After a narrow defeat in his first start at Batavia Downs, the second time was the charm for Icanflylikeanangel, who overpowered the early leader to win the $10,000 Open Handicap trotting feature at Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 5).
The short field of six was shortened even further with the scratch of last week’s winner Dragin The Wagon, who called in sick. But the fast five left the gate with usual pacesetter and track record holder Chelseas Chance (Billy Davis Jr.) on the point once again. After a solid :28.3 quarter with the trailers all sitting in, Davis tried to put them to sleep with a :31 second panel as no one would come off the rail. However, Icanflylikeanangel (Drew Monti), who had gotten away last, had enough and pulled in front of the stands to make his way up the rim.
With moderate acceleration towards the front up the backside, Icanflylikeanangel drew near the leader by the three-quarters in 1:28.3 and the race was on from there. The two trotted around the last turn less than a length apart but when they hit the top of the stretch, Monti woke up Icanflylikeanangel with a spirited drive and hit the wire a winner by a neck in 1:57.2.
The win was the fifth in 16 2018 starts for Icanflylikeanangel ($6.80) and it increased his coffers to $48,670 for this year. The four-year-old Archangel gelding is owned by Joseph Hess and is trained by D Benny Eggers.
In the $8,000 Open II Handicap Trot, Empire Earl N (Shawn Gray) was a gate-to-wire winner from the outside post six, besting his five competitors in 1:57.1. The win was the seventh of the year for Empire Earl N ($6.80), who is owned by Kim Asher and is trained by Riley Asher-Stalbaum.
Driver Drew Monti had a natural grand slam on the card, winning races six through nine. Besides winning with Icanflylikeanangel, he also scored with Sara Cola (1:55.3, $10.20), Theresnoway (1:57.4, $5.30) and Stonebridge Marvel (1:57, $6.10)
Live racing resumes on Monday (Aug. 6) at Batavia Downs with a first race post time of 5 p.m. This is the only Monday of racing in August.
(With files from Batavia Downs)