Dave McNeight III racked up five wins on a rainy Saturday, Nov. 14 card at Batavia Downs, including the co-featured $21,143 Open Handicap Pace with Luck Is Up.
McNeight left with Luck Is Up and set up shop on the point, leading by 1-1/4 lengths through fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:26.4 without any pressure. Luck Is Up continued to dominate by that margin around the far turn and into the stretch, where he bolted home to win by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:56 over the sloppy track. Livonjaxandqueens (Denny Bucceri) rolled for second over More Than Ya Know (John Cummings Jr.).
The win was the ninth of the year in 37 starts for Luck is Up ($13.68), who is owned by Caeleo Enterprises LLC and Brad Conschafter. Dave Russo trains the winning four-year-old son of Lather Up-No Bad Luck.
McNeight also won with Moved Bythe Spirit (1:56, $13.12), Miki Minaj (1:57.3, $36.58), Intrepid Ivy (1:58.3, $13.36) and Daylight Rush (1:59.4, $2.50) on the 13-race card. The reinsman is now tied for third in the Batavia standings and is 140-for-935 across all tracks this season.
The other co-feature was the $21,143 Open Handicap Trot, in which El Toro Loco (Kevin Cummings) flew off the wings to the lead as Treasured Tee (Drew Monti) sat the pocket trip. El Toro Loco went :28 and 1:00.1 splits before Civilian Drone (Ray Fisher Jr.) moved first-over on the outside in chase. As they reached three-quarters in 1:29.3, Civilian Drone pulled alongside Treasured Tee, but he couldn’t reach El Toro Loco, who sped off to a 2-1/2-length edge at the top of the stretch. From there, El Toro Loco cruised to the line under wraps to prevail by 1-3/4 lengths in 2:00.1. Civilian Drone was second, followed by Treasured Tee.
El Toro Loco ($7.52) is now nine-for-29 on the season for owner Mike Torcello. Alex Giuliani trains the seven-year-old Walner-Southwind Cabaret gelding.
In a class lower than the features, Seventier notched his fifth straight victory. The eight-year-old Chapter Seven-Southwind Cartier gelding raced third through :28.4 and :59 early panels, then grinded first-up for Drew Monti through the 1:28.1 three-quarters and drew clear in the stretch by 3-3/4 lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:58.3 in the $17,286 Class AA Trot, with Double Class (Kevin Cummings) second and Munk (Andy Shetler) third.
Seventier, trained by Giuliani for owners Torcello and El Dorado Stables, took his 12th win of the year in 20 starts. He paid $2.40 to win.
Kevin Cummings also had a big night in the bike, winning a total of four races. He went into the finale level on the card with McNeight and finished second to him by a neck.
Trainers Bradley Jackson, Kristen Torre, Dave Russo and Shawn McDonough all had two wins apiece. McDonough also had two catch-driving wins, giving him a total of four visits to the winner’s enclosure on the night.
Live racing will resume at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. There will be a $2,641 carryover in the Pick Five wager in the first race with a guaranteed pool of $7,500 done through the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. There will also be a $35,171 carryover in the Jackpot Super High Five pentafecta wager in the 13th race.
(With files from Batavia Downs)