Seven horses with a combined lifetime earnings of over $11 million comprise the field for the 14th annual $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace, which will be contested at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (October 8).
The 2016 edition of the ‘Kane,’ which has been carded as Race 7, is also a homecoming of sorts for trainer Chris Oakes, who is originally from nearby Akron, New York. He started his career at Batavia in the 1980s and conditions two horses in this year's Kane, with his stable star, Luck Be Withyou, installed as the 5-2 morning line choice.
Luck Be Withyou has faced Wiggle It Jiggleit and Always B Miki many times this year and has always been formidable competition for those two dominant aged pacers. Luck Be Withyou took a lifetime mark of 1:47.4 at Pocono Downs on July 2 and has also been race-timed under 1:50 on seven other occasions this year. His best effort on a half-mile track was a 1:51.1 win at Saratoga Raceway in July, but he was race-timed in 1:50.3 at Harrington Raceway just two weeks ago. Luck Be Withyou, who is set to start from Post 1, will be driven by Batvia’s leading reinsman, Kevin Cummings.
Mel Mara is the second choice at 7-2 and is one speedy pacer. On June 4 at the Meadowlands Racetrack, he beat a very talented Open-class field and equalled the all-time race record for an older pacing horse on a one-mile track when he stopped the clock in 1:47. In his 21 starts this year, Mel Mara was race timed under 1:50 fifteen times, and his best effort over a half-mile track was a 1:50.1 win at Harrington Raceway three starts ago. Jim Morrill Jr. will take the reins for trainer Dylan Davis and will start from Post 3.
Scott Rocks, who is coming into the race sharp as a tack, knows the Batavia oval well. He just raced at Batavia Downs on September 24 and jogged in 1:52. He was a wrapped-up winner with a lot left in the tank and he did it after being off for three weeks. He took a lifetime mark of 1:48 at Pocono Downs on May 28, but he also won in a phenomenal 1:49 clocking at Northfield Park on September 3. Starting from Post 2, John Cummings Jr. will once again team Scott Rocks, who is the other entrant for trainer Chris Oakes.
Southwind Amazon is fast on any surface. He took his lifetime mark of 1:49.2 at Pompano Park on March 13, but was also race-timed in 1:49.2 at Northfield Park during a second-place finish to Scott Rocks on September 3. He has also won in 1:50.3 at Northfield and 1:50.4 at Saratoga Raceway. Southwind Amazon is having a career year with 11 wins and $109,599 earned and looks to add to those numbers on Saturday. Driver Shawn Mcdonough has received the nod from trainer Paul Holzman and will depart from Post 5.
The field appears below in post-position order.
1 – Luck Be Withyou – Kevin Cummings – 5-2
2 – Scott Rocks – John Cummings Jr. – 5-1
3 – Mel Mara – Jim Morrill Jr. – 7-2
4 – Polak A – Shawn Gray – 4-1
5 – Southwind Amazon – Shawn McDonough – 9-2
6 – Foiled Again – Jack Flanigen – 8-1
7 – Rockin In Heaven – Drew Monti – 6-1
The current all-time pacing track record at Batavia Downs is 1:51.1 set by Aracache Hanover in 2011 when he won the Kane Memorial that year. In recent weeks, the track at Batavia Downs has been lightning fast and with favourable weather in the forecast, this field has the ability to demolish that standard.
The Kane Memorial is dedicated to the former chairman of the board of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (which owns and operates Batavia Downs), Robert J. Kane. Kane worked on the board for 26 years and had the vision to see the value in purchasing the track in 1998. At that time, the track had been shuttered for three years after having had its license revoked. The facility has gone through a complete turnaround since then and WROTB has developed the property into the premier entertainment destination spot in Genesee County.
There is also an outstanding undercard set for Saturday night’s 11-race schedule, and it includes the $15,000 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot, which has been carded as Race 5.
Local favourite BZ Glide (to be driven by Mike Caprio) is the 5-2 pick to hit against Yonkers Raceway invaders Ladys Dude (Kevin Cummings, 3-1) and Auspicious Hanover (John Cummings Jr., 4-1).
Post time for the first race is 6:15 p.m.
(Batavia Downs)