Le Roy came back from 14 points down at the half to beat rival Cal-Mum in boys basketball 56-55.
Luke Stella was fouled on a three-pointer as time expired and made two free throws to secure the win.
Canyon Roster scored 16 points, T.Y. Williams, 10, Stella, 9. Reece Tresco hit two three-pointers.
If you happen to care about the future of the sport of bowling, you will be thrilled to read about the accomplishments of youth bowlers in our area and across the state.
Starting close to home, 18-year-old Naomi Hyde of Le Roy (she’ll be 19 on Dec. 30) recorded the highest USBC-certified three-game series in the history of Legion Lanes in Le Roy on Dec. 11 when she rolled a 730 set while substituting in the Monday Ladies Jackpot League.
The right-hander’s games were 258-273-199. The three-game total eclipses the 709 registered by longtime LeRoyan Chris Vescovi in 2002.
Naomi (in photo above) wasn’t sure of the sequence of strikes, but said she got a bit nervous in the second game “because I was hoping to bowl a 280 game.”
She came close with the 273 – which topped her previous high game of 269.
“I lost the line a bit in the third game,” she said, “as I had to adjust as the lanes weren’t as oily.”
After a slow start to the game, she regrouped at the end to post the 199, earning well-deserved applause from her father, Mickey, an avid bowler who came to the lanes to watch.
Naomi said that Vescovi, who bowls in the league, and the other ladies were quick to congratulate her.
She was bowling on a team with Charlene Price and Betty Sue Pelton. She said she is averaging 161 in a Sunday mixed league -- bowling with her dad -- and 195 for 12 games on the Monday league.
Naomi said she bowled in the Legion Lanes youth program since she was 5 years old. After graduating from high school, she is working a couple part-time jobs and said she will be attending Monroe Community College next month.
Her sister, Samantha, continues to bowl in the Le Roy youth league as well as the Genesee Region Youth Travel League.
Hilton Girl Sets Record with 831 Series
While Naomi was making headlines in the Genesee Region, Hilton freshman Elena Carr is in the national spotlight after a high school-record setting 831 series – also on Dec. 11 – in a Monroe County League match against Penfield at AMF Terrace Garden Lanes in Rochester.
Elena, 14, rolled 265-300-266, breaking the previous mark set of 826 by Kristina Frahm of Illinois in January 2007. She has been bowling for 10 years and has been on the Hilton varsity team since seventh grade and also bowls on a travel team on weekends.
By the way, her brother Brad, 16, who also is on the Hilton bowling team, rolled his first 300 game in a sanctioned morning league in September.
Continuing with the young high rollers theme, 14-year-old freshman Zachary Bogholtz of Nassau (Albany USBC) posted his fourth 300 game and first 800 series recently.
The freshman member of the Columbia High School bowling team recently registered his third perfect game of the year and first 800 series – 300-279-234—813.
It sure is encouraging to see that young people are embracing the sport and excelling at it as well. Hopefully, more adult bowlers – parents and coaches – will make it a priority to volunteer their time to helping these kids improve and to give back to a sport that has given them so much over the years.
The Rose Garden I team of Bergen rolled past Batavia Fire & Ice, 18.5 to .5, last Sunday at Legion Lanes in Le Roy to expand its lead over Batavia Strike Force to 7.5 points after six of 14 sessions of the Genesee Region Youth Travel League.
Devon Zinter, Madelynn Pimm and Michael Sardou all bowled over their averages, with Zinter (141 average) shooting 501, Pimm (124 average) rolling 461 and Sardou (126 average) posting 398.
High scores for the week:
Boys – Matt Hurlburt 223—651, Skylar Laesser 232—597, James Townsend 587, Ben Lennox 221.
Girls – Paige Snook 185—517, Samantha Hyde 179—486, Logan Cadieux 168—480.
The league bowls again on Dec. 31 at Mancuso Bowling Center.
The Beat the Champ show from Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia featuring Batavians Rich Wagner and Rob Stefani and Brockport’s Chris Bardol is up next on WBBZ-TV (MeTV), airing this Saturday at 4 p.m. and repeated on Sunday at 11 p.m.
The reigning "champ," two-hander Dana Voytovich of Cheektowaga, puts his five-match winning streak on the line, facing left-hander Wagner in the first match. The winner will take on Bardol in the second match, with the winner advancing to meet Stefani in the show’s final match.
Mike Pettinella, bowling writer for The Batavian, joins hosts Paul Peck and Sue Nawojski for commentary on this weekend's show.
On Dec. 30-31, eight members of the Turnbull Heating Junior League at Mancuso Bowling Center will be featured on the show.
The competition was taped on Nov. 29.
Cousins Paul Spiotta and Fred Gravanda of Batavia manufactured a couple “firsts” last Sunday in the 60-and-Over Tour tournament at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester.
