HAMBURG, N.Y. --- Catch The Wave (James McNeight Jr.) caught
a huge opening in the passing lane and it propelled him to a stunning $42.40
victory on Saturday night (Feb. 1) in Buffalo Raceway's featured $11,000 Class
AA pace.
Weekend Atnannies (Renaldo Morales III) stomped out the
fractions of :30.1, 1:00.0 and 1:29.1 over the good track but it was a tempo
that proved to a little too hot to handle on the snowy evening.
Andy's Ideal (Ray Fisher Jr.) and Brave Magic (Denny
Bucceri) appeared then destined to battle it out to the wire as Weekend
Atnannies called it a night. Catch The Wave had other ideas however as the
passing lane had a giant slot open up and took full advantage, striding away to
a 1-1/4 length victory in 1:58.2. Andy's Ideal and Brave Magic captured the
