It was quite a Friday afternoon on April 25 for driver Jim Morrill Jr. as he rolled to six wins on the 11-race card at Buffalo Raceway, including the featured trot along the way.
Morrill Jr. was aboard Beacon Beach ($5.30), who took the $20,139 Open Handicap Trot, while earlier on the card, he guided Starlitcresentroll ($3.10) to an easy score in a $17,361 conditioned event for the sidewinders. He also collected victories with Johnny Boy ($3.90), Santana Beach ($6.20), Gone Crazee ($5.90) and Anurka ($4.50).
In the main event, the favoured Valentine Express (Drew Monti) was able to cut the fractions of :29.1, :58.1 and 1:28 but had Beacon Beach catching a perfect pocket trip. Turning for home, Valentine Express stayed strong until the final strides as Beacon Beach made one final push and notched the neck victory in a season's best 1:57.2 over the 'good' track. Dealin With Dewey (Brett MacDonald), last week's winner, earned third-place honours after starting in the outside eight post.
Owned by El Dorado Stables and Michael Torcello, the five-year-old gelded Beacon Beach (Resolve-Black Caviar) has now won twice in five starts this season. His 11th career win pushed his lifetime earnings to $166,376. He is conditioned by Samuel Smith.
In the day's top pace, Starlitcresentroll made it two consecutive victories with an easy 2-1/4-length win over Newsboy in 1:58.2.
Last week, Starlitcresentroll jogged to an easier 6-3/4 score in 1:57.2 and this time around, he didn't face much competition once again versus the same company in posting the convincing score.
The most energy Starlitcresentroll had to exert was having to deal with Newsboy (Drew Monti) in reaching the top. After being parked for nearly the first quarter-mile, Starlitcresentroll was in cruise control the rest of the way, thanks to splits of :30, :59.2 and 1:29.3. The only battle remaining was for second place with Newsboy taking that over Double Class (David McNeight III).
Owned by the Lucky Label Stables and trained by Taylor Fritz, the six-year-old Starlitcresentroll (Crescent Fashion-Nirvana Blue Chip), got his second triumph of the year in eight tries. The victory was his 10th lifetime and increased his bankroll over the $150,000 mark.
Fritz and Smith each finished the afternoon with two training wins.
Racing will continue on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., with a 13-race program scheduled.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)