By Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs
(Photos courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery)
Batavia, NY — Batavia Downs winningest driver of 2022 is on a mission to repeat this year and Kevin Cummings substantially added to his numbers on Wednesday night (Aug. 9) by winning six races on the card including a natural hat trick right out of the box in races one, two and three.
The biggest win of the six came in the featured $15,000 fillies and mares Open Handicap pace where after coming up short in her first two tries at the Downs this season, Imprincessgemma A finally closed the deal.
Similar to her initial pair of outings, Imprincessgemma A was sent to the front by Cummings and then led for the duration. After getting to the half in a pedestrian :58.2, Imprincessgemma A was met by a challenge from Bet I’m Lucky (Jim McNeight Jr.) who came first-over from fourth and was only a length behind the leader in the breeze at three-quarters. But that was as close as Bet I’m Lucky would get because Imprincessgemma A was on a mission and pulled away to an easy 1-¾ length victory 1:55.2.
Imprincessgemma A ($4.80) got her seventh win of the year for owner Elite Harness Racing and trainer Shawn McDonough.
Cummings also won with Sevenare (1:58.1, $3.30), R U Talkin (1:56.3, $4.40), St Lads Maggie Mae (1:56.1, $3.70), Alexander Hanover (2:01.2, $13.40) and Xenia’s Chip (1:55.1, $2.70).
The co-feature on Wednesday’s card was an $11,500 conditioned pace for distaff competitors that saw American Jazz trip-out to victory.
American Jazz (Denny Bucceri) got away in the garden spot as Carbon Cider (Joe Chindano Jr.) and Center Attraction (Jim McNeight Jr.) would battle side-by-side the entire mile. The pair bickered through fractions of :27, :56.2 and 1:25.3 at three-quarters where Mcdelicacy (Kevin Cummings joined the fun three-deep. American Jazz continued to follow the wall of three around the last turn and into the stretch where the passing lane opened up like the Red Sea, allowing American Jazz a clear and direct path to victory. Bucceri simply steered the mare along the cones to a 1:55.3, three-quarter length victory.
American Jazz ($11.00) is owned by Julie Wagonblott and is trained by Joe Alba.
When live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Aug. 12) at 6 p.m. there will be a $2,430 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta in the 13th race.
Free full card past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.