Sports

Dominance by a pair of horsemen was center stage on Saturday’s (Dec. 9) closing night card at Batavia Downs as driver Kevin Cummings and trainer Sam Smith put forth a pair of relentless efforts that yielded some very lofty numbers.

Coming into the final night of the meet, Smith was tied with fellow trainer Shawn McDonough for the dash title of the summer and fall stanza and it didn’t take long to see that Smith was ready to serve notice. Smith sent five consecutive stablemembers to the winner’s enclosure to start the night and later added one more to grab a six-pack and claim the training title and the hardware.

Smith trainees won races one through five and included Pepin Coolie (1:57.1, $8.70), Ys Lotus (1:54.1, $3.10), Poets N Pirates (1:58.3, $5.00), Just Don’t Wait (1:56.3, $13.20) and Blogmaster (1:56, $3.50). He then later won with Johnny Boy, who captured the co-featured $15,000 Open I Handicap trot to get to six.

Johnny Boy left from post five and led every step of the race. After setting fractions of :28, :58.1 and 1:27 with no one close enough to challenge him, Johnny Boy turned for home and bolted to a 2-½  length win in 1:56.

It was the 10th win of the year for Johnny Boy ($4.50) who is owned by Mike Torcello, and who also owns Smith’s other five winners.

Smith also had one second from his nine starters to post a stellar .728 UTR for his work on Saturday.

Kevin Cummings drove three of Smith’s winners but also added five others to finish the night with a total of eight wins, which is just one shy of the track record of nine set by Jim Morrill Jr. only three weeks ago.

Besides the aforementioned Pepin Coolie, Poets N Pirates and Johnny Boy, Cummings also won with Remember The Beach (1:55.4, $35.20), Special Prosecutor (1:58, $6.80), McBardle (1:55.2, $2.60), Life Master (1:55, $3.90) and Stranger Things, who won the co-featured $15,000 Open I pace on the night he was named Pacer of the Meet for the second consecutive year.

Stranger Things got away fifth as Virgil N (Drew Monti) led to the half in :56.2. As they passed that station, Alta Engine A (Jim Morrill Jr.) pulled first-over and Stranger Things followed in stride. Virgil N succumbed to the pace at three-quarters allowing Alta Engine A to take the lead heading into the last turn. Stranger Things continued to pace alongside the leader and began to accelerate when they hit the stretch. Stranger Things gained ground with every stride and passed Alta Engine N by a length at the line in 1:53.

It was the third straight win and 10th of the year for Stranger Things ($4.60) who is owned by Kathy Schoeffel, Virginia Schoeffel, and James Reuther and trained by Angelo Nappo.

Cummings also had two seconds among his 15 starts to realize a stout .622 UDR for the night.  

The management and staff of Batavia Downs would like to wish all their patrons a very happy holiday season and look forward to welcoming everybody back on Thursday (Jan. 4) when the 2024 winter meet kicks off its 16-date run through Monday (Feb. 26) pending New York State Gaming Commission date approval. Post time for every race day will be 3 p.m.

The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association and Batavia Downs have announced the top driver, trainers, and horses from the summer and fall live racing meet who will be honored for their efforts during the Night of Distinction awards presentation that will be held on closing night at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 9). Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.

Jim Morrill Jr. will receive the Driver of the Year Award after he notched his fifth driving title at Batavia Downs. This meet, Morrill had 429 starts with 138 wins, 81 seconds, and 58 thirds that produced earnings of $1,217,071 and a UDR. of .472. Those earnings set a new all-time track record for purses collected in a single meet at Batavia, breaking the mark he set just last year ($1,115,951). Morrill is also only one of two drivers (Kevin Cummings) to ever earn in excess of $1 million at Batavia Downs in a single meet and now both have done it in consecutive years.

Overall in 2023, Morrill has started 1,020 times with 295 wins, 184 seconds and 148 thirds with $2,567,305 in earnings and a UDR of .438. That UDR rating has him sitting in first place among all drivers in North America for percentage performance.

The Trainer of the Year has yet to be decided as Sam Smith and Shawn McDonough are currently tied after Wednesday’s card with Smith showing 43 wins and McDonough posting 43 wins as well.

To this point in the meet, Smith has 242 starts with 43 wins, 42 seconds, and 35 thirds with earnings of $401,222 and a UTR of .322. For the year he has 648 starts with 109 wins, 94 seconds, and 91 thirds with earnings of $988,750 and a UTR of .296. All these numbers are career highs for Smith.

