David McNeight III owned the evening Saturday when he scored three wins to impress the large crowd on hand during ‘Old Fashion Night’ at Batavia Downs Saturday
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One of McNeight's wins came in the featured $10,000 Preferred Pace as he and Spender Hanover ($9.80) left the gate to take a quick lead in :28.2 while the rest of the field followed in a single-file line. Without a challenge from his competitors, he backed off the second quarter in :29.3 and put the field to sleep. The outer flow formed when Cry For Cash pulled at the :58 half-mile mark, but McNeight popped the plugs before the 1:26.2 three-quarter pole and cruised home for the easy win in 1.54.4. Redford Hall was second and Nifty Prescott finished third.
The victory was Spender Hanover’s second in a row at Batavia Downs for trainer Don Rothfuss and owner Howard Ouriel of Rochester, New York. Tomslastchance ($14.40) in the third race and In Good Hands ($5.30) in the fifth race were McNeight’s first two wins.
Jack Flanigen also scored a driving triple with Shark Shooter ($11.60) in the ninth, Blow Em Away ($14.40) in the 10th and Forever Blue ($3.50) in the 13th.
A beautiful summer night and a popular promotion brought one of the largest crowds of the year to the Downs. Todd Haight, general manager of live racing, explained the event that seems to always create a positive outcome for the race-goers and the track, was a hit once again.
"Our old fashioned night is always one of our best as far as getting the fans to the track. Not only was our live handle way up, we saw a substantial increase in traffic in our casino too. It always feels good when the apron in front of the grandstand is full and the clubhouse is sold out!"
Batavia will host a $1,000 handicapping contest next Saturday, August 20. The contest is free to enter and the top five finishers cash in. Contest forms will be available at the Player's Club starting at 5 p.m.
(With files from Batavia Downs)