Lucky Nadotremblay was pushed every step of the way Saturday night (Dec. 5), but the performance of a lifetime got him across first in the $10,000 Open pacing feature at Batavia Downs.
Leaving from post one, Lucky Nadotremblay (Shawn McDonough) was immediately greeted by Adversary Seelster (Ron Beback Jr.) and Jokerman (Jim McNeight) as the race rounded the first turn. The treble cavalry charge ferociously continued up the backside and to the quarter in :27.1 before Jokerman pulled off from three-high and dropped in second-over behind Adversary Seelster.
Adversary Seelster continued to pace side by side with Lucky Nadotremblay past the half in :56, but started to do the backstroke by the three-quarters in 1:24.4. At that station, Cobble Beach (Dave McNeight III), who had been tracking from fifth, tipped three-wide around the fading competition to move alongside Lucky Nadotremblay starting a two-horse competition that pulled away from the field. Cobble Beach inched closer and closer, but Lucky Nadotremblay refused to lose and hung on to win by a neck in 1:53.4, which was a new lifetime mark for the victor.
The win was the eighth of the year for Lucky Nadotremblay ($7.20) and it boosted his 2015 earnings to $66,216 for owners Paul Viele and Ronald Louis Viele. Alex Giuliani trains the fuve-year-old son of Blissful Hall.
Veteran reinsman Jack Flanigen put on a show, winning five races on the card that included the first four straight events. He scored with Big Dutch ($2.60), Bondy N ($2.10), Boots N Bourbon ($4.90), China Dream ($7.00) and Keystone Dalton ($2.50).
Dave McNeight III won three and Ron Beback Jr. scored a double. James Clouser Jr. had a training hat-trick while Jim Graham and Maria Rice conditioned two winners each.
The final week of racing kicks off on Wednesday night (Dec. 9) with post time set for 6:15 p.m. The meet is down to the final three nights of live racing for 2015.
(With files from Batavia Downs)