McDonough’s Batavia meet tally shows 276 starts with 43 wins, 42

 seconds and 29-thirds that banked $346,692 and provided him a UTR of .275. His totals for all of 2023 showed 598 starts with 96 wins, 83 seconds and 76 thirds, earnings of $764,240 and a UTR of .280.

The top trainer will be named Saturday night as Smith will start 10 horses and McDonough will start eight and it could come down to the 15th race on the card before it’s decided.

Driver Kyle Swift, who was named the track's Rising Star for 2023 earlier this week, will also be presented his award on Saturday.

The top equine athletes will also be lauded and here is the list of award recipients for this meet.

Pacer of the Meet - Stranger Things (Western Terror-Southwind Prairie)

Kathy Schoeffel, Virginia Schoeffel and James Ruether, owners - Angelo Nappo, trainer.

Stranger Things had 17 starts with 6 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds that earned him $52,000 in purses, which was the most won by any pacer competing at the Downs this meet. Stranger Things competed against some of the best pacers on the grounds all season and could be counted on to show up week in and week out. For the entire year, Stranger Things won nine races and $71,590 in purses. Stranger Things will be on hand to close out his meet on Saturday night in the featured 9th race.

Trotter of the Meet - Lougazi (Lou’s Legacy-Winning Blade)

Mary Warriner, owner - Ryan Swift, trainer.

Lougazi is a multiple winner of this award and rightfully so, as this 9-year-old war horse has been battling the best at Batavia for six years. In 2023, Lougazi had 16 starts that yielded him four wins, four seconds and four thirds with $54,600 in purses that made him not only the richest trotter of the meet, but the richest horse of either gait overall as of this writing. Overall in 2023 Lougazi had eight wins and $91,295 in earnings.

Mare of the Meet - Louie The Lilac (Sweet Lou-Pineapple Hanover)

Michael L. Torcello, owner - Sam Smith, trainer.

Louie The Lilac started the meet in the non-winners classes and worked her way up to the Open I where she found success twice. She has faced some very tough competition from top flight ship-in mares in her 16 starts this year, yet came out on top seven times during the meet while earning $49,105 in purses. For the entire year, Louie The Lilac has won a total of nine races while putting $69,968 in the bank.

Claimer of the Meet - A Black Diamond (Betterthancheddar-Tricky)

LAV Racing Stable, owner - Russell Bratt, trainer.

Although winning her first race at Batavia in a conditioned event, A Black Diamond made her living in the claiming ranks all year after that and totaled eight wins for the meet, making her the winningest horse of either gait or gender at Batavia Downs this year. And she ended the year stronger than ever, winning five out of her last six starts including four straight in that stretch, earning $48,620 this meet. For all of 2023 A Black Diamond won 13 races and $82,852 in purses.

These awards will be presented trackside in the winner's circle between the races throughout the night. 

The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association and Batavia Downs has announced that driver Kyle Swift will receive the 2023 Rising Star Award during the Night of Distinction awards presentation that will be held at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 9).

After driving at fairs and in qualifiers for two years, the 18-year-old Kyle Swift earned his provisional license in June of this year and has really become a presence on the harness racing scene in western New York ever since. After scoring his first pari-mutuel win with Big Place only a month later, Swift emerged as one of the top drivers at the current Batavia meet.

In 219 starts, Swift has won 14 races, finished second 26 times, and third another 27 times, which were numbers good enough to put him on the top 10 list among all drivers racing at Batavia this meet. And his $151,294 in purses from those starts has him seated 13th for total bank.

Overall this year, Swift has 17 wins 30 seconds, and 31 thirds with $181,130 in earnings.  

Swift is a third-generation horseman on both sides of his family. His father Ray Fisher Jr. has been a leading reinsman at Batavia for years and is approaching 5,000 career driving wins while his mother Ryan Swift annually finishes among the best trainers competing in western New York.

Kyle Swift is an energetic and enthusiastic personality who is 100% committed to harness racing and who works very hard to improve his skills on a daily basis. His steadily rising numbers and increased multiple listings on the daily draw are a testament to that and prove why he was chosen to receive this award.

The Night of Distinction card Saturday (Nov. 9) has a 6 p.m. post and all the awards will be presented trackside in the winner’s circle between the races.

After three unsuccessful starts in the track’s top class for female pacers, Mcnatural L got the job done at long odds in her fourth attempt in the $15,000 Distaff Open I Handicap on Wednesday night (Dec. 6) at Batavia Downs.

