Driver Drew Monti made front page news on Friday, Aug. 22, teaming with feature winner Newsboy amid a five-win night at Batavia Downs.
A pair of $15,417 mid-level conditioned trots topped the Batavia card and class-droppers were victorious in both.
The first went to the Monti-driven Newsboy ($3.60), who held a loose lead through quarter panels of :29.1, :59.4 and 1:29.1 while Senterprise (John Cummings Jr.) sat in the pocket. When he got to the top of the stretch, the favourite swelled up and pulled away by 3-3/4 lengths and won in 1:58.2, tying his seasonal mark. Senterprise stayed for second and Platinum Proposal (Shawn McDonough) was third.
Newsboy, a seven-year-old Winning Fireworks-Lady SJ gelding, is trained by Darrin Monti and owned by Carl Monti of Depew, New York and James Caradori of Elma, New York. Dropping from the Open II class, he recorded his third win of the season in 19 starts.
In addition to winning with Newsboy, Drew Monti was also victorious in rein to Count The Coin ($7.40) and Admiral Hanover ($6.40) for trainer Rachelle Mungillo, Out On Bail ($2.20) for Sam Smith and Mingo Joe ($4.30) for Shawn McDonough.
The second group of featured trotters was topped by Latavius ($13) and driver Kevin Cummings. Also dropping out of Open II competition, the five-year-old Father Patrick-Whata Donato gelding sat second behind favourite I Got The Looks (Dan Yetman), who trotted on the lead unchallenged to the half in :58.4. Good Boy (Ray Fisher Jr.) then moved first-over in the breeze and pushed I Got The Looks to three-quarters in 1:28.2 and around the last turn. As they headed down the lane, I Got The Looks turned away Good Boy, but Latavius ducked into the passing lane and caught the leader in the shadow of the wire to win by a nose in 1:58.1. Good Boy settled for third.
Latavius is trained by Sam Smith and owned by El Dorado Stables of Ft Myers, Florida. He earned his second win of the year in 10 starts.
Kevin Cummings had a big night in the bike too, just one off Monti's leading win count on the 14-race card.
Live harness racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday, Aug. 23 with post time at 6 p.m. The program features the $100,000 USD Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational Pace and includes New York Sire Stakes.
(With files from Batavia Downs)