Title Town threw a knockout punch in Buffalo Raceway's $10,500 Class AA Open Pace on Saturday, March 9.
With the heavily-favoured Upfront Countryboy scoring from the rail and setting fractions of :29.0, :58.2 and 1:28.3 over the sloppy track, Title Town sat back and watched before pulling on the final lap.
Title Town engaged with Upfront Countryboy entering the stretch and put away the pacesetter in progress to a length victory in 1:58.1. Golden Gesture took third.
Title Town, by Metropolitan-Pan Of Iniquity, races for trainer George Anthrop and is owned by the Lav Racing Stable, Inc. The seven-year-old gelding won his second race in nine tries this season and has accrued $94,250 in earnings. Denny Bucceri steered the $34.60 winner.
In the sub-featured $9,500 Class A paces, Whats Goin On got a dream trip to register a 1:58.4 victory. Santana Beach kicked up some sand took the other division in 2:00.0.
Whats Goin On drafted behind China Dream, who set splits of :28.4, :58.3 and 1:29.1, and rolled outside through the stretch to a two-and-a-quarter length victory over Heaven Rocks and R M Hawk.
Co-owned by Marissa and Joseph Russo and conditioned by David Russo, Whats Goin On, a five-year-old gelding by Roll With Joe-Shipps Xclamation, has earned $12,265 thanks to a pair of victories in six starts in 2019. The win vaulted his lifetime earnings to $305,722. Kevin Cummings drove the $3.90 winner.
In the other Class A division, Santana Beach waited until the half to take the lead. He held off the challenge by Bugatti by a neck while Harry Hoo N settled for third place.
Santana Beach, a seven-year-old gelding by Santanna Blue Chip-Beachs Luck, is owned by Jason Newell and trained by Richard Roth. He has now collected $9,890 in earnings this year and $99,294 in his career. Billy Davis Jr. drove the $20.20 winner.
Cummings and Davis Jr. both doubled on the card with Russo getting a pair of training wins.
The racing will continue on Wednesday, March 13 at 5 p.m. with a 13-race program slated.
(Buffalo Raceway)