Whichwaytothebeach ($3.30) knew which way to go to get to Buffalo Raceway's winner's circle on a beach weather Saturday afternoon after posting a resounding five-length victory in the $21,622 Open Pace on July 5. He beat Melanion N in a dazzling 1:52.3 over the fast track.

With the temperature hovering in the high 20's plus humidity, it was ideal conditions for a big effort and Whichwaytothebeach provided just that. Arriving from Woodbine Mohawk Park, Whichwaytothebeach proved to be too much for his rivals from south of the Canadian border.

The opening quarter mile was just a taste of things to come as Annapolis Hanover (Kyle Cummings) blasted off to a :27 first stanza. Davey Day Trader (David McNeight III) came along in the pocket with Whichwaytothebeach (Jim Morrill Jr.) tagging along in third.

With a half going in :55, Whichwaytothebeach came first over heading down the backstretch the second time and reached the three-quarter mark in 1:24. Turning for home,  Whichwaytothebeach enjoyed a 2-1/2 length advantage and poured it on while the rest of the field was now in surrender mode. Melanion N (Drew Monti) rallied for second place honours with Lyons Surfing (Kyle Swift) arriving in time for third.

Owned by Gino Toscani and trained by Garry Merner Jr., seven-year-old Whichwaytothebeach (Somebeachsomewhere-Swinging Beauty) scored his third victory in 18 attempts on the season. The win pushed his seasonal bankroll to $76,931 and to a healthy $1,026,424 lifetime.

Monti continued on his torrid pace as he put another five victories in the bank while Morrill Jr. had three and Joseph Chindano Jr. two. Brandon Presto topped the conditioners with three victories while Merner Jr. collected two.

Racing will resume on Wednesday afternoon with a 14-race program set. The New York Sire Stakes returns with the two-year-old colts and geldings colliding in a pair of $55,000+ USD races. There will also be a $20,000 USD Excelsior event for the young men to open the program which begins at 2:30 p.m.

(Buffalo)