Fresh off a win in the Yonkers Preferred Pace last week, BJs Guy shipped into Batavia Downs to take on the best local talent on Saturday night (Oct. 15) and went from worst to first in the $9,500 Open pacing feature.
Normandy Invasion (Jim Morrill Jr.) took a methodical stroll to the front off the gate and eventually opened up a two-length lead at the quarter in :27.2. Positions remained unchanged to the half in :55.2, when BJs Guy (Drew Monti) started up on the outside from last and prompted Brees Creek (Kevin Cummings) and China Dream (Shawn Gray) to pull in front of him, establishing a three-horse outer flow going up the backside.
When the group passed three-quarters in 1:24, China Dream tipped three-deep and BJs Guy followed in step and they both began to chip away at Normandy Invasion’s lead. As they came off the turn and stormed down the lane, Normandy Invasion began to tire and China Dream got to the front, but BJs Guy brushed harder and overtook him in the middle of the track and got home first in 1:53.4. China Dream did hold on for second and Junior Pride (Ray Fisher Jr.) snuck up the passing lane to grab third.
The win was the ninth of the season for BJs Guy ($7.70), who has now earned $91,902 during the year for owners Blindswitch Racing Stable, David Sebolsky and Stanley Yoskowitz. The seven-year-old gelded son of Towners Big Guy is trained by Jose Godinez.
Jim Morrill Jr. won four more races on Saturday night and those wins pushed him into second-place for the dash-winning lead with 65 victories behind Kevin Cummings, who has 68. The quadruple also gave him 12 wins in the last three nights of racing at Batavia.
Also on Saturday, Shawn Gray scored a driving hat trick while Drew Monti doubled up on the card.
(With files from Batavia Downs)