What The Sheik, a six-year-old Ontario-sired son of Western Hanover, won the $11,000 Open Pace in 1:55.2 at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night (June 8).
The win was the second in 13 attempts this year for What The Sheik, who is trained by Gerry Sarama and owned by JML Stables Inc. of Heathrow Florida and Michael Torcello of Hamburg, New York.
What The Sheik ($15.20), dismissed by the bettors at 6-1 even though he won the Open last week, settled in sixth from post five with Ray Fisher Jr. in the bike. Third-place finisher Racsan Steve (Jack Flanigen) was quick off the gate and set all the fractions in the race of :27.4, :57, and 1:26.3. Still sixth at the top of the stretch, What The Sheik and Fisher swung to the far outside of the track, and with a :28.2 last quarter-mile, got up just in time to beat second-place finisher Goodnite Goodluck (Kevin Cummings) by half a length at the finish line.
The $5,500 winner's share of the purse put What The Sheik’s seasonal earnings at $23,255 and lifetime earnings at $316,826. The win was his 23rd in 109 starts.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)