You can’t deny the fact that Proper Villain ($10.60) had home field advantage in his first pari-mutuel race here at Buffalo Raceway Wednesday night, July 8 in one of the $26,404 legs of the New York Sire Stakes for two-year old trotting colts and geldings
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Having won his last four baby races here at Buffalo, the Conway Hall offspring, trained by Alan McCarty, went wire to wire in a lifetime best 2:03 with driver Jack Flanigen in the bike, for the Proper Villain Stables of Hamburg, New York.
“I went right to the front without much trouble,” said Flanigen. “He’s a really nice colt with a bright future. I’m happy for all the owners.”
The fastest time of the night was turned in by Ray Schnittker’s Margarita Man ($2.20) whose sparkling :28.4 last quarter-mile put the Malabar Man gelding 11-1/4 lengths ahead of second place finisher Cider With Ice (Dan Daley) in 2:02.2, which was just 1/5 of second off the track record held by Paddington set in 2005.
“He did it real easy,” said Schnittker. “We just coasted and were on total cruise control the whole way.”
Another good performance was turned in by Crazy Reminder ($3.20), who with Stephane Bouchard at the controls, won in 2:04.3, to stay undefeated in two lifetime starts. Owned by John Lichtenberger of North Bergen, New Jersey, the son of Malabar Man beat second place finisher Lutetium (Torgeir Hagmann) by 3/4 of a length.
“He was perfect in the turns,” said Bouchard. “He’s a very strong finisher, who should get better with time.”
The other two Sire Stakes winners were Big Stick Lindy (Ray Schnittker), who registered his first lifetime win in 2:03.2, and Pioneer Valley (Dan Daley) who trotted home in 2:07 for his first lifetime win.
(Buffalo Raceway)