Spiotta, bowling in his second event since turning 60, rolled the Tour’s first 800 series in the qualifying round – 279-267-256—802 – and Gravanda, a regular member of the Tour, captured his first victory by defeating John Feola of Rochester and Ken Ball of Avon in the finals.
After his big series, Spiotta posted a 207 game in the 12-man semifinals, but it wasn’t quite good enough to advance (as half the field moves on).
Gravanda, however, who qualified with a 664 series for having the best score in the 65-69 age group, went on to bowl 268 and 246 to reach the three-man final round.
In the finals, Gravanda posted 211, edging Feola by seven pins and defeating Ball by 33 pins. Prior to Sunday’s tournament, Gravanda had several runner-up finishes.
Bob Hodgson of Medina (791) and Joe Trigilio of Attica (705) also qualified for the semifinals but lost in the first and second round, respectively, with Trigilio officially placing fourth.
Defending champion Scott Culp of Lima is in fine form as the 64th Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial Tournament nears. The singles event is set for Jan. 6-7 at Letchworth Pines in Portageville.
Culp, who won last year’s tournament at Medina Lanes, is averaging better than 240 in the Wednesday Night JCI League at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo, with a 300 game and a pair of 800 series (805 and 837) to his credit.
The Scratch Memorial offers a $1,000 top prize, based on 80 entries, and the entry fee is $55. Qualifying squads are noon and 3 p.m. on Jan. 6 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 7, with one in five bowlers from each squad advancing to the semifinals.
The tournament features two oil patterns – the 39-foot Kegel “Middle Road” during qualifying and the 45-foot Kegel “Route 66” during the semifinals and finals.
To enter, call Mike Pettinella at 585-861-0404 or send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.
To all my Pin Points readers and to all in the Genesee Region, have a blessed and Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa -- and a Happy New Year. And to all my Jewish readers, I hope you had a wonderful Hanukkah (which ended on Wednesday).
The next column will be posted on Jan. 4.
COKE VS. PEPSI: Members of the StrikeForce Academy team in the North Pole League at Mancuso Bowling Center had some fun with team captain Tom Fluker, center, who also is a longtime Pepsi employee. Members of the team, which rolled a 1,201 scratch game recently in the league, are, from left, Tom Baker, Nate Wright, Fluker, Jerry Harding and Eric Kraus.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
The 2017 Batavia Downs summer-fall meet that ended on Saturday (Dec. 16) left track management feeling good after setting records for total betting and purse money paid out during the year.
The track’s export signal drew an increased handle of 15.9% over 2016 and total betting was up 8.1% (over $600,000) with 17 less races than last year. That produced $8.2 million dollars wagered on the live harness racing product, which was the most ever handled at Batavia Downs during a meet since Western Regional OTB purchased and reopened the track in 2002.
The Downs also set a record handle in their Pick-5 wager when the pool reached $25,312 as a result of being part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program on Wednesday (Nov. 22).
Total purses paid out including New York Sire Stakes were $6,072,800, the first time ever the track distributed in excess of $6 million in purse money.
The 2017 meet was also the first time Batavia Downs adopted a new 5 p.m. post time on Wednesdays and that seemed to contribute to the better numbers witnessed from the off-track outlets as handle was up 25 percent from the export signal midweek. It was also a big reason the track eclipsed the $8 million mark in total handle.
A quality product on the track drove those numbers along with a closely contested driver’s race that saw three reinsmen with a shot at the title all year.
When the dust had cleared, Larry Stalbaum won his first ever Batavia Downs driving title with 134 wins. Second was Ray Fisher Jr. with 124 and just one back in third was Drew Monti with 123.
On the conditioner side, Kim Asher also won her first Batavia Downs training title in a romp with 94 wins, 52 ahead of JD Perrin who was second with 42. Maria Rice was third with 40 victories.
Post one won 201 out of the 808 races run followed by post four with 135 and post three with 123.
Favorites won 45 percent of the time during the course of the meet.
“When the lights went down for the last time this year and we looked at the numbers, we were very happy with the results we saw” said Todd Haight, director/general manager of Live Racing at Batavia Downs.
“We had great action on the track with competitive, bettable races and the money wagered through the windows shows our customers felt the same way.”
Upon approval of the New York State Gaming Commission, live racing will resume at Batavia Downs on Monday, July 23.
Members of the Genesee Amateur Hockey Beginners celebrated Christmas during practice at Falleti Ice Arena on Monday night with a visit from Santa Claus, who led the 3- to 9-year-old hockey players on a skate around the rink. There are 75 players participating this year.
Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion has produced a bunch of perfect games and 800 series over the past few seasons, thanks to a commitment to reinvest into the lanes by proprietor Randy Hanks.
On Dec. 11, Hanks joined in on the fun by posting a 300 game in the Sneezy's Monday Night League en route to a 753 series, which was second to Curtis Foss; 760 for the night.
