Owner-trainer Ron Stebbins was probably thinking “there’s no place like home” when the racing action shifted back to Batavia Downs Casino because 2011 had not been stellar for his star trotter to this point. But returning to the track that named him trotter of the year in 2010 was just the change he needed
.
Fifty Two Finn ($7.30) scored a convincing win in the $9,000 Open trot Friday night giving him a second consecutive victory. The time of 1.58.1 was only a fifth of a second slower than the seasonal mark he set last week.
In his three Batavia starts, Fifty Two Finn has been reunited with driver John Cummings Jr., who steered him to his award winning season last year.
“He was having trouble getting around the turns at Buffalo and his feet were kind of sore," said Cummings after Friday's win. "Last week he won in 1:58 flat, which was the fastest race he ever won on a half mile track. But I told Ron [Stebbins} that he was still bearing in on the turns. So we put a murphy blind on the inside this week and he was a lot better. He was straight in the turns and that’s how you have to be to win on a small oval. I think he will continue to improve next week.”
Cummings took Fifty Two Finn off the gate and hit the rail fourth going into the first turn. Chris Page and Shoe In cut early fractions of :28.4 and :59.1 as Fifty Two Finn rolled first over past the half. He cleared at the three-quarters in 1:28.2 and staved off the challenge of Manfromnantucket to win the feature. The
3-4 exacta paid $23.40 and the 3-4-1 trifecta returned $73.50. The win also gave Cummings a driving double.
Jack Flanigen was the hot driver of the night winning four races, including the natural hat trick in the ninth, 10th and 11th. Flanigen is currently in first place for dash honours with 19 wins.
Saturday night will once again feature the USTA Strategic Wagering $5,000 guaranteed Pick-4 wager in Races 2 through 5. The night’s feature race is the seventh, where eight side-wheelers will go postward in the $10,000 Preferred Pace. Last week’s winner Spender Hanover will try to repeat his effort for owner Howard Ouriel, trainer Don Rothfuss and driver David McNeight III.
(Batavia Downs)