After making an uncharacteristic break during last week’s outing, Face The Shadows got right back on track with a hard-fought win in the $17,606 Fillies and Mares AA-Open Handicap Pace at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Won Surreal Deal (Kyle Cummings) paced sharply to the quarter in :28.2 but soon took on Face The Shadows (Kevin Cummings), who was out and rolling shortly thereafter and raced alongside the leader in the breeze through the half in :57.3. Won Surreal Deal and Face The Shadows continued to duel through three-quarters in 1:25.3 and into stretch, where Won Surreal Deal pulled away by over a length. But Face The Shadows got back in gear and caught Won Surreal Deal while also fending off the fast-closing Rightfully Mine (Jim McNeight Jr.) to win by a neck in 1:55.1. Won Surreal Deal was third by a quarter-length.

The win was the fifth of the year in 37 starts for Face The Shadows ($18.70). The five-year-old daughter of Shadow Play-Face To Face is owned by El Dorado Stables and Mike Torcello. Sam Smith trains the mare, a 10-time career winner from 85 appearances.

Drivers Kevin Cummings, Dave McNeight III and Joe Chindano Jr. and trainer Courtney Wright all had two wins apiece during the program.

There were no winning tickets in the Pick-5 wager on Wednesday night and as a result, there is now a $6,142 carryover for that wager in the first race on Friday. The management of Batavia Downs has announced that the pool will be guaranteed at $15,000 through the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. With that, free full past performance program pages will be offered as a free download (once available) on the USTA website (ustrotting.com) under the Handicapping tab.

The next card on Friday, Nov. 21, with post time at 6 p.m., will be the last Friday of racing for the year at Batavia. Following that program, the track switches to a Wednesday-Saturday schedule starting on Wednesday, Nov. 26 and running through Saturday, Dec. 20.

(With files from Batavia Downs)