The quickest route between the start and the finish line is the path along the pylons and that was the game plan for Noble Legend to win the $10,500 Open Trot at Batavia Downs on Friday night (August 5).
Leaving from post one, Noble Legend (Kevin Cummings) fired off the gate and went right to the lead with Lutetium (Todd Cummings) prompting him from the outside. After the field passed the quarter in :29, Lutetium finally found his way clear and took the lead. From there, the group remained unchanged to the half in a pedestrian 1:00 clocking.
As the field headed into the clubhouse turn, Shawnee Magic (Ray Fisher Jr.) came first over and drew even with Lutetium, leaving Noble Legend in the pocket with perfect cover. The two trotted in tandem by three-quarters and around the far turn to the head of the stretch when Shawnee Magic faded. Lutetium bore out slightly and Noble Legend made a bee-line straight up the pylons to a two-length victory in 1:59.1. J A T O (Mike Caprio) finished second in a furious rush coming from last and Lutetium hung on for third.
The win was the seventh of the year for Noble Legend ($3.00) and it pushed his 2016 earnings to $43,238 for owners Vogel & Wags Nags and Jack Rice. The four-year-old gelded son of Kadabra-Lovin It is trained by Maria Rice.
Noble Legend was on of three winners that trainer Maria Rice sent postward on Friday. She also captured both halves of the early Double with Pan Street USA ($3.60) and Schlim Schlamma ($7.80).
Kevin Cummings and Jack Flanigen both had a driving triples on the night and trainer Mike Carrubba sent two horses to the winner's enclosure for photographs.
(With files from Batavia Downs)