Hanks, a 51-year-old right-hander, used a Roto-Grip Uproar for games of 211-242-300. He now has three USBC-certified 300 games -- two at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester and one at Oak Orchard Bowl, a center he has owned since 2006.
At Scopano's Lanes in Oakfield, righty Steve O'Dell stayed hot with a 300 game to cap a 778 effort in the County Line Stone League.
O'Dell, who had his eighth perfect game and 816 series in November, recorded 212-266-300, rolling the final 22 strikes with an IQ Tour Pro ball. He also had a 299 game recently in a league at Clarence Bowling Academy.
For all of the week's high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the page.
Watch for more local bowling news on Thursday in Mike Pettinella's Pin Points column.
Submitted photo and press release:
During the last six seasons, the Pembroke High School Girls’ Basketball Team has focused on winning—not just league games, but the battle against breast cancer. It’s a cause that is personal to the team and their school district because of the number of faculty and community members who have been affected by the disease.
Yet according to Senior Captain, Olivia Kohorst, this year’s fundraiser -- 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25, Pembroke vs. Oakfield-Alabama (at Pembroke) -- is particularly important as it marks the final season she will be able to play in the event.
“I was only in sixth grade when the first varsity team came up with the idea to host the first Shooting For A Cure! game in support of Toni Funke’s battle with breast cancer,” said senior Olivia Kohorst.
The team spent that inaugural season seeking support from the community and local businesses in hopes of funding research efforts at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in honor of Mrs. Funke.
“I remember being on the PYA team at the time with my friends. A lot of us went to that first game and I remember wearing pink and that the gym was really crowded! As a young kid, to see our community come together the way they did in support of Mrs. Funke made a lasting impression on me. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of that, part of something bigger than just me playing basketball with my friends,” Kohorst said.
“This fundraiser means more to our team every season. It gives us an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others and it gives us greater purpose not only as student-athletes but as people. Cancer affects us all, my family included, and to be a part of a team that supports those fighting means more to me than I can express in words..
"Being a part of Shooting For A Cure! has affected me in such a positive way. Playing in this game was the highlight of each season I played basketball at Pembroke and I look forward to still being involved after I graduate.”
The 2017-2018 Shooting For A Cure! donors list numbers more than 70 merchants and individuals including ADPRO Sports, AdWorks, Batavia Country Club, Batavia’s Original Pizzeria, the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bandits, Buffalo Bisons, Courage of Carly Foundation, Chef’s, Dave & Adam’s Card World, DuPont, Insty-Prints, M&T Bank, Original Pizza Logs, Pembroke Youth Association, Terry Hills, Yancey’s Fancy and the YMCA to name a few.
Many of the product donations will become game night auction baskets and raffle prizes. Monies will also be raised from apparel sales and food sales with the generous support of local pizzerias and vending companies. Additionally, the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation has revamped their online platform and developed a Team Roswell site.
Direct online donations are now being accepted in support of Shooting For A Cure! at: http://give.roswellpark.org/goto/ShootingForACurePGBB.
The team hopes Shooting For A Cure! will continue its tradition of topping the previous years’ fundraising total.
“All of the money raised that evening goes directly to support cancer research at Roswell Park,” sophomore Mackenna Johnson said. “Playing basketball for Pembroke is not just about trying to win games, it’s about giving back to the community and showing our support for those in need.
"My oldest sister Breanna and her teammates started Shooting For A Cure! back in 2011 in support of Mrs. Funke, and what they started has become one of the largest Team Roswell fundraising events. Last season, we raised over $20,000 in one night, it was amazing! Our community is so supportive and we truly can’t thank all of the volunteers and donors enough for all that they do to support this game."
Roswell Park has officially sanctioned Shooting For A Cure! as a Team Cure fundraiser and as a valuable example of the way that young people can make a difference. “We continue to be impressed by the Pembroke Girls’ Basketball Team each and every season. They push themselves, not only on the court, but off the court as well, going above and beyond for the benefit of others.
It’s inspirational to have a group of teens who are so passionate about raising funds for cancer research at Roswell Park.These girls continue to demonstrate an incredible amount of compassion,” said Alex Hoaglund, Team Roswell special events coordinator. “This team is special and their community is remarkable.
"Although the players may change each season, Shooting For A Cure! has remained constant, with the girls leading the charge for six consecutive seasons. To think that they’ve has raised over $60,000 in six seasons with this game is a testament to the benevolence of the entire Pembroke community as well as this special team.”
For more information go to: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/PemGBBPinkGame/
Twitter, https://twitter.com/pemgbb_pinkgame
Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/shooting4acure/
Team Roswell, http://give.roswellpark.org/goto/ShootingForACurePGBB
ABOUT PEMBROKE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM: The Pembroke High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team is comprised of nine outstanding girls, ages 14 to 17. Their 2017-2018 captains are Olivia Kohorst, Sam Ianni, Mackenna Johnson, Mackenzie Jurek and Casey Wurtz. They are coached by Ron Funke. Team colors are green and black and their nickname is Dragons. The team began Shooting For A Cure! as an annual event in 2011, and they are committed to the hard work and dedication it will take to win the battle against breast cancer.
