Crazy Fool led the field through wintry weather conditions and won the $13,699 Class A-AA Trot for his first victory since last May on Thursday, Jan. 29 at Batavia Downs.
Crazy Fool watched from his pylon start as Latavius (Brett Beckwith) took the lead passing the eighth pole. But driver Kyle Cummings had Crazy Fool right back out and sent him to the front at the quarter in :30.3. The leader then stepped to the half in 1:02, where the race broke into two groups that were separated by a sizable gap, with the top trio well ahead of the last four.
Crazy Fool continued his measured control while Double Class (Denny Bucceri) pulled from third and drew alongside Latavius at three-quarters in 1:31.1. The trio then entered the fourth turn, where Crazy Fool was looking strong on the lead, and Latavius rebuffed Double Class’s challenge with the rest of the field no longer a factor. Latavius had no answers for the pacesetter as the wire approached, leaving Crazy Fool an easy winner by 1-3/4 lengths in 2:00.2. Latavius was second, followed by Double Class.
Crazy Fool ($12.48) is owned by his driver Kyle Cummings in partnership with Matthew Miller. Tammy Cummings trains the six-year-old gelded son of Crazy Wow-Winkys Gal, who is now a 21-time winner in 83 career starts.
Kbssweetcaroline ($7.36) extended her winning streak as she went back-to-back in the Batavia Downs Winter Series. In the $9,589 contest, Drew Monti oversaw an 8-1/2-length romp in 1:59.3 for trainer Samuel Smith and owners El Dorado Stables and Mike Torcello. Initial Concept (Leon Bailey) was second-best, followed by Hurricane J (Wade Tomaszewski). The winner, a six-year-old daughter of Shadyshark Hanover-Armbro Abstract, is now 16-for-86 lifetime and has won five starts in a row.
The other big winner on Thursday was Monti, who scored a grand slam at the lines. Monti won with Rock Me Always (2:00.3, $4.36), Dandys Bb Eight (2:00.3, $4.74), Kbssweetcaroline and Mcvera (1:58.3, $3.50). Monti’s quadruple pushed him back into first place for driving wins (15) this meet, vaulting past Brett Beckwith (12), who was shut out on Thursday’s card.
Nine different trainers won one race each during the nine-race program.
Live racing at Batavia Downs will reconvene on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. There are only two days of racing left in the winter meet, but the final pair of programs will be packed full of action and offer the largest slate of purses this meet. Tuesday will feature the $13,000 USD final of the Batavia Downs Winter Series on the trot and the $12,500 USD Fillies and Mares Open. On Thursday, Feb. 5, the $14,000 USD and $11,000 USD finals of the pacing Batavia Downs Winter Series and the $12,500 USD Open Pace will be contested. All those races will be highly competitive and offer excellent betting opportunities at all levels.
(With files from Batavia Downs)