Trainer John Hallett left the friendly confines of Tioga Downs with Joey Pro this week with a visit to Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon Aug. 11, but despite the change in venue, they scored another win, this time in the top-class $12,500 Open Handicap trotting feature at Batavia Downs.
Joey Pro made it quick and simple; he left, took the lead and outlasted the competition. Driver Jim Morrill Jr. set quarters of :29, :58.1 and 1:27 with the field pretty much single file behind him. Going into the last turn Wheels A Turning was moving first over, two lengths behind the leader.
When the field straightened, Wheels A Turning had drawn almost even with Joey Pro and appeared poised to motor right on by, but Joey Pro swelled up and held him off at the wire to win by a nose in 1:56.2 for his third straight victory.
Well on his way to beating his career year of 2018, Joey Pro has now registered eight wins in 2019 and pocketed $41,780 in purses for owner Mark Wamp. He paid $10.80 to win.
The $11,000 Open II Handicap Trot also went to an outsider after Saratoga Raceway regular Rose Run Speedster pulled past the half, took control of the race before the three-quarter pole and rebuffed a late bid by Fox Valley Veto to win handily by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:57.4.
Rose Run Speedster is owned by Simzer and Derue and trained by Brett Derue. Jim Morrill Jr. drove the $4.40 winner.
Jim Morrill Jr., Shawn Gray and Billy Davis Jr. all had driving triple on the card; Davis scored the natural hat trick in the final three races of the day. Trainers Brett Derue, JD Perrin and Steve Kiblin all had two wins apiece.
Live racing resumes Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 14 with the New York Sires Stake two-year-old pacing fillies in town to competing for $107,000 in purses. Post time for the first race is 5:00 p.m.
(Batavia Downs)