Face The Shadows powered first-over to victory in the featured $13,889 Fillies and Mares Class A-AA Pace at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Face The Shadows (Kevin Cummings) got away fifth as Won Surreal Deal (Kyle Cummings) skated through early fractions of :28.1 and :58.3 on the lead. Face The Shadows shifted out and advanced first-over at the half and drew almost even with Won Surreal Deal at three-quarters in 1:27.3. She eventually made her way past Won Surreal Deal on the turn and entered the stretch on top by a length, then held off a late challenge from Gias Surreal (Dave McNeight III) to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.3. Major Megan (Joe Chindano Jr.) was third.

The win was the third in the last five starts for Face The Shadows ($4.78), who is trained by Sam Smith for owners El Dorado Stables and Mike Torcello. The five-year-old daughter of Shadow Play-Face To Face won for the 11th time in 87 career starts.

Shawn McDonough scored three training wins on the 15-race program. The late-card natural hat trick began when he steered Maczaffair N ($7.18) to victory in the 10th. Joe Chindano Jr. then got home a pair for McDonough, winning with Said N Done As ($4.06) and Lizzy Lite Hands ($3.38). McDonough has tallied 89 wins this year in 549 starts and is second in the Batavia standings, eight behind leader Sam Smith.

Neither Chindano nor Kevin Cummings reached their respective milestones on Wednesday, although they both had multiple winners on the card. Chindano had a hat trick between the wheels, pushing his career win mark to 998, while Cummings had two wins that boosted his lifetime victory total to 4,998. Both are set to be back in action at Batavia on Saturday to take another swing at personal history.

There were some healthy payouts on the card. In the second race, Southwind Talisa (2:01.4, Dan Yetman/Frank Mays) won at 32-1 and paid $66.16. In the seventh , D A Magic Mike (2:00, Shawn McDonough/Angelo Nappo) was let go at 69-1 returned $141.70 for the win, and coupled with the 24-1 second-placed Four Finger Floyd (Denny Bucceri), produced a $2 exactor that yielded $817.56.  

Live racing resumes at Batavia on Saturday with post time at 6 p.m., and there will be two carryovers available on the card. There is an $834 carryover in the Pick-5 wager in the first race and then a $1,217 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the 15th race. 

(With files from Batavia Downs; photo of Face The Shadows winning on Nov. 19)