Dave McNeight III put Mcnatural L in the pocket behind Won Surreal Deal (Kyle Cummings) who was busy on top stepping quarters of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:26, basically unchallenged the entire time. Mcnatural L continued to draft Won Surreal Deal around the last turn but when they hit the stretch, she sprung into action. McNeight popped the deuce and heavily urged Mcnatural L past Won Surreal Deal and hit the line first by three-quarters of a length in 1:55 to spring the upset.

Mcnatural L ($19.60) registered her eighth win of the year for owner El Dorado Stable and trainer Amanda Arrigenna.

The Downs top two trainers entered Wednesday’s card tied with 41 wins apiece and they have been so hard to pull away from each other of late, they even had a dead heat in the fourth race. Sam Smith started Authentic Hanover and Shawn McDonough had Thatmomentinlife and after battling for the last three-eighths of the mile, both hit the wire together in 1:57.2. Authentic Hanover (Kevin Cummings, $2.10) is owned by Mike Torcello and Thatmomentinlife (Brett Beckwith, $2.10) is owned by Ben Ortiz.

Smith also won with Mcdelicacy (1:58, $107.50) and McDonough won with Imprincessgemma A (1:55.3, $2.90) so they remained tied for the training crown heading into the final night.

Last year’s trotter of the meet at Batavia Downs was CR Blazin Beauty and she hit two major milestones after winning the sixth race on Wednesday. It was the 9-year-old mare’s 60th lifetime win and it pushed her over a half-million dollar mark in career earnings, now boasting $500,805 in the bank. CR Blazin Beauty is owned by Marissa Russo and trained by Dave Russo.

Kyle Cummings led all drivers on Wednesday with three wins while trainer Chris Petrelli joined Smith and McDonough with two wins of his own.

The final night of live racing of the 2023 meet at Batavia Downs is Saturday (Dec. 9) and that is when live action will resume with a big 15 race card with a $1,031 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta wager in that 15th race. And since Saturday is the final night of the meet, both the Pick-5 in race one and the Hi-5 in race 15 will both be “must pay” wagering events. All the racing action starts at 6 p.m.

Saturday is also the Upstate New York  Chapter of the United States Harness Writer’s Night of Distinction awards presentation that will take place trackside between the races.

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

Persistent rain and a sloppy track set the stage for racing at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Dec. 2) but the inclement conditions didn’t prevent Ricky B Sharp from excelling in the $15,000 Open I Handicap trotting feature.

Credit List (Kyle Cummings) grabbed the first lead before relenting to Staghouse (Ray FIsher Jr.), who pulled past the eighth to take the front before the :30.2 quarter. As they moved into the stretch for the first time, Kevin Cummings moved Johnny Boy early from fifth and was flying on the outside, catching Staghouse in turn three. Staghouse then made a break and caused interference with trailing horses including Ricky B Sharp (Mike Baumeister) who was fifth at that point.

Johnny Boy opened up a 2-¼ length lead over Credit List approaching three-quarters while Ricky B Sharp extricated himself from the road trouble, moved into third and gained ground with every stride. The top three separated from the field while tightening up between themselves and rounded the last turn in a pack. Johnny Boy took his diminishing lead into the stretch while Credit List and Ricky B Sharp continued to gain ground with every pylon. The three crossed the wire together with Ricky B Sharp getting the nod by one-half length in 1:59.2.

It was the fifth win of the year for Ricky B Sharp ($10.80) and owner Jennifer Signor. Ron Baumeister trains the winner.

The top pace was an upper-level conditioned event that went for $12,500 and Stranger Things claimed his ninth win of the year after closing late with enthusiasm.

JMs Delight (Greg Merton) was commander of fractions to the half but Alta Engen N (Kyle Cummings) came first-over at that station and took the lead midway up the backstretch from the fading JMs Delight. Now on the point, Alta Engen N was under duress from Stranger Things (Kevin Cummings) who had shadowed the leader since the half. Stranger Things drew alongside Alta Engen N midway through the last turn and the two pacers duked it out from there. The pair stayed even until halfway down the stretch where Stranger Things imposed his will and pulled away to a 2-½ length victory in 1:55.1.

It was win number nine this year for heavily backed Stranger Things ($2.60) who is owned by Kathy Schoeffel, Virginia Schoeffel, and James Reuther and trained by Angelo Nappo.

Driver John Cummings Jr. led all drivers on Saturday with a grand slam in the bike. He won with J-S Swanman (2:02.1, $4.30), Bluesville (1:56.3, $4.40), Win Not Lou (156.2, $8.50) and Third Edition (1:56.4, $3.20).

There are only two days of live racing left in the 2023 meet at Batavia Downs and the action resumes on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at 6:00 p.m. with a $786 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race 13.

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.