Hour Lavec did most of the dirty work, but it was Ziegfeld who cleaned up in the end and captured the $8,500 Open Trot at Batavia Downs Friday night (Sept. 6) in 1:58 over the fast track.
Ziegfeld ($5.40) and driver Ray Fisher Jr. sat the garden spot throughout much of the race and watched Hour Lavec (John Cummings Jr.) post fractions of :29.2, 1:00.2 and 1:29. But in mid-stretch, the anxious Ziegfeld tipped and easily zipped past the pacesetting Hour Lavec and posted a one and a half length victory. Haste (Jim McNeight) finished third.
The win was the ninth in 25 starts in 2013 for Ziegfeld (Broadway Hall-Spicy Victoria), who is owned by Mike Torcello and trained by Gerry Sarama. It pushed the five-year-old gelding's earnings to $58,990 this season and $166,672 lifetime.
A tremendous card of racing is scheduled for Saturday night starting at 6:30 p.m. as unbeaten Hes Watching comes to town for the New York Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts.
(Batavia Downs)