Fireyourguns reverted back to his old tactics and it paid off with a victory in the $8,500 Open Pace at a rainy Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Oct. 19).
Last week, Fireyourguns changed from his normal late-closing style and tried to go wire-to-wire. It almost worked, but he came up a length short.
But driver Mike Caprio and Fireyourguns ($2.80) went back to their old methods this week and they ground out a first over trip to collar the longshot, pacesetting OK Braveheart (Shawn McDonough) in the shadow of the wire, winning by a head. OK Braveheart raced on an uncontested lead from the seven post and set the fractions of :28.3, :59, and 1:27.4, but lost in a heart-breaking photo in 1:57 over the sloppy track. Unicorn Hanover (Jim McNeight) took the show position.
The win was the sixth in 23 starts this season for Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover), who is trained by Terence McClory. The four-year-old gelding is owned by McClory along with Jennifer and Robert Lowe, and now has bankrolled $53,485 in 2013 and $124,735 lifetime.
(Batavia Downs)