Tioga Downs transient Golden Kronos shipped into Batavia Downs on Sunday (Aug. 8) and took all the cash after winning the $11,250 Open Handicap Trot and in near-track-record fashion.
Drew Monti put Golden Kronos on the engine and let the big gelding take it from there. After strolling to the half in a pedestrian :59.1, Winning Legends left the garden spot and started to hurry Golden Kronos heading into the second circuit. The leader sped to three-quarters in 1:27.4 with the help of the rim-rider’s attack but still rounded the last turn with conviction. Turning for home, Winning Legends was still alongside, but Golden Kronos had lots of leg left and out-muscled his challenger by a quarter length at the line in 1:55.4, which was only two-fifths of a second off the track record for aged trotting geldings set in 2015 by Lutetium (1:55.2).
It was the fourth win in the last five starts — three of those came in the Open class — and seventh win overall on the year for Golden Kronos, who is owned by Michael Pozefsky, William Pozefsky and Myron Ekstein. Stanley Zombick Jr. trains the $6.80 winner.
The $10,000 Open II Trot saw Loyal Fox Hanover take an early lead and then dictate all the fractions. After hitting the half in :58.1, Credit List pulled first up and pushed the issue beyond the three-quarters pole. But Loyal Fox Hanover eventually rebuffed that challenge, along with a late one from the pocket-sitting CR Blazing Beauty, to win by a half length in 1:56.3, a seasonal mark for the winner.
With a win and a second in only two starts since February, Loyal Fox Hanover returned $19.40. He competes for owners Vogel and Wags Nags Stable, Team Rice Racing and Adelphi Bloodstock. Maria Rice trains the four-year-old gelded son of Andover Hall-Lady Luck Hanover while Jim Morrill Jr. sat in the bike.
Monti and Morrill both added another win each to lead all drivers this day with two victories as did trainer Jennifer Giuliani.
There were a plethora of pool carryovers to contend with during the card on Sunday where one got paid out, and two did not.
The $5,000 guarantee on the Pick-5 wager brought in $6,268 of new money for a total pool of $7,870 and provided a healthy payout of $1,575.75 for a 50-cent wager on the winning combination of 2-7-1-6-3.
On the other hand the Jackpot Pick-6, starting in Race 5, was not hit and will offer a carryover of $1,049, and the Jackpot Super Hi-5 in the 10th race was also not hit and will have a carryover of $1,323. Both of these carryovers will be available when live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Aug. 11). Post time for the first race is at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).
(Batavia Downs)