Batavia, NY— Possibly the finest overall field of Open pacers to ever set hoof on the Batavia Downs racing surface will come together for the 13th annual Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace on Saturday night (Oct. 3). The harness racing card will offer $220,950 in total purses, the second highest amount in the history of the track behind September 9, 1988; the night that featured the only Breeders Crown to ever be contested at the Downs. ($321,656 in total purses)
A newly-crowned world record holder, two millionaires and one of the grittiest top-end pacers in the north-east lead an all-star field to post in pursuit of the $50,000 purse and possible new all-time track record.
Installed as the morning line 5-2 choice is Atta Boy Dan (Western Terror-Dropitlikeitshot) who is from the powerful Ron Burke Stable. This 6-year-old gelding has three Open wins at three different tracks in his last four starts. His mark of 1:49.1 was taken at the Meadows on July 8 and was only one of six, sub-1:50 mile wins he registered this year. He has 15 wins in 2015 and is 24 out of 27 in the money.
Leaving from post one, Jim Morrill Jr. will be driving Atta Boy Dan for the first time since June 15, 2013, when he guided him to victory in 1:50.1 at Pocono Downs.
New world record holder, Royal Heart (Royal Art-BJ's Sunrise), is the second choice at 3-1 and lines up next to the favorite in post two.
Royal Heart made history last week at Saratoga Raceway when he toured that facility in 1:50 flat, which was a new lifetime mark for the 4-year-old gelding and also made him the fastest 4-year-old pacing gelding ever over a half mile track. He comes into this event razor sharp, looking to register his tenth win of the year.
Trainer Jose Godinez has given Drew Monti the driving duties and looks to benefit from some pretty stiff front-end speed.
Doctor Butch (Art Major-Classical Yankee) enters this race on the heels of finishing two-lengths behind Mach It So and Foiled Again (who won the Kane Memorial twice) in 1:51.1 in the $150,000 Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway.
This 5-year-old horse has seven, sub-1:50 wins this year including three timed in 1:48.1 (his lifetime mark), 1:48.2 and 1:48.4. He also paced in 1:48.2 twice while finishing third. All the 1:48 miles were at the Meadowlands.
In all, Doctor Butch has 9 wins and purses totaling $214,165 for the year. Lifetime he has won just over $1 million in purses.
Trainer Linda Toscano has Jim Marohn Jr. in the bike and they will leave from post five listed at 7-2.
The second millionaire in the race is Luck Be With You (Western Ideal-Trim Hanover) and he comes into this race on a bit of a roll.
Luck Be With You has faced the toughest Open pacers all year and the highlight of the campaign was definitely his victory in the $500,000 Ben Franklin Pace at Pocono Downs on July 4, when he went coast to coast in 1:49 beating the heavily favored State Treasurer.
In August, he was shipped to Canada to compete at Mohawk Raceway and raced in the tough Preferred company there. But after several disappointing starts was shipped back to the States, where he has caught fire once again. He has since won back to back starts at Pocono Downs in 1:49.1 and 1:50.2.
Trainer Chris Oakes brings Luck Be With You in with much momentum and has Batavia Downs driving leader, Kevin Cummings, at the lines. Cummings and the seven-time winner will leave from post eight, preliminarily rated at 5-1.
The entire field is as follows:
1 Atta Boy Dan – Jim Morrill Jr. 5-2
2 Royal Heart – Drew Monti 3-1
3 Aslan Shawn – McDonough 8-1
4 Fireyourguns – Mike Caprio 7-1
5 Doctor Butch – Jim Marohn Jr. 7-2
6 Frankies Dragon – Ronnie Wrenn Jr. 10-1
7 Cobble Beach – John Cummings Jr. 15-1
8 Luck Be With You – Kevin Cummings 5-1
The current all-time pacing track record at Batavia Downs is 1:51.1 set by Aracache Hanover in 2011, which was taken when he won the Kane Memorial Pace that year.
There is also an outstanding undercard on Saturday night's 12-race schedule.
The $12,500 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot has Ron Burke's Tall Cotton shipping in from the Meadows to take on local favorites BZ Glide and Lutetium. And two $50,000 divisions of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) consolation races for 2-year-old trotters will feature eight fillies and eight colts and geldings going postward.
Post time for the first race is 6:35 p.m.
By Tim Bojarski, Batavia Downs Media Relations