It was a crazy but action-packed $21,528 Open Trot at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday, March 28 and when the dust finally settled, Crazy Ritz ($17) was finally able to stake claim to the victory. After two consecutive second-place finishes in the Open, Crazy Ritz rallied past Dougadougadew by three quarters of a length in 1:57.3 over the fast track.

There wasn't a dull moment in the featured trot as Crazy Ritz (James McNeight Jr.) and El Toro Loco (Kevin Cummings) went stride for stride through the opening splits of :28,1 and :56.4. The hot fractions and being parked extinguished the hopes of El Toro Loco. But things were just getting started.

Dougadougadew (Kyle Cummings) eventually grabbed the lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:26.4 but found the heavily favoured Ghostly Casper (Brett MacDonald) on the rim, taking dead aim on him around the final turn. But things changed quickly as Ghostly Casper broke stride, giving Dougadougadew a reprieve. After dropping back to third, Crazy Ritz somehow got a second wind and was amazingly able to get past Dougadougadew. Double Class (Greg Merton) picked up the show cheque.

Owned by James Paladino and conditioned by Jeff Martin, Crazy Ritz (Crazy Wow-Bubblenritz, pictured above) scored his first win in four tries on the season. The victory moved his seasonal bankroll to $22,442 and to $317,568 in his career.

Things weren't nearly as wild in the $21,528 Open Pace but it wasn't decided until the final few strides. Davey Day Trader ($13.26) waited patiently in the pocket before eventually getting past the pacesetting Lip Reader A by a half length in 1:55.2.

Lip Reader A (Drew Monti) protected rail position and was able to notch fractions of :29.1, :58.1 and 1:27.

With Davey Day Trader (David McNeight III) getting the perfect pocket journey, it allowed Lip Reader A to do all the work on the front end. But turning for home, Davey Day Trader slipped down into the passing lane and finally inched to the lead in the shadow of the wire. Lip Reader A had to settle for the hard fought second place payday while All Bets On Tex (MacDonald) was third.

Co-owned by James Costa and Pete Kibler, Davey Day Trader (Huntsville-Gigi Deo) is trained by David McNeight Jr. The six-year-old has now won three times in six races in 2026, earning $31,760 on the campaign and $272,059 lifetime.

Kevin Cummings celebrated a big day as he collected five driving victories during the afternoon. Trainer Samuel Smith posted four wins with Martin and David Russo each getting two each.

Racing will continue on Wednesday, April 1 with a 10-race card scheduled to commence at 2:30 p.m. There will be a $1,517 carryover in the Pick 5 which begins in the second race.

(with files from Buffalo)