ABOUT ROSWELL PARK CANCER INSTITUTE: RPCI is among the first and only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Institute designation of "comprehensive cancer center" and to serve as a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Many RPCI faculty serve on the NCCN panels that create the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ — the internationally recognized standards for clinical policy in oncology, and the most comprehensive, most frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine.
The RCPI campus spans 25 acres in downtown Buffalo and consists of 15 buildings with about 1.6 million square feet of space. A new hospital building, completed in 1998, houses a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center. In addition, the Institute built a new medical research complex and renovated existing education and research space to support its future growth and expansion. www.roswellpark.org.
Le Roy suffered its first loss of the boys basketball season, falling to Avon 49-47.
For Le Roy, Reece Tresco 15 points and 14 rebounds, Cole Biggins 12 points and 4 assists, andT.Y. Williams 11 points.
Connor Taylor scored 22 points, had five rebounds and six steals for Avon and Aaron Ghent added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Press release:
The Genesee Community College men's basketball team improved its winning streak to five before having it snapped in Niagara County Community College's tournament Dec. 15-16.
The Cougars started with a 99-87 win over Onondaga Community College Dec. 15 with their fifth-consecutive win. Although it was not another 100-plus point win, the victory allowed the Cougars to average 102 points over the course of those five-consecutive wins.
Current National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Player of the Week Brian Fobbs was on fire in both games scoring 36 points in the win over the Lazers and 30 points in the 92-81 loss to Henry Ford College, Dec. 16. In addition, Fobbs posted team-highs in rebounds and earned double-double performances in each contest with 15 boards against the Lazers and 16 against Henry Ford. In the latter game, Fobbs also recorded a pair of bocks, assists and steals.
Rahmel Thompson finished second in scoring in both contests to Fobbs with 44 total points. Thompson recorded 27 in the win and 17 in the loss. Joining Thompson with 17 points in the Henry Ford contest was Jarett Haines, while Caylen Williams added 15 points and a team-high three assists against the Hawks.
In addition to Fobbs and Thompson, two other Cougars recorded double-digit scoring performances with Williams adding 10 and Jaheem Page scoring 11 in the win against the Lazers. Williams registered a team-high seven assists and three steals against Onondaga.
The Cougars hit the semester break with a 9-4 overall record and 4-1 conference record.
Press release:
Genesee Community College men's soccer captain Glenn Holmes was named to the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Men's Scholar All-America First Team Dec. 15 by the national chair of the USC Junior College Men's Scholar All-America Committee, Chris Handy. Holmes will be honored by the UCS at its 71st convention in January 2018.
The 2017 National Junior College Athletic Association National Champion Cougars were co-captained by Holmes, who hails from Kildare, Ireland. The sports management major was just one of four overall junior college players who were recognized as first-team selections both on the field and in the classroom by the USC. At the junior college division-three level, he was just one of two to achieve the feat and the lone defensive player in the country.
Although known more for his stealth defensive play, Holmes' offensive numbers were quite astonishing. He led all NJCAA defenders in points with 32 and goals with 13. In addition, the Genesee sophomore was the catalyst behind the team's amazing run that ended with a 10-game winning streak and a 20-game unbeaten streak in bringing the Cougars its first national championship in soccer.
This is the third time Holmes has been honored this season as a first-team all-American. In addition to the two aforementioned USC All-American accolades, Holmes was also named to the NJCAA All-American squad as well.
Photo of Chumlee A in the forefront with driver Larry Stalbaum.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
The Western New York “Wonder from Down Under” Chumlee A, proved once again that he is the best pacer currently on the grounds as he led a fast :57 back half under heavy duress on a cold night to win the final $10,000 Open Handicap pacing feature of the meet at Batavia Downs on closing night (Dec. 16).
It took Chumlee A (Larry Stalbaum) over a quarter of a mile to get the lead as Don’tcallmefrancis (Billy Davis Jr.) played hardball on the front-end. But eventually the Aussie got there after a quick :28 second split before he put on the brakes to the half to get a short breather. Not content with the slowing pace, Focus Power (Drew Monti) pulled at the half and started one heck of a fight.
Drawing alongside Chumlee A, Focus Power pushed the issue as the two matched strides in a :28.1 third panel. Also pacing together around the far turn, Chumlee A’s lead was getting shorter but he continued to look strong on the point. Halfway down the lane the overland route had gotten to Focus Power but Don’tcallmefrancis, who had gotten the perfect two-hole trip the entire mile, popped into the passing lane and made a late bid. However Chumlee A had enough in the tank and hung on by a head in 1:54.2.
It was the second straight Open victory and fourth straight win at Batavia Downs and in northern hemisphere for Chumlee A ($3.60) who has been racing in the United States for just over a month. The 6-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere is owned by Mark Jakubik and Kim Asher, who also does the training.
It was a big night for trainer Kim Asher and driver Larry Stalbaum. Besides winning the feature with Chumlee A they also teamed up to win three other races during the night including the 17th win of 2017 for Saint William A and the 21st victory of the year for Quicksilvercandy A, who now moves back into a tie with Safe From Terror as the winningest Standardbred in North America.
Then after the 10th race, Asher and Stalbaum were honored in the winner's circle as the top dash winning trainer and driver of the meet at Batavia Downs.
The staff and management of Batavia Downs would like to wish everyone a very happy Holiday Season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Racing resumes at the oldest lighted harness track in America in July.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
Closing night of the 2017 racing season at Batavia Downs features a guaranteed $2,500 early Pick-5 pool and a $1,000 Pick-6 contest, both with mandatory payouts on Saturday (Dec. 16).
The $2,500 guaranteed early Pick-5 pool begins in race one and runs through race five. The Pick-5 is a 50-cent base wager and as it’s the final one of the meet, there will be a mandatory payout. This means if no one picks all five winners, the person(s) selecting the most winners will be paid. (There is no late Pick-5 on Saturday)
Saturday's guaranteed pool is part of the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program and as such, free program pages courtesy of Trackmaster are available on the USTA’s website.
This link will take you directly to those program pages.
Then starting in race four, the free-to-enter $1,000 Pick-6 contest is offered and it too will have a mandatory payout.
In order to win, contestants must pick the winners of races four through nine. Those wishing to play must pick up their entry blank at Player’s Club beginning at 4:30 p.m. and then deposit their completed selections no later than the start of the fourth race. There is only one entry per person. If no one correctly picks all six winners, the person(s) selecting the most winners will be paid.
Post time for the first race on closing night is 6 p.m.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
Longtime western New York horseman Jim McNeight reached a career milestone as he won his 1,000 race as a trainer.
McNeight was at 999 before his pacer Open Water finished second on Wednesday (Dec. 6) and was placed first through a disqualification. But McNeight made it official on Friday (Dec. 15) when his trotter Millbrook Hanover driven by his son Jim McNeight Jr., won easily in the snow to notch his 1,000th career victory.
McNeight got started in the business while in his teens and learned under the guidance of his father Ed McNeight Sr. He got his driver’s license in 1981 and became a go-to catch driver in western New York within a few years.
Focusing mainly on driving for the first part of his career, McNeight added training to his daily duties when he father retired in 1992 and since that time has been a mainstay at Batavia Downs and Buffalo Raceway ever since.
In June of 2016, McNeight was involved in a bad accident at Buffalo Raceway and came away with a severe back injury that sidelined him for months. After time off and extensive rehab, he has been able to resume jogging and training but his doctors will not clear him to race due to the possibility of further damage in the event of another racing incident.
So now McNeight focuses fully on the training end of his current stable of 10 and is a full time coach for his son who does all the driving now and is a rising star on the same circuit his father excelled on for so many years.
Jim McNeight’s 1,000th training win was the result of 6,450 starts that also saw him finish second 932 times and third another 919. All told his earnings have amounted to just under $3.5 million.
“It’s very special to reach a milestone like this but you can’t do it without good, faithful owners and I have been blessed to have three of them” said McNeight. “Mike Ventura, Mike Calimeri and Dave Sanlorenzo have backed me for over 20 years and made those 1,000 wins possible.”
Mike Ventura owns Millbrook Hanover.
For his driving career McNeight has 3,587 wins and over $13 million earned in purses.
Photo of Lenny Mac and driver Ron Beback Jr.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
It was girl’s night out in a winter wonderland as snow squalls blew through Genesee County. The mare Lenny Mac beat the boys in the $10,000 Open trot and Sportsmuffler scored in the $10,000 distaff Open pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Dec. 15).
In the week’s top trot, Lenny Mac came from off the pace to win handily, overcoming the field and the elements with the greatest of ease.
Empire Earl N (Larry Stalbaum) went right to the front and led to the half in 1:00.2. Lenny Mac (Ron Beback Jr.) then pulled first up from fifth and motored quickly alongside Empire Earl N, and then right by him by the time they hit the backside.
From there it was all Lenny Mac as she opened up four lengths at the three-quarters, six lengths at the top of the stretch and eight lengths when she hit the wire like a runaway train in 2:00.2, blowing up the tote board at 12-1.
It was the ninth win of the year for Lenny Mac ($27.40) and it padded her bank account to the amount of $54,077 for owner William Emmons and trainer James Clouser Jr.
Photo of Sportsmuffler with driver Ray Fisher Jr.
In the fillies and mares Open pace, Sportsmuffler, who had recently gotten back to her winning ways after not finishing a race on Nov. 22, caught a strong front runner at the wire in a thriller.
Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) left for a familiar front-end position and led the field in post-position order for almost a half mile before Squeeze This (Billy Davis Jr.) pulled and attacked at that station in :59.2.
With Miss Irish Rose A still in command by two, the outer flow stalled and Sportsmuffler (Ray Fisher Jr.) tipped three-deep around and moved to within one length of the leader. The two maintained their positions around the far turn but when they hit the top of the lane, Sportsmuffler dug in and drove on to capture a half-length victory in 1:57.4 in a three-horse photo.
It was the eleventh win in 42 starts this year for Sportsmuffler ($7.80) who now has $59,149 on her card for 2017. LAV Racing Stable Inc. owns the 5-year-old Sportsmaster mare that is trained by Mike Carrubba.
Larry Stalbaum widened his dash win lead again scoring three victories on the night. That pushed him to 130 wins for the meet, now six ahead of Ray Fisher Jr. and 11 ahead of Drew Monti. Barring a monumental turn of events it would appear Stalbaum has his first Batavia Downs driving title just about wrapped up.
One more night of racing remains at Batavia Downs in 2017 and that is Saturday (Dec. 16) with post time is 6 p.m.
There will be a guaranteed $2,500 early Pick-5 pool tomorrow with a mandatory payout. The wager runs from race one to race five and is a 50-cent minimum bet.
Kim Asher
By Tim Bojarski, for UNY USHWA
The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will present performance awards to the top dash winning trainer and driver of the meet during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” ceremony in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs tonight (Dec. 16) and whereas the top conditioner has been well identified, the driver’s race will likely go down to the final races of the weekend.
Kim Asher is currently the top percentage trainer in North America with a UTR of .427 and $1.1 million in earnings. She is also ranked eighth in North America for wins, currently with 208.
So it’s no surprise that Asher is also the trainer of the meet at Batavia Downs for 2017.
Asher has started 351 horses during the session winning 88 races, finishing second 55 times and third another 55 times and saw her horses hit the board 56% of the time. Those efforts gave her a stellar UTR of .390 and $479,491 in purses. Her win total more than doubled her closest competitor.
Competing for only the second year at Batavia, Asher’s training career spans 19 years and during that time she has won multiple training titles including most recently, the 2017 Buffalo Raceway meet. This year Asher has sent out 208 winners and that mark was a personal best. Her stable boast horses with gaudy win totals like Quicksilvercandy A (20), Saint William A (16), Itsonlyrocknroll A (13) and Kaitlyn Rae (11).
During her career Asher has 1,934 wins, 1,456 seconds and 1,222 thirds out of 9,196 starts for a lifetime UTR of .342 and earnings of over $15 million.
The driving accolades for this meet are still up in the air.
Larry Stalbaum is the current dash win leader with 127 wins while Ray Fisher Jr. is second with 122 and Drew Monti is third with 117. With only one card of racing left and probably 20 starts apiece remaining for all three drivers, Stalbaum looks fairly solid with a five-race lead.
If Stalbaum does win the title it would be his first at Batavia Downs. However the long-tenured horseman is no stranger to being the best set of hands on any circuit. Over his 32-year career he has won dash honors at Northville Downs, Hazel Park, Sports Creek Park, Jackson Harness Raceway, Monticello Raceway, Raceway Park, Cal Expo and most recently, Buffalo Raceway earlier this year.
During his career, Stalbaum has driven 5,732 winners and earned just under $39 million in purses.
Ray Fisher Jr. has won two driving titles at Buffalo Raceway and four at Northfield Park. But since arriving at the Genesee County oval in 2007 has never taken the top spot there although he did finish second and third three times each. So winning it this year would definitely be a notch in his belt.
Since his career began in 1987, Fisher has won 4,200 races lifetime and just shy of $18 million in purses.
Drew Monti is the defending dash driving winner at Batavia Downs, taking his first-ever driving title last year with 116 wins. He had a substantial lead this year earlier in the meet, but the competition stiffened and now he has a lot of work to do in order to repeat.
Although the 23-year-old Monti has only been driving for five years, he is already closing in on his 1,000th win (currently with 979) and has made $5.5 million in purses during that time.
The competition for the driving title will be decided tonight (Dec. 16). Post time is 6 p.m.
In a close game last evening the Batavia girls basketball squad beat last season’s sectional champions Honeoye Falls Lima by a narrow 53-52 margin.
HFL came out of the gate up by four points after the first quarter 14-10 led by seniors Taryn Wilson and Paige Smith. Batavia was playing catchup through the first half and not making defensive plays, but sparked right near the end of the half to come within one point of HFL’s lead 26-25.
After the first half, Batavia needed a much stronger quarter and played better defense to take the lead 40-34 after three quarters. Batavia continued the streak to lead at one point by 10 points in the fourth but then got into foul trouble.
Taryn Wilson hit 13 out of 15 free throws, and with 9 seconds left on the clock, Kara Oatman who was 7 for 8 missed her eighth free throw and Batavia finished winning by one at regulation.
Junior Ryann Stefaniak led the team with 18 points, Sophmore Emma Krolczyk finished with 15 points and freshman Bryn Wormley tallied 11 points.
HFL Senior Taryn Wilson scored 25 points, Paige Smith had 13 points and Kara Oatman finished with 8 points.
Batavia remains undefeated with a 5-0 record in class A2 and HFL drops to 2-4.
Next game for Batavia is home this Monday vs. Greece Athena.
For more game pictures to go: http://steveognibenephotography.zenfolio.com/p789755086
By Tim Bojarski, for the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association:
Batavia, NY---The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has announced its horses of the meet for 2017 at Batavia Downs.
Pacer of the Meet: Focus Power
While racing in the top Open class for 13 starts at Batavia, western New York newcomer Focus Power won three times and finished second another five while amassing $36,010 in purses. He was on fire in September when he won three out of four starts while setting two new lifetime marks during that period (September 2, 1:53 and September 23, 1:52.4).
After being claimed at Yonkers just prior to the start of the Batavia meet, Focus Power made an immediate impact to the good fortunes of owner James Caradori and trainer Darrin Monti. Driver Drew Monti was aboard for every start. Overall Focus Power has nine wins in 2017 and earnings that total $97,395.
Trotter of the Meet: BZ Glide
BZ Glide was a fixture in the weekly Open trot once again this year and showed although he’s getting older, he hasn’t lost a step. In 15 starts against the local best, BZ Glide won three with six seconds and a third banking $34,405 in the process. He also set a seasonal mark of 1:56.3.
As has been the case every year, the family affair of Alana Caprio training and Mike Caprio driving, the two also team up in ownership of the big trotting gelding. For the year, BZ Glide has a total of five wins and earnings of $52,405.
Mare of the Meet: Voltina
Competing the entire meet in the fillies and mares Open I or II, Voltina was as tough as they came winning three Open I’s and one Open II along with six second place finishes and took home purses totaling $34,060. She took her seasonal mark of 1:55 at Batavia as well.
Owned by CHS Racing LLC, the Tony Cummings-trained Voltina had a career year winning a total of eight races and earning $69,456 in purses. Kevin Cummings was aboard for the majority of her starts.
Claimer of the Meet: Quicksilvercandy A
Listed as the winning-est pacer in North America for a good portion of the year, Quicksilvercandy A had a field day racing at Batavia Downs. Moving up and down the class ladder, the mare ended up winning seven claiming races including the $20,000 Claiming Championship final for her division in November. Her four seconds and two thirds also helped bump up her bankroll to $40,165 for the meet.
Owned and driven by Larry Stalbaum, Quicksilvercandy A recorded a career year of 20 wins and $108,994 in earnings under the training of Kim Asher.
Most Improved Horse of the Meet: In Runaway Bay N
In Runaway Bay N came to Batavia Downs off a less than stellar early part of the year. He made his first start at Batavia in August, winning in the bottom class; non-winners of $1,000 in 1:55.1. He strung together four wins while working his way up to the Open where he finished second two weeks in a row. The following week he faced Foiled Again and finished a respectable fourth to the richest Standardbred of all time. Since then he has won three Open paces. For the meet, he took a seasonal mark of 1:53.1 and earned $39,050.
In Runaway Bay N is owned by Super Mile LLC and is trained by Angelo Nappo. Kevin Cummings was in the bike for the bulk of the work.
The connections of these horses will be presented their trophies in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” awards ceremony. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.
(All photos are courstesy of Paul White.)
Photo of Rusty Freeman, courtesy of Rusty Freeman.
By Tim Bojarski, for Upstate NewYork Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association:
Anyone who has ever dealt with a quarter crack can appreciate what it takes to get their horse sound and racing again. Rusty Freeman is responsible for changing the way this debilitating condition is handled, reducing down time from weeks to days and turning the process into a state of the art form over the years.
As a result of his tireless work to help the breed, the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will present Freeman with the Innovator’s Award for contributions to the sport of harness racing in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” awards ceremony.
Freeman was working as a factory machinist in western New York in the late 1970’s when he was first introduced to harness racing. While visiting a friend who had trotters, he was shown why a particular horse was lame with a hoof crack and the whole thing quickly intrigued him.
He developed a way to use a Dremel tool and cut out just the part of the hoof he felt was needed, and then put a tube under the patch. That way air could still get to the sore area to aid healing and it could also be flushed with antiseptic to keep it clean.
He then researched and developed an acrylic compound he uses instead of fiberglass and combines that with Kevlar cloth to do the patches. The combination of the tube under the new patch material gives the area every opportunity to heal and grow out properly in a short amount of time.
Freeman has been plying his trade at harness tracks in New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania for almost 40 years now and many times works hand in hand with vets. As a result, hundreds of horses have been made sound quicker, allowing them to get back in the box much sooner.
Also a farrier, Freeman is an accredited member of the American Association of Professional Farriers (AAPF) and helps other professionals in the field understand and benefit from his technics.
Post time for the first race on Saturday is 6 p.m.
Photo of Jim Compton and horse Michael Scores, courtesy of Tim Bojarski.
By Tim Bojarski, for the Upstate New York Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association:
Jim Compton has been a respected western New York horseman for over 35 years. He trained, drove and bred many horses that are still remembered at his home tracks for their competitive nature and success.
For his years of dedication to the sport, the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” awards ceremony.
Compton’s full time job was working for General Motors in Rochester, but his passion was for harness racing. So in 1978 he started moonlighting at the farm of local driving legend Fred Haslip to learn the ins and outs of the business. After a few years he got his trainer's license and in 1983 he drove his first race.
Compton and his wife Sandra always ran a small but successful stable, racing horses like Sly Hi, No Parking Zone, Splurging Rita, Gasper Again and Held For Ransom, who won multiple Opens at Batavia Down, Vernon Downs and Buffalo Raceway en route to amassing 51 lifetime wins.
When Held For Ransom’s career was over, Compton bred him to one of his race mares named Suspicious Burns and the result of that breeding was a horse named Michael Scores.
Michael Scores was a New York Sires Stake star and rock-solid overnight campaigner for 11 years. He won 86 races and earned $668,079 lifetime without ever seeing the Grand Circuit. He set track records at Tioga Downs (1:50.4) and at Batavia Downs (1:52.1) when he won the 2006 Kane Memorial Pace. And he will always be remembered for his “intentionally parked out” style of racing.
Compton’s numbers were not gaudy, however they were efficient. On the training side he had 578 wins out of 2,892 starts with $1.9 million in purses and a UTR of .337. As a driver he won 522 races out of 2,725 starts and made $1.13 million in purses and a UDR of .330. And all the horses he either trained or drove were 50 percent in the money over his entire career.
Post time for Saturday night’s card is 6 o'clock.
Byron's Frank Jarkiewicz rolled a 277 game and 804 series while "pre-bowling" for his Thursday Owls league at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen this week, but unfortunately it doesn't earn recognitiion from the United States Bowling Congress due to a special rule concerning pre-bowled honor scores.
According to USBC rule111e/7, high scores will not be recognized by USBC when:
1. An individual or team bowls unopposed.
2. Games are bowled unopposed before or after a league session.
3. League has uneven number of teams and the team without an opponent does not bowl
with the league.
4. Two teams from the same league that are not scheduled against each other bowl together.
5. Two teams from different leagues bowl together.
It seems as though provisions 1 and 2 come into play in this case.
Still, the league has the option of recognizing the score on its season-ending high scores leaderboard.
At Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, Curtis Foss of Medina led a high-scoring night in the Sneezy's Monday Night league with 289--790 -- one of four 700 series that evening.
To see the list of high rollers for the week of Dec. 4, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.
Lucky McTrucky, driven by Drew Monti, wins at Batavia Downs.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
It was a hard fought race between two game opponents, but Lucky McTrucky came out on top of Jimi Wind Ricks in the $9,000 feature pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Dec. 9).
Lucky McTrucky (Drew Monti) inherited the lead from the pylons as no one else in the field left. Now lined up in post-position order, the leader strolled the group to the half in a very pedestrian :59 split. Eager to challenge at that point, Jimi Wind Ricks (Billy Davis Jr.) came with a rush at the three-eighths and drew alongside Lucky McTrucky up the backside and that began a very contentious encounter.
After a :27.4 third panel, Jimi Wind Ricks got the lead on the outside by over a half-length but could not clear as Lucky McTrucky stayed game and would not let him go by. They continued to fight around the far turn with both Monti and Davis rocking and knocking their respective mounts, hoping each other would give way. They hit the straight and were still going at it but Lucky McTrucky gained a slight edge and held it to the wire where he won by a half-length in 1:55.1.
It was the 42nd lifetime win for Lucky McTrucky ($7.30) who is owned by Tessa Roland and trained by J.D. Perrin.
In the $8,500 Open III pace, Big Ricky (Ron Beback Jr.) took a mostly overland route to defeat the heavily favored David The Saint (Ray Fisher Jr.) by a length in 1:56.4. Big Ricky ($9.70) is owned by William Emmons and is trained by James Clouser Jr.
Driver Shawn McDonough had a big night at the Downs, winning three races including the nightcap with Best Ears who blew up the tote board with an $86 mutuel.
The final week of the meet kicks-off when racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Dec. 15) with post time at 6 p.m. There are only two more nights of racing in 2017.
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