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 (October 3).
The card will offer $220,950 in total purses, which is the second highest amount in the history of the track – only behind September 9, 1988, which was the night that featured the only Breeders Crown to ever be contested at Batavia ($321,656 in total purses).
A newly-crowned world record holder, two millionaires and one of the grittiest top-end pacers in the northeast will lead the all-star field to post in pursuit of the $50,000 purse and possible new all-time track record.
The Ron Burke-trained Atta Boy Dan (Western Terror-Dropitlikeitshot) has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favourite. The six-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. Jim Morrill Jr. will be driving Atta Boy Dan (Post 1) 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-BJs Sunrise) is the second choice at 3-1 and will line up next to the early favourite in Post 2. Royal Heart made history last week at Saratoga Raceway when he toured the course in 1:50 flat, which was a new lifetime mark for the four-year-old gelding and also made him the fastest four-year-old pacing gelding ever over a half-mile track. He comes into the Kane razor sharp and will be 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 the Kane 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. The five-year-old horse has seven sub-1:50 wins this year, including three clocked 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 nine wins and purses totaling $214,165 for the year. He has won just over $1 million in lifetime purses. Trainer Linda Toscano will have Jim Marohn Jr. in the bike and the duo will start from Post 5. They have been listed at odds of 7-2 on the morning line.
The second millionaire in the race is Luck Be With You (Western Ideal-Trim Hanover) and he comes into the Kane 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-favoured State Treasurer. In August, he was shipped to Canada to compete at Mohawk Racetrack and raced in the tough Preferred company there. But after several disappointing starts was shipped back to the United 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 start from Post 8. The pair has been assessed at odds of 5-1 on the morning line.
The field for the Kane appears below.
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 favourites BZ Glide and Lutetium. Also, two $50,000 divisions of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) consolation races for two-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.
(Batavia Downs)