HAMBURG, N.Y. --- Le Reina Road made the jump into the $10,500 Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night (Feb. 22) a successful one by scoring a 1-3/4 length victory over Every Girls Desire in a seasonal best of 1:56.4 over a good track.
Last week, Le Reina Road and driver David McNeight III stunned the field in the Open II with a 33-1 win and thus took his chances against the best pacers on the grounds this time around. It paid off.
The 9-year-old gelding used a first-over, methodical grind on the outside just before the three-quarter pole to wear down pace-setting Every Girls Desire (Billy Dobson). Le Reina Road ($13.60) was never threatened in the stretch as Every Girls Desire held on for second while Goodnite Goodluck (Ron Beback Jr.) took the show position.
Le Reina Road has now won three times in six starts in 2014, earning $13,922 and increased his lifetime bankroll to $251,391. He is owned by the Limerick Racing Stable and trained by David McNeight Jr.
The semi-finals in the Niatross Knockout Claiming Series were also contested on Saturday night and a pair of long shots took the two divisions. In the first leg, Major Glass (Kevin Cummings) scored a $139.50 win in 1:58.3 while in the second leg, George P Hanover (McNeight III) took the victory in 1:58.3 and paid $22.80.
Besides the two winners, others qualifiers for the $27,500 finals this coming Saturday include Card Dealer, Kamanche Sun, Dawn Of Trey, Spacehill, Nutmeg's Gem and American Sway.
Last year's top dash driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. made his first visit of the season and posted a four-bagger while Kevin Cummings and David McNeight III had doubles. John Mungillo had a pair of training victories.
Racing resumes again on Wednesday night with a 12-race program slated to get underway at 5 p.m. The $5,000 Guaranteed Pick-4 wager begins in the fifth race.
by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway