Dave McNeight III came into the Saturday, July 25 card at Batavia Downs needing three victories to reach a career milestone of 2,000 driving wins, and “Triple Sticks” got the job done. 

After scoring wins with Avion Seelster ($3.62) in the sixth and Ashlees Delight ($3.50) in the eighth, McNeight grabbed the nightcap with Skyline Blue Chip ($3.46) to end the program with exactly 2,000 wins. 

McNeight III comes from a family which has been competing in harness racing in Western New York since the 1960s. His father, grandfather, uncle and cousins have all trained and driven in thousands of races, and Dave’s success has developed from those generations of achievement before him. 

McNeight was first licensed in 2008 when he was 18 years old, and he started driving full time in 2010. Since that time, the now-36-year-old has had 16,466 starts with 2,000 wins, 2,114 seconds and 2,195 thirds with $15.6 million in earnings and a career UDR of .237. He is a regular top-five driver in the local colony year after year and finished fourth for dash wins at Batavia last year. 

There were three $13,380 Class A tilts that topped the ticket on Saturday night. 

The first event was a pace in which Avion Seelster, driven by McNeight III, notched his sixth win of the year in 19 starts. Avion Seelster sat second behind Ideal Perfect Ten (Ray Fisher Jr.) through panels of :28, :57.3 and 1:26.1 as the leader only dealt with a mild bid from Dont Poke The Bear (Brett MacDonald) during the third quarter. After rounding the last turn, McNeight tipped Avion Seelster around Ideal Perfect Ten, and the gelding motored to a 1-1/4-length win in 1:54.4. Avion Seelster ($3.62) is owned by Jackie Giuliani and trained by Dave McNeight Jr. 

Seventier took the first Class A trot for his third straight win. Brett MacDonald got him away sixth and eight lengths behind Kenobi (Joe Chindano Jr.) and Double Class (Shawn Gray), who battled side by side through early fractions of :29.3 and :58.1. MacDonald pulled Seventier passing five-eighths, and the gelding moved quickly into third behind the winded Double Class, whom he then drafted behind through three-quarters in 1:27.2. Seventier went three-high at the bottom of the last turn and trotted home clear by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:57.4. The win was the seventh of the year in 13 outings for Seventier ($8.18), who is owned by El Dorado Stables and Mike Torcello and trained by Sam Smith. 

The next trot was won by Said N Done As, who took full advantage of class and post relief. Said N Done As grabbed the early lead for Shawn Gray and took no prisoners from there as he stepped off fractions of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:28.4, while I Got The Looks (Michael Baumeister) followed contently from the garden spot. At the top of the stretch, Security Code S (Brett MacDonald) came hard at the leader from third and made up all but one-half length before Said N Done As closed the deal, winning in 1:58.1. Said N Done As ($5.80) is owned by Barry Franklin and trained by Ron Beback Jr. He has five wins from 18 outings this season.

Dave McNeight III’s hat trick was matched by Brett MacDonald, and they ended as co-leading drivers on the 13-race card. Dave McNeight Jr. and Sam Smith tied as top trainers with two wins apiece.

Live racing will resume at Batavia on Sunday at 12:15 p.m.

(Batavia Downs)