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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Beback Jr. Has Four Winners In Buffalo Raceway Finale

by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway

HAMBURG, N.Y. --- The 2015 season came to a close at Buffalo Raceway on Sunday afternoon (July 26) and driver Ron Beback Jr. capped the 91-day meet with a four-bagger.

Beback Jr. was aboard Lotto Ticket ($4.00), Almost Midnight ($3.10), Boots N Bourbon ($5.90) and Four Starz Trump ($3.70) The victory for Four Starz Trump was the 50th in the 12-year-old gelding's career and moved his lifetime earnings to $371,951. Beback Jr. finished the week with eight wins.

Driver Kevin Cummings made a run at Jim Morrill Jr.'s all-time win mark of 214 set in 2006 but came up a dozen victories short. 

All was not lost however. Cummings did win his second consecutive driving title with 202 wins, the third most in Buffalo Raceway history. Morrill Jr. (214) and Shawn Gray (206) are the only drivers to go over 200 victories in a season at the Hamburg half-mile oval. Cummings was also the leading purse earner with nearly $1.1 million.

Drew Monti took second place in the driver's standings with 140 wins while Gray was third with 123.

JD Perrin captured his third straight trainer's title by conditioning 70 winners. John Mungillo took the runner up spot with 54 victories and Kirk Desmond third with 49.

The Prophet Mary had the most trips to the winner's circle on the season as the pacer scored nine times. Justgottogetthere was the top trotter with eight wins and $48,217 in earnings.

Jettison was the leading money earner as the pacer collected $50,314.

Live racing is tentatively scheduled to resume in January, 2016.

For more information including the latest news, simulcast schedule, race replays and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com