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.
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.
For more information including race results, replays,
upcoming promotions and the latest news, go to www.buffaloraceway.com
by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway
