 2-0 lead by the bottom of the first and piling on six more runs in the third.

The first two runs came on a home run by third baseman Bubba Hollins, an undrafted signee of the Marlins from Orchard Park who played college ball at St. Bonaventure University. Hollins is on his second stint with the Muckdogs, after a cup of tea with the team in 2017. This was his first home run with Batavia.

With one out in the third, Hollins drew a walk, setting the table for Sean Reynolds, who whacked his league-leading 16th homer of the season over the right-field wall. 

The rest of the scoring came on walks to Albert Guaimaro and Igor Baez, a double by Ricardo Cespedes, a Luke Jarvis single, and ground out by Davis Bradshaw.

Josh Roberson, from North Carolina, worked five innings, giving up only one run and picking up his first NYPL win on a 1.80 ERA.

Big Texan Tyler Kolek (top photo and second photo) worked two scoreless innings, whiffing three, and Panamanian Humberto Mejia came on for the final two frames and also K'd at trio of Spikes.

The next home game, the final homestand of the season, is Saturday at 1:05 p.m. against Auburn.

Brayan Hernandez

Luke Jarvis

Demetrius Sims

Demetrius Sims at short.

Albert Guaimaro

With states free to legalize sports betting, Schumer proposes federal framework to protect consumers, integrity of sports

By Billie Owens

Press release:

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s May 2018 decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which freed states to legalize sports betting, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today released a new proposal to establish a desperately-needed federal framework to protect consumers and the integrity of sports.

Senator Schumer’s proposal, Protecting the Games We Love After Murphy v. NCAA: A Federal Framework for Consumer Protection and Sports Integrity, is centered around three core principles: protecting young people and those suffering from gambling addiction, protecting the integrity of the game, and protecting consumers and individuals placing bets.

Specifically, the federal framework, which Senator Schumer hopes will be taken under consideration as state legislatures across the country begin efforts to develop legislation in the coming weeks and months, includes proposals to prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from betting, require that official league data be used to determine betting outcomes, require agreement between the league or appropriate governing body and those entities taking bets on what types of bets will be permitted, and much more.

“As a New York sports fan – especially my Yankees and Giants – and a senator, my priority in the wake of the Murphy v. NCAA decision is making sure the integrity of the games we love is preserved, that young people and those suffering from gambling addiction are not taken advantage of, and that consumers that choose to engage in sports betting are appropriately protected,” Senator Schumer said.

“With the Supreme Court’s ruling, it’s incumbent on the federal government to take a leadership role and provide the necessary guidance to prevent uncertainty and confusion for the leagues, state governments, consumers and fans alike.” 

Senator Schumer continued, “The stakes are too high -- legal sports betting laws must be crafted and executed in a careful and thoughtful way. As state legislatures develop new legislation in the weeks and months ahead, I hope they will take these principles under consideration. I also support the efforts in the Congress to debate and develop bipartisan federal legislation that would adhere to these principles. The integrity of sports is too precious to not protect as best we can.”

Senator Schumer’s full proposal, “Protecting the Games We Love After Murphy v. NCAA: A Federal Framework for Consumer Protection and Sports Integrity,” can be found here and the key components of the proposal are follows: 

1. Protecting young people and those suffering from gambling addiction: Senator Schumer believes minors should not be encouraged to participate in sports gambling, and adequate resources must be provided to support those struggling with gambling addiction. To this end, Senator Schumer’s federal framework proposes to:

a. Prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from betting.

b. Prohibit advertising targeted at young people and otherwise require responsible advertising.

c. Require that information be provided by any entity taking bets about the dangers of addiction and available resources to help encourage responsible betting.

2. Protecting the integrity of the game. In order to protect the integrity of professional and collegiate sports a strong framework must be provided for coordination and enforcement. Therefore, Senator Schumer proposes the following:

a. Require that any entity accepting bets share appropriate information in a timely fashion with the league or governing body of the sport in question as well as relevant state, federal, and tribal law enforcement or other appropriate oversight bodies. This data should be scrubbed so that personal and sensitive information has been removed but must be sufficiently detailed so as to provide the league or governing body with a basis by which to identify problematic trends.

b. Require that all parties involved, including sports leagues, entities accepting bets, and state and tribal law oversight agencies where appropriate coordinate enforcement actions and notify each other of suspicious or abnormal activity or any other conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of a sporting event.

c. All leagues and sports should have effective tools to protect their own game and that includes strong limitations and prohibitions on any athlete, coach, official, team, or league representative from taking a financial stake in any wager.

​3. Protecting consumers and individuals placing bets. As sports betting becomes legal it is important that those choosing to place bets are able to avail themselves of the same protections afforded to other consumers. To that end, Senator Schumer would:

a. Require that official league data be used to determine betting outcomes.

b. Require agreement between the league or appropriate governing body and those entities taking bets on what types of bets will be permitted.

c. Provide appropriate consumer protections and requirements that deter unfair or deceptive practices, and provide safeguards against financial crimes and predatory tactics. Furthermore, consumers should have a mechanism for appropriate redress should they be unfairly harmed by some betting activity or fraudulent scheme.

d. Provide a pathway for legal online and mobile betting so that sports betting can come out of the shadows and we can further remove the competitive advantage of illegitimate online sports books.

NYSS brings 3-year-old male trotters to Batavia Wednesday

By Billie Owens

(Photo of Cruising In Style, courtesy of Geri Schwarz.)

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

The sixth of eight stops by the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) at Batavia Downs this year occurs on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 29) when 10 top Empire State-bred 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings will compete in two divisions for the $116,000 of prize money available for distribution.

The NYSS events go as race one and seven. There are also two Excelsior “A” contests that go in race two and five. Post time for the first race is 5 p.m.

The first $58,000 division is a wide open affair with little separating the field. 

Cruising In Style (Muscle Mass-Sos Respect) has yet to win a NYSS race but has raced well in other events this year. He has a win at Yonkers in 1:55.1 (which is his lifetime mark) in June and finished a respectable fourth at the Meadowlands in the $50,000 Drazin Stake on Hambo day  in 1:51.4 after cutting the mile. He is the top money winner in this division and should be able to leave in here, should they so desire. 

Jim Morrill Jr. is up for the second straight start for trainer Andrew Harris and has been made the morning line favorite at 2-1 from post five. 

Clive Bigsby (Muscle Mass-Northern Flare) finally draws inside after eight straight weeks of outside posts, On The Ropes (Chapter Seven-Rs Giggles) looks to improve off three straight third place finishes in NYSS action and Voss Volo (Credit Winner-Silver Springs) has the fastest seasonal mark of these but looks to get back the consistency he displayed earlier this year. 

The second $58,000 split has I’m The Muscle (Muscle Mass-Lady Bling) listed as the 9-5 favorite and he comes in streaking. 

I’m The Muscle started the year racing overnights at Rideau Carlton before transferring to the stable of Rene Allard in mid-July. Since then he has won four straight races including two Excel “A” events before taking a lifetime mark of 1:55.2 at Yonkers in his last outing. However this will be the first time this gelding has faced the top level NYSS competition, but he still figures to be a formidable foe.

Jason Bartlett is in town to drive and will start from post one. 

Don (Credit Winner-Angostura) has earned $116,466 this year on the strength of two NYSS victories but has also finished second in the $133,800 Dexter Cup final and the Empire Breeders Cup consolation. Perlucky (Lucky Chucky-Paper Girl) hasn’t missed a check all year before getting parked out in his last start, fading late and Purpose Blue Chip (Chapter Seven-Munis Blue Chip) has two NYSS wins this year and seems versatile enough to leave or sit.

Winners and champions crowned on Double points at Wyoming County International Speedway

By Billie Owens

By: Dan Turner/ announcer Wyoming County International Speedway

It was another exciting night of racing Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Blacktop Bullring. The three weekly classes were battling for a championship, on Double point night.

With an almost full moon, The racing was far from boring and kept all in attendance on the edge of their seat with plenty of racing action and the drama unfolding with the point chase on the line. The question was, who would put it all on the line to gain points or advance themselves and who was going to play conservatively and try to not lose any points to their competition?

And then you throw in the wild card of those that are only here for the trophy and the big check with no regards for points, because they don’t run here every week.

It wasn’t 'til feature time before the near full moon showed itself, and most people know that for some un-scientific reason odd things happen. The 4 cylinder class had a heated point chase going on. Kathie Ricketson in her Rudy red Ricketson Rocket, has been very steady and consistently in the top 5 all season long, other than her one crash early in the season.

Then we add Dave Heimes, a regular at the Spencer Speedway. Dave has had some great runs at WCIS and even picked up a feature win. Just to make things interesting we have to add a third horse to the race and that would be the Bradshaw family racing #05 piloted by Otis Bradshaw. Otis taking over the driving duties of the #05 from his sister in-law that vacated the seat in favor of having another racing baby boy Bradshaw. So Otis in the #05 is only 29 points out of the point chase while Heimes is a mere 11 going into tonight’s Double Point night.

Young gun Jonathan Klamut and Ricketson would be on the front row. Bradshaw would start third and Heimes fourth. As the green fell it was obvious what each of the top three driver’s mission was. Bradshaw threw caution to the wind and wanted, no needed the win for ant shot at the championship.   Heimes was looking to beat Ricketson by two positions to claim the championship. Kathie was on the some mode as she was all season, run hard but run safe and keep the Heimes #8 insight. Bradshaw did or was doing what he needed to do. Get out front and try to run off and hide on the field.

That plan was working til the caution flew and put the red, white and blue #66 of Gustafson to Otis’s inside on the restart. Bradshaw battled for a handful of laps til Gustafson took the number one position. About half way the #8 of Heimes over took Ricketson. Ricketson knew she had to stay with the #8 to win the championship.

As the laps were winding down amothe Spencer invader was hot on Ricketson’s bumper. Corey Copeland was working on the #44 and with only a few circuits left he had his #89 machine door to door with Ricketson. Ricketson ripped a page out of her lady luck book and pinned Copeland behind a slow moving lap car and cruised to a forth place finish, only one spot behind the Heimes #8 and good enough to collect her first track championship.

Super stocks point chase was not as heated as other classes. Meyers in his beautiful #17x machine was fairly comfortable with a 32 point advantage over Eric Hastreiter. Hastreiter thou was under fire by Dan Majchrzak that was only 5 point separation. Majchrzak would start 5th tonight, Hastreiter 6th and point leader Meyers would fire from 9th position. Majchrzak need a win and problems for the Meyers car. Hastreiter also need Meyer to have issues , but only needed to stay ahead of Majchrzak to collect his first track championship.

Joe Horvatits would use his pole position starting spot to jump out front early and look as he may pick up a win after a horrible July where he nearly totaled his #4 Super stock with heavy rear end damage from a big wreck. The first of three yellows flew with Kyle Skoney losing the handle on his #55 machine off turn four. No contact so a quick yellow and back to green. Though this class may not have 20 cars its 10 very well matched field, that makes it incredibly tough to pass. And that’s how being in the right place, right time got Meyers past the #47 of Hastreiter and #14 of Majchrzak. Horvatits was not about to roll over, Joe raced Meyers hard and clean til meyer slipped pasted to the eventual win and championship. Horvatits 2nd and Hastreiter 3rd, Majchrzak 4th.

Feature event 3 on Championship night would see our Bi-weekly division the Super 6’s take to the 1/3 mile Bullring. This was leading up to a track first as Allison Knoepfler was leading points going into tonight program. Both John Parthermer and Spencer invader Andy Cocilova where within 6 points of Knoepfler. Parthermer and Cocilova would start on the front row while Knoepfler would have to start from 3rd. It would be 20 laps to see who was going to claim the win and a championship. For the first 5 or 6 laps the front row stayed together and ran door handle to door handle.

Thus slowing Knoepfler and allowing Brain Hallett in the #36 a team car to Knoepfler to not only catch her but challenge her for the 3rd position. The car on the move was the Wilbert’s you pick it #51 of Barrett Schenk. Rolling from 4th starting spot he used the high line to drive around both Cocilova and Parthermer. Parthermer would fade toward the end and finish 5th as Cocilova would finish 2nd and just beat out Knoepfler for the 2018 track championship.

SST Modifieds, boasting another 20 car field on Championship/ Double point night. As in all the classes before this feature event was another with a lot of open ended 2018 stories that needed a 35 lap main event to settle or finish this seasons drama. Out front in points was a driver that came into the 2018 season with all his Ts crossed and Is dotted. It showed as all season long outside of a wreck his guy was on the front stretch almost every night, that’s consistency.

Ricky Knapp Jr. rolled into the speedway with a healthy 104 point lead over Dan Majchrzak, 107 over Toad Bradshaw, 122 over Steve Fuchs and 135 over Cassie Logsdon.  So a smooth night was all his guy needed to wrap out a championship. 2nd thru 5th these four drivers were hungry and ready to do what it took to gain a spot or more, all secretly wishing Knapp may have mechanical issues on the #11.

The top six positions in the feature were filled with somewhat new comers to the modified ranks on the pole was Tom Alloco, first full year in a modified, flanking was Zack Kosachook also fairly new to a full season in the seat of a modified. Carrie Brown and Geoff Sharkey made up row 2 and Nate Michielsen and Cassie Logsdon in row 3. The point contenders would have to race thru the young guns the cap off their season. Toad Bradshaw would slice and dice his way to the front and take the top spot from pole position starter Tom Alloco on a restart after a first lap incident involving the spinning Carrie Brown and Sharky would get collected by young Steve Sherwood.

A few laps later it would be the #29 of Jay Withey Jr spinning off turn four and coming to a rest head on to the on coming leaders. All would clear and all would restart. This made for a front row restart with both Bradshaw cars up front. Toad to the inside and Bro to the outside. Bro used the highline to power past his brother to get the lead. The man on a mission was the #40 of Alan Bookmiller. Bookmiller was not a regular all season so he was only running for the win and the big check. Bookmiller came out of the 15th starting spot and by half way was challenging for the lead.

After some contact between the rear of Bookmiller car Toad Bradshaw had left front suspension issues and would fall out of contention. Bookmiller would then set his sights on Bro Bradshaw. After a few hard fought laps it was Bookmiller out front and Bradshaw had to deal with a hard charging Knapp. Knapp had just cleared the #0 of Bro Bradshaw as Bradshaw was getting looser as the laps were winding down.

With only 6 laps remaining, Bradshaw spins exiting turn four. This would tighten up the field for a 6 lap dash for cash, the win and most importantly the championship.  Bookmiller took the inside, Knapp had the outside. Majchrzajk and Timmy Lewis made up the second row. Lewis having a great night on his first trip back to the Perry track since his breaking his leg in a dirt bike incident and numerous surgeries. Bookmiller used the short way around the speedway to regain the lead and slide Knapp back to second.

“ We really were not that good in the heat, so we threw the kitchen sink at it and it was almost perfect,” Bookmiller said. “We were really good tonight, just a bit of a push coming off, and just could not hang out there and pass Alan."

"But we will take this second and engoy our track championship though I really wanted to win both, feature and track title,” Knapp said.

Though the points racing is done for 2018, there are still two more events on the schedule.

Sat Sept. 1st  
                  Labor day Mod 100     $1,000 to win   Jim Pierce Mem. Qual. Guarantee starter
                 Super Stocks 50 laps      4Cyl. 25 laps        6Cyl.  20 laps        Vintage 15 laps   
Gates open at 1 p.m. and racing at 4 p.m.    
$18 adults        $5 students (10-16)      Free  9 and under             

Shoot out at the Bullring  Oct. 12 -13  (Sunday Oct .14 rain date)
Check website for details  www.wcisbullring.com                     

4 Cylinders            Heats: O.Bradshaw, J.Pierce Jr.
1)J.Gustafson,  2)O.Bradshaw,  3)D.Heimes,  4)K.Ricketson, 5)C.Copeland,  6)J.Sass,  7)S.Sickles,  8)M.Hurlburt,  9)K.Kocher, 10)J.London,  11)T.Gaddy,  12)J.Klamut, 13)J.Pierce Jr.       

Super 6                  Heats: A.Cocoilova
1)B.Schenk,  2)A.Cocilova,  3)A.Knoepfler,  4)B.Hallett,  5)J.Parthermer,  6)R.Cassidy,  7)K.Chenaille

Super Stocks         Heats: J.Horvatits, C.Hicks Jr
1)Z.Meyers, 2)J.Horvatits,  3)E.Hastreiter,  4)D.Majchrzak,  5)P.Flye,  6)C.Hicks,  7)M.Chenaille, 8)S.Gleed,  9)K.Skoney,  10)F.Kline

SST Modifieds      Heats: T.Alloco, D.Majchrzak, R. Knapp Jr.
1)A.Bookmiller, 2)R.Knapp Jr,  3)D.Majchrzak,  4)T.Lewis,  5)C.Logsdon,  6)D.Pringle,  7)N.Michielsen,  8)B.Bradshaw,  9)B.Kosachook Sr,  10)Z.Kosachook,  11)C.Brown,  12)J.Whithey Jr,  13)T.Bradshaw,  14)D.Frutchey,  15)T.Alloco,  16)G.Sharkey,  17)S.Sherwood,  18)S.Fuchs,  19)T.Weist,  20)M.Virts

Wayne Fuller honored before Saturday's Muckdogs' game

By Howard B. Owens

Legendary local sports broadcaster Wayne Fuller was honored before Saturday night's Batavia Muckdogs game. Last week, Fuller was inducted into the NYPL Hall of Fame and the league provided the team a plaque that will be placed in the press box at Dwyer Stadium.

Accepting the plaque on behalf of his friends, colleagues, and family were Martha Bailey and Paul Spiotta. Representing the Muckdogs, Brendan Kelly, assistant general manager, left, and Dave Chase, general manager.

The Muckdogs beat Williamsport 4-2, scoring all four runs in the second inning with two outs. Tanner Andrews (2-0) got the win and C.J. Carter picked up the third save.

Batavia is home again this afternoon, starting the final home three-game series of the season, against State College. Game time is 4:05 p.m.

Bill Hayes, with his grandchildren Joshua Prong, William Hayes Prindle, and Matthew Robert Prindle Jr., threw out the first pitch.

The Genesee Chorale sang the National Anthem.

Starting pitcher Chris Vallimont.

Bubba Hollins, third base, hops as each pitch is delivered.

Michael Donadio

Sean Reynolds lead off the 2nd with a double. He was later thrown out in a play at the plate.

Monti wins five and the feature at Batavia Downs

By Billie Owens

Driver Drew Monti with Focus Power.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Drew Monti has become “Mr. Saturday Night” by winning five of the 10 races on the card at Batavia Downs for the second week in a row. Among his plethora of prizewinners this Saturday (Aug. 25) was Focus Power, who made a statement in his return after a six-week layoff in the $10,500 Open Handicap pace.

Buggati (Billy Davis Jr.) was the fastest off the gate and got to the front ahead of the pylon-starting Focus Power by the eighth pole. The pack followed the leader in single file to the quarter in :27 and past the half in :55.4. The top two continued unchallenged from behind to the three-quarters and it was obvious at that point that it would be a two-horse race to the wire from there. 

Davis rolled Buggati into the far turn with Focus Power doubled-up with pace on his back, waiting to get the call from Monti. That came at the apex of the final bend when he popped the deuce, broken headpole and all, and found a new gear immediately. Focus Power switched into glide and blew right past Buggati at the head of the lane and paced away under no urging whatsoever to a wrapped-up win in 1:53.1, which tied his seasonal mark. 

It was the fourth win in only 12 starts this year for Focus Power ($8.10) and it pushed his bank to $35,091 for owner James Caradori. Darrin Monti trains the winner. 

Monti’s other four driving wins came with R M Hawk (1:54.3, $4.90), Littlebitaclass (1:55, $4.80), Linkjack Hanover (1:53.4, $2.60) and Foreign Officer (1:55, $2.40). All four of these horses are trained by JD Perrin who led all conditioners for wins on the card. 

And not to be overlooked; another driver/trainer pair who had a big night Saturday was Shawn Gray and James Clouser Jr. who teamed up to send three winners for pictures. One of those was Tyler ($6.80) who took the garden spot tour before tipping off the last turn to win the $9,000 Open II in 1:55.3, last half in a fast :55.3. Tyler won his seventh race of the year for owner William Emmons. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 26) with post time at 1:15. Sunday is Family Fun Day and features the annual Wiener Dog Races, which begin at the conclusion of the last live harness race (approximately 4 p.m.)

Photos: Batavia Muckdogs youth camp

By Howard B. Owens

About a dozen players and coaches, including manager Mike Jacobs, came out to the ballpark Saturday morning to provide baseball instruction to 30 or so young ballplayers at the Batavia Muckdogs annual youth camp.

Young players were given tips on fielding, hitting, running the bases, and pitching.

Alabama Hunt Club's 71st annual Batavia Gun and Sportsman Show is Sept. 15-16

By Billie Owens

The 71st annual Batavia Gun and Sportsman Show, sponsored by the Alabama Hunt Club, will be held the weekend of Sept. 15 and 16 at Quality Inn & Suites in Batavia. There will be more than 100 vendor and exhibitor tables and plenty of free parking.

Hours on Saturday are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hotel is located at 8250 Park Road and features a restaurant and a water park.

Admission is $6. Children under 12 get in free when accompanied by adult.

Exhibitors will bring items for collectors, including antiques and investment firearms, swords and knives, Revolutionary War to World War II militaria, plus books, traps, pistols, gun parts, ammo and hunting accessories, black powder accessories, reloading equipment, archery, medals and more.

The public is urged to participate by bringing items to sell or trade with dealers.

Note: All Firearm Laws MUST Be Obeyed.

A national instant criminal background check, which is free, MUST be completed prior to all firearm sales.

Exhibitors/dealers may only set up Friday, Sept. 14, from 1 to 7:30 p.m. or Saturday, Sept. 15, from 7 to 8 a.m.

No dealing is authorized out of autos, trucks or in the parking areas.

Exhibit tables require a $40 deposit per table and are available on a first-come basis. (Cancellations will be charged a $25 fee per table.) You must received a confirmation card in order to get a table(s).

(Editor's note: On Sept. 21, 2019, personal contact information for this event's organizer was redacted upon request of that organizer; and the request was granted because the information is no longer relevant.)

BZ Glide wins 40th race in Batavia Open

By Billie Owens

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

BZ Glide took the most direct path to victory Friday night (Aug. 24) going gate to wire on the point to win the $10,000 Open Handicap trot at Batavia Downs and claim his 40th lifetime win in the process. 

BZ Glide (Mike Caprio) left three-deep into the first turn grabbing the front by the eighth pole and then hitting the pylons, but that didn’t mean it would be an easy trip from there. Empire Earl N (Shawn Gray) was rolling up the outside and drew alongside the leader at the quarter in a speedy :27.3, but Caprio didn’t let him go. These two battled it out to the half before Empire Earl N started to tail near the five-eighths marker. 

The end of one challenge led to the start of another as Call My Broker (Ray Fisher Jr.) was in gear from the back of the pack and went three-wide around Empire Earl N, and following him on the same path was Icanflylikeanangel (Drew Monti). The three fanned across the track at the head of the stretch with Monti and Fisher employing highly animated driving technics. But Caprio sat chilly, letting his big horse do the work and BZ Glide held of everyone to cross the wire on top by a length in 1:57.1. 

It was the fifth win of the year and third Batavia top class victory for BZ Glide ($5.90) who is owned by the Caprio Stable and trained by Alana Caprio. 

In the co-featured $8,000 Open II trot, Gwally (Ray Fisher Jr.) was parked out the final five-eighths of the mile chasing and eventually collaring the fleet-footed front runner Ruddy Rusty (Jim McNeight Jr.) at the wire by a half-length in 1:58.4. Gwally ($13.60) got his 30th lifetime win and registered a new seasonal mark doing it for owners Marissa Russo and John Mariano and trainer Dave Russo.

Shawn Mcdonough had a big night, besting all drivers on Friday by winning three races on the card, two of which he also trains. 

Racing resumes on Saturday (Aug. 24) at Batavia Downs with post time at 6 p.m.

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