Lip Reader A overpowered a solid field of sidewheelers in a dominant performance in the $18,750 Open Handicap Pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Drew Monti sent Lip Reader A right to the front from post five and went :28.1 and :56.3 to the half while Luck Is Up (Brett MacDonald) was drafting in the pocket. Livonjaxandqueens (Denny Bucceri) moved first-up on the rim on the backstretch and worked his way into second but 1-1/4 lengths behind and alongside Luck Is Up. The challenge left Lip Reader A unfazed as they rounded the far turn, and when they got to the top of the stretch, the pacesetter swelled up and bolted home to a 4-3/4-length cushion at the line in 1:52.3, a seasonal mark. Luck Is Up was second, followed by Livonjaxandqueens.

The win was the seventh of the year in 24 outings and 51st lifetime in 194 for the 12-year-old Lip Reader A ($5.86). The son of Sportswriter-Strike Line is owned by Vogel & Wags Nags LLC and Team Rice Racing LLC and is trained by Maria Rice. 

Lip Reader A was one of three winners for Monti, who was the leading driver on the 13-race Saturday program.

The featured trot was the $15,278 Class AA condition, which was won by 23-1 longshot Fiftyfour K, who benefitted from dropping out of the Open and drawing an inside post. 

John Cummings Jr. took Fiftyfour K back to third from post two as Cool Clifford (Dave McNeight III) and Crazy Ritz (Joe Chindano Jr.) traded leads before the :28 quarter, with the latter then taking the field to the half in :58. Crazy Ritz got a short breather, but Fiftyfour K came calling first-over and hooked up with Crazy Ritz, with both drivers highly animated in their attempts to hold the lead at three-quarters in 1:26.4. Fiftyfour K moved to first by a head, but Crazy Ritz fought back in the turn and went ahead by a length at the top of the stretch. Fiftyfour K caught a second wind and moved back in front of Crazy Ritz down the lane, and then held off a late charge by Chamba (Shawn Gray) to win by a half-length in 1:57.1. Fiftyfour K ($49.02) is owned by his trainer, Andy Torre, in partnership with Kristen Torre. 

Dave Russo and Sam Smith both had two wins to lead all trainers on Saturday.

The guaranteed pool in the Pick-5 wager paid off well for those who hit it as the 2-2-4-6-3 combination returned $1,200.42 for the 50-cent bet.

Live racing will resume at Batavia Downs on Wednesday at 5 p.m. There will be $3,403 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the 12th race. 

Post time for this Thursday, Sept. 17 has been moved to 2 p.m. to free up the evening for harness racing members of Bills Mafia as the Buffalo Bills play their highly anticipated first home game of the season in the New Highmark Stadium. 

(With files from Batavia Downs)