Sports

Although he was a seven-time victor last year, Primo Uomo hasn’t visited the winner's enclosure since October 26 at Vernon Downs. But that all changed on Thursday (Jan. 16) at Batavia Downs as he lived up to his name as was truly the best man among his male pacing peers in the featured $13,000 Open Handicap feature on a night that was hampered by cold temperatures and heavy snow.

Those intense winter weather conditions would continue throughout the night and necessitate the cancellation of racing after the sixth race, out of extreme caution for the safety of the horses and participating horsemen and women.

Primo Uomo (Joe Chindano Jr.) got away seventh while Runrunjimmydunn N (Kevin Cummings) led the race and reached the half unchallenged in 1:00.4. Lip Reader A (Drew Monti) then came first-over from fifth and drew alongside Runrunjimmydunn N at three-quarters after a brisk :28.3 sprint up the backstretch, while Primo Uomo was tracking from fifth, third-over in the breeze.

With the leaders battling for control, Primo Uomo continued to gain ground in the final turn and was third and closing fast at the top of the stretch. As the race straightened for home, Runrunjimmydunn N and lip Reader A were still nose to nose, but Primo Uomo found room in the middle of the lane and powered by them both to win by 1-¾ lengths in 1:58.

It was the 25th career win for Primo Uomo ($14.20), who is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton and trained by David Dewhurst.

In the fourth race, the 13-year-old pacing gelding Silverhill Blaze (Dave McNeight III, $21,80) notched the 55th win of his career after crossing the line in 2:00 flat. That win was one of three wins on the abbreviated card for driver Dave McNeight III, who registered a natural hat trick in races two, three and four.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday (Jan. 20) at 3 p.m.

Free full card 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.

Pembroke beat Elba in Boys Basketball on Wednesday, 53-41.

For Pembroke:

• Nolan Peterson, 14 points
• Josh vonKramer 13 points
• Jayden Bridge 11 points
• Landon Suro 7 points

Gavin White's 18 points helped propel the Batavia Blue Devils to a 76-66 win over Greece Odyssey in Boys Basketball on Wednesday.

Casey Mazur scored 15 points, Aiden Kopper scored nine, and Carter Mullin scored seven.

Le Roy beat Geneseo on Tuesday in Boys Basketball 93-50.

Le Roy Stats:

• Jake Higgins, 21 points, perfect 10/10 from the field and 1/1 from the FT line 
• Aaric Luce, 15 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals
• Matthew Hockey, 14 points, five assists, one steal - 2 three-pointers
• Jean Agosto, 13 points, 13 rebounds, two ast 
• Grady Gilligan, 11 points, three three-pointers, nine rebounds
• Adam Woodworth, nine points, four assists, three steals

Saratoga Raceway-based horsemen have been making their presence felt at Batavia Downs since the 2025 winter meet began and Monday (Jan. 13) was no exception after driver Brett Beckwith and trainers Jaymes Mcassey and Gary Levine all posted noteworthy performances.

Beckwith won five races on the card including a victory in the night’s feature race. He scored with Justine (2:01, $10.60), Takemetochurch Deo (2:03.1, $5.80) and Samosa Hanover (2:00.4, $5.30) along with Maggie Bell and Mary Kat, who will be covered in more depth.

Despite moving up in class after a convincing victory at The Downs last week, Maggie Bell bounced right back with another impressive win in the $11,000 featured pace for fillies and mares at Batavia on Monday afternoon, where heavy snow squalls were a factor for a majority of the program.

Beckwith pushed Maggie Bell to the front and took the lead from Mcvera (Shawn McDonough) as the race passed the quarter. Once on the point, Maggie Bell backed the half down to a comfortable :59.1 before encountering a challenge from Penthousepalace (Joe Chindano Jr.), who was pacing first-over in the breeze as the group traversed the backstretch for the second time.

Penthousepalace got the lead at three-quarters but was unable to cross-over, as Maggie Bell stiffened up and came back along the pegs to reclaim control at the top of the stretch. Scenic Adventure (Kevin Cummings), Oaxaca Dream N (Drew Monti) and the pocket-sitting Mcvera all came into play as the girls made their way towards home and the trio was in hot pursuit of Maggie Bell. But Maggie Bell refused to lose and was never headed, crossing the line first by three-quarters of a length in 1:58.2.

It was the second straight win and fourth victory in the last six outings for Maggie Bell ($6.40) who is owned by Delpozo Scwartz Paoleti and trained by Jaymes Mcassey. The win also pushed Maggie Bell’s lifetime bank over the $300,000 mark, as she now sits at $300,398.

Then later in the fifth race, Beckwith drove the pacing mare Mary Kat to a one-length, 1:59.3 victory to give Gary Levine his 1,100th career training win. Levine, who owns the winner, also has 1,078 seconds and 1,001 thirds from his 7,663 career starts and they have earned his connections $7,632,934 in purses.

Beckwith was just named the 2024 Dan Patch Rising Star by the United States Harness Writers Association and will be honored at the Dan Patch Banquet on Sunday, February 23 at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida.

There was a major upset in the second race after 77-1 shot Blazin Chally (Kyle Cummings) raced the entire mile parked-out, before closing late to win by a nose in 2:02.3. Owned by Doug and Tyra Ackley and trained by Tammy Cummings, Blazin Chally returned $157.00, $56.50 and $33.60 across the board.

Shawn McDonough and Jim Clouser Jr. both had two training wins during the card to lead all their peers on Monday.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Thursday (Jan. 16) at 3:00 p.m. and there will be a $1,056 carryover in the Pick Five wager in race one and a carryover of $274 in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 15th race.  

Free full card 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.

Pembroke beat Wheatland-Chile in Girls Basketball on Friday 42-23.

Pembroke stats:

• Jayden Hootman, 11 points, nine rebounds, three steals
• Morgan Coniber, 11 points, three rebounds
• Kirsten Wright, nine points.
• Seneca Calderon, five points, nine rebounds, four assists

Even though the weather was ice cold, driver Joe Chindano Jr. was red hot at Batavia Downs on Thursday (Jan. 9) afternoon as he won a total of six races on the card, including a natural hat trick in races 13, 14 and 15 to close out the day’s action.

Chindano scored with Lyons Johnnyjnr (1:58.1, $4.50), Communion Money (1:58.3, $5.00), Littelbitaswagger (1:57.3, $7.00), Da Ghetto wizard (1:56, $4.80), Flames Of Fire (2:00.2, $3.70) and Legal Bettor (1:56.3, $9.60). Chindano also had a second and a third from his 11 drives, giving him a stellar .626 UDR for the program.

Chindano’s first, fourth and fifth winners were trained by Candace Brandstatter-Hall, who led all trainers for the day with her triple.

Two races Chindano did not win were the pair of feature races that had solid miles turned in by both winners, despite the winter conditions.

The pacers lined up first in their $13,000 Open Handicap and Melanion N (Drew Monti) picked up where he left off at Batavia last December, which was in the winner’s enclosure, after returning from a short, unsuccessful excursion to Ohio before Christmas.

Melanion N got away last off the gate while Mach Le More A (Dave McNeight III) dashed to the half in :58.3 on the point. Heading onto the second circuit, Primo Oumo (Jim McNeight Jr.) moved first-over from fourth and Monti followed with Melanion N, one out and one back in fourth. Approaching three-quarters, Melanion N was sent three-deep to the front and took that position into the stretch. As the race was heading for home, Melanion N bolted away by 2-¼ lengths to win easily in 1:55.3.

Melanion N ($2.70) is owned by Vogel and Wags Nags, Team Rice Racing and Dr. Michael Miller and trained by Maria Rice.

Monti and Rice also scored with Lip Reader A ($4.10) for Vogel and Wags Nags and Team Rice Racing in the $11,000 upper-level conditioned pace in 1:55.2. Monti finished the night with a total of three wins.

Later in the card, the trotters lined up for their $13,000 Open Handicap tilt and the Saratoga Raceway invader, Malibu Kid (Larry Stalbaum), took a lot of air before firmly planting his flag at the finish line.

Johnny Boy (Kevin Cummings) was the commander of fractions from the start, going :28.4 and :59.3 to the half with Discus Hanover (Drew Monti) drafting in the garden spot. Stalbaum had Malibu Kid out and rolling from fifth before that point and was now third on the outside heading into turn three. Malibu Kid continued to grind in the breeze and made his way to second at three-quarters as Johnny Boy clung to the front heading around the last bend. When they straightened for home, Johnny Boy, Malibu Kid and Discus Hanover were all within a length of each other and it was a cavalry charge to the line. As they entered deep stretch, Malibu Kid got up in time and claimed a measured 1-¼ length victory in 1:58.1.

Malibu Kid ($4.80) is owned by Shark Racing and trained by his driver, Stalbaum.

The Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in race 15. The single unique combination of 2-1-3-6-9 returned $1,866.80 for a 20-cent wager.  

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday (Jan. 13) at 3:00 p.m.

Free full card 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.