Davey Day Trader and Starlitcresentroll took the featured $17,361 Open-class events at Batavia Downs on Thursday, Jan. 22 on a card that was cancelled after nine races due to a sudden snowstorm in the area.
First, in the Open I-II Handicap Pace, Davey Day Trader found room late after a ground-saving trip to cruise to his first victory of the year.
The Magic Moment (Brett Beckwith) and Davey Day Trader (Kyle Swift) both left and settled first and second, respectively, on the front as they passed the quarter in quick :27.4. They maintained their positions to the half in :58.3 where an outer flow led by Primo Uomo (Leon Bailey) joined the action.
Moving up the backstretch, Primo Uomo stalled, forcing Hunter Hill (Drew Monti) three-deep in pursuit of The Magic Moment, while Davey Day Trader continued to draft along the pegs to three-quarters in 1:28.1. As Primo Uomo faded late in the turn and Hunter Hill went wide at the top of the stretch, Davey Day Trader tipped out into that gap and then rolled past The Magic Moment down the lane to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:58.1. Hunter Hill finished second over The Magic Moment.
Davey Day Trader ($8.46) is owned by James Costa and Peter Kibler. Dave McNeight Jr. trains the six-year-old son of Huntsville-Gigi Deo, who is now 24-for-96 lifetime.
In the Class AA-Open Handicap Trot, Starlitcresentroll took no prisoners en route to his first victory of 2026.
Starlitcresentroll stepped smartly to the lead from a pylon-position start for Drew Monti and controlled the proceedings from there. Monti set comfortable fractions of :29.3 and 1:01 with Starlitcresentroll, but then hit the gas when Beacon Beach (Brett Beckwith) came first-over and pushed the pacesetter to three-quarters in 1:30.1. The two trotters matched strides, within a length of each other, around the far turn and down the stretch, where Starlitcresentroll turned back Beacon Beach by three-quarters of a length in 2:00. Champain (Kyle Swift) was third.
Starlitcresentroll ($6.24) is trained by Taylor Fritz for Lucky Label Stable. The seven-year-old Crescent Fashion-Nirvana Blue Chip gelding now has 16 career wins in 130 outings.
Starlitcresentroll was one of three winners for Monti on the Thursday card, which was ended early after nine of 12 races were contested. Monti led all drivers while trainers Taylor Fritz, Sam Smith and Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr. all had two wins apiece during the program.
Live harness racing will resume at Batavia Downs on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m.
(With files from Batavia Downs; photo of Starlitcresentroll winning on Jan. 22)