Quick early quarters and readily available cover provided Double Class and driver Kyle Cummings with the perfect storm for winning the $14,085 classified optional claiming trotting feature at Batavia Downs on Friday, Oct. 17.
Mucho Macho (Kevin Cummings) took his usual front-end position and blasted through fast fractions of :27.2 and :56.2 while the rest of the field was trying to keep up. But that struggle would soon come to an end as Brookview Darius (Kyle Swift) and Double Class attacked from the outside and blew right past the faltering Mucho Macho heading to three-quarters in 1:26.3.
Brookview Darius crossed over and took the lead as Double Class drew alongside him heading into the turn. These two tangled for the next eighth of a mile to the top of the stretch, where Double Class exerted his dominance and pulled away to a 1-1/2-length win in a seasonal best 1:56.1. Latavius (David McNeight III) and favourite Starlitcrescentroll (Drew Monti) came on for second and third, respectively.
The win was the sixth of the year in 30 starts for Double Class, a five-year-old Class Included-Double Ivory gelding who is trained by Ron Beback Jr. and owned by James Clouser Jr. of Bethel, New York. Double Class paid $9.06 to win.
Double Class was only one of four wins for Kyle Cummings on the card, who closed out the night with a natural hat trick in his final three drives. Cummings also won with Tru Cash (1:59.1, $10.10), Always Choose Chip (1:58, $3.70) and My One Percent (1:59.2, $4.06), who were all trained by Tammy Cummings.
Live harness racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday, Oct. 18 with post time at 6 p.m. There will be a $5,175 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 13th race.
(With files from Batavia Downs)