After making a break at the gate last week as the prohibitive off-time favourite, El Toro Loco showed a complete reversal of fortunes on Friday, Oct. 31 as he dominated his peers in the $14,085 Class-AA trotting feature at Batavia Downs and once again as the public’s choice.
Driver Joe Chindano Jr. sent El Toro Loco to the front and got everything his way after two early breakers left him only four horses to beat. Under a snug line and with no challengers at all, El Toro Loco cut quarter panels of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:28.4 before heading into the last turn with a 2-1/4-length lead. As he rounded the turn, El Toro Loco extended his lead to 3-1/2 at the top of the lane and then bolted to the line while Chindano sat chilly to win by 4-1/4 lengths in 1:58.3 over the 'good' track. Wolinak (John Cummings Jr.) was the runner-up over Crazy Fool (Kyle Cummings).
The victory was the ninth of the year in 29 starts for El Toro Loco, who paid $2.92 to win. The six-year-old Walner-Southwin Cabaret gelding is trained by Sam Smith and owned by Mike Torcello of Hamburg, New York.
There were also two $12,394 Class-A trots and both winners went gate to wire as the heavy odds-on favourites.
In the first, My One Percent ($4.44) was a runaway winner by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:59.2. My One Percent is owned by his driver, Kyle Cummings, in partnership with Matthew Miller of Cochranton, Pennsylvania. Tammy Cummings trains the five-year-old gelding by My MVP out of Deweyann.
Then later, Spicy Hops ($5.84) started from post one and finished in the number one spot by 1-1/2 lengths in 2:01.1. Kyle Swift drove the five-year-old Bar Hopping-Spiceberry Hanover gelding, who is owned by trainer Cassie Russo and Gary Ballowe of Angola, New York.
Chindano Jr. and Drew Monti both scored driving triples in the bike while Smith led all other conditioners with two wins on the card.
Live harness racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday, Nov. 1, with post time at 6 p.m. There will be a $1,037 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the 12th race.
(With files from Batavia Downs)