A patient drive by Matt Kakaley paid big dividends for Desperate Man, who won the $135,135 Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational Pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday night, Aug. 24.
Typhoon Banner N (Joe Bongiorno) and Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) traded leads to the :26.4 quarter while Desperate Man travelled a close fourth. After Coaches Corner finally settled on the lead, Buzzsaw Russ (John De Long) pulled first-over early at three-eighths and Desperate Man followed closely behind his cover.
The pacers were in two rows heading up the backstretch with Buzzsaw Russ drawing alongside Coaches Corner and just as he was ready to cross over at three-quarters, he made a break, causing Kakaley to grab up Desperate Man as they made their way into the turn.
Coaches Corner was clear by two lengths with Typhoon Banner right behind and Desperate Man back in gear in the breeze. At the top of the stretch, Desperate Man was in full flight and making up ground with every stride. In deep stretch, Desperate Man bolted home on top by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:51.3. Rocknroll Runa A (Larry Stalbaum) closed for second over Typhoon Banner N.
A former Horse of the Year, Desperate Man earned his third straight win and 25th career victory, lifting his bankroll to $1,697,801 for owner Kathy Cecchin of Arthur, Ont. Travis Alexander trains the six-year-old gelded son of Shadow Play-Dreamlands Latte.
He returned $3.70 to win as the odds-on favourite.
Sophomore trotters of both sexes were on hand to compete for their share of $315,270 in purses in the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) on Saturday's undercard and a new track record was established in the first set.
In the $156,216 division, Sister Mary Maude (Crazy Wow-Perfect Mass) took a new lifetime mark and shattered the track record for three-year-old trotting fillies after tripping out to victory.
Senorita Palema (Tyler Buter) shot to the front while Sister Mary Maude (Joe Bongiorno) settled in the garden spot for the duration. Senorita Palema led the single file, short field of six to through fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:26.1 before heading into the final turn. It was there that Bongiorno tipped Sister Mary Maude from the pocket and drew alongside Senorita Palema at the head of the stretch. From there, they battled all the way to the line where Sister Mary Maude lunged to the lead by one-quarter length and stopped the clock in 1:54.2. Sadbirdstillsing (Jason Bartlett) closed in from third, finishing three-quarters of a length back.
The time of 1:54.2 supplants the old record of 1:55.1 set by Love A Good Story in 2020 which was also set in New York Sire Stakes competition.
Sister Mary Maude pushed her seasonal earnings to $375,970 on the strength of her third win of the year from 10 starts for owners Burke Racing Stable, Bill Switala, James Martin and Weaver Bruscemi. Ron Burke trains the David Hanson-bred filly.
She paid $3.90 to win as the bettors' choice.
Later in the $159,054 colt and gelding division, Keep Asking (Chapter Seven-Sensibility) pulled victory from the jaws of defeat as he rallied from sixth to take the win for trainer George Ducharme.
Fly By (Jason Bartlett) had a brief lead before Super Duper Cooper (Jim Morrill Jr.) went three-wide to take control at the quarter in :28.1. With the field in line, Super Duper Cooper backed down the half to a tepid :59, forcing an outer flow to form led by Mister Melby (Jordan Stratton), who was followed by Crazy Brother Jim (Joe Chindano Jr.).
Positions remained unchanged as they made their way to three-quarters and, at this point, Keep Asking (Tyler Buter), who was still sitting sixth, pulled off the pylons and went three-deep and was flying around the last turn. At the top of the stretch, Keep Asking was fourth as the favourite Fly By made a break from second, leaving Super Duper Cooper the one to catch. Keep Asking continued to gain on Super Duper Cooper, who was starting to give way. Morrill and Buter were both urging their mounts but in the shadow of the wire, Keep Asking got up and won by one-quarter length in 1:57.1. Mister Melby finished three-quarters of a length back in third.
The win was the second of the year -- both in NYSS competition -- from 10 starts for Keep Asking, who competes as a homebred for Bill Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske and George Ducharme Stable.
Keep Asking paid $16.20 to win as the 7-1 third choice in the wagering.
Live harness racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. and there will be a $3,558 carryover in the Pick-5 in the first race and that pool will be guaranteed at $10,000 through the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.
(With files from Batavia Downs)