Former Upper Canada Cup Consolation winner My Gift To You scored his first Buffalo Raceway victory with an off-the-pace effort in the $10,000 Open Pace on Saturday night

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After hitting the board in his prior two starts at the Hamburg oval, the Camluck-Eternal Gift six-year-old prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a season’s best 1:57.1 over a good track for his new connections. The pacer was claimed on Jan. 28 by the Lightning Lane Stables of Staten Island, New York and entered the care of trainer Cory Deyermand for a close second-place effort in the Open last time out and the victory on Saturday.

My Gift To You ($12), leaving from Post 2 and driven by Shawn McDonough, settled in third as My Last Laugh (Keith Kash Jr.) cut fractions of :28, :59.2, and 1:29. At the top of the stretch, My Gift To You took the lead and then had to fend off second place finisher Magnum (Jack Flanigen) at the finish line. Nifty Prescott (Ray Fisher Jr.), who was moving up in class, finished third.

The $5,000 share of the winning purse put My Gift To You’s season bankroll at $8,484, and $460,791 lifetime.

Dan Noble was once again the top driver last night steering home four winners. His winners were Brandons Art ($30.60), Golden Terror ($15.00), Goochs Bad Boy ($5.30), and Zackor ($6.60).

The second leg of the Niatross Knockout Series was contested and the winners were Glen B (Kash Jr.), Brandons Art (Noble), Classy Fun (Dave McNeight III), and Lil Western Dude (Mike Baumeister).

Next Saturday is the semifinals, and the last chance to claim a horse before the final. The race goes for $7,000, and that’s the price to claim a horse.

(With files from Buffalo Raceway)