Sent the odds-on favourite in his local debut, Shagnwiththedragon delivered with a 1:58.2 win in the $11,000 Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday, March 16.
Just arriving from Northfield Park and Miami Valley in Ohio, Shagnwiththedragon managed to reach the top with only minor pressure and settled to register splits of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:28.0 over the "good" track.
It became a match race down the stretch as Shagnwiththedragon and Upfront Countryboy battled to the wire with the newcomer holding on by a neck. Golden Gesture took third.
Co-owned by Tessa Roland and Eim Racing, the JD Perrin-trained Shagnwiththedragon, by Dragon Again-Lady Terror, is a five-year-old gelding that has won $15,600 this year and $82,806 in his career. Drew Monti drove the $2.90 winner.
In the sub-featured $9,500 Class A paces, Heaven Rocks took the first division with a five-and-a-quarter length win in 1:57.4 while Littlebitaclass used a final push at the lamp to nudge past China Dream by a neck in 1:59.1.
Heaven Rocks was strong on the front from start to finish and never was threatened in beating Sunset Sid and Rebel Voyager. Using fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.1, Heaven Rocks commanded the field down the stretch and jogged freely under the wire.
Owned by Roland and conditioned by Perrin, Heaven Rocks, by Rock N Roll Heaven-Cheerful Outlook, is a seven-year-old gelding who notched his first victory of 2019 in nine attempts. The win jacked his seasonal earnings to $13,065 and $200,362 lifetime. Drew Monti steered the $8.40 winner.
Littlebitofclass stunned the field in the second division with a $28.60 victory over favoured China Dream.
Letting China Dream cut splits of :29.1, :59.2 and 1:29.0, driver Kevin Cummings floated Littlebitaclass to the outside and had just enough left in the tank to squeeze out the narrow victory.
Mike Torcello owns the eight-year-old gelding Littlebitaclass, by Santanna Blue Chip-Aspirinne Semalu. Conditioned by Gerry Sarama, the win moved his bankroll to $10,585 this season and $281,955 lifetime.
Monti and Bucceri each had three driving wins on the night with Kevin Cummings getting a pair. Perrin, Sarama and Mike Ohol scored training doubles.
Racing will continue on Wednesday, March 20 with a 13-race card scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. There will be a $590 carryover in the Pick 5 beginning in the second race.
(with files from Buffalo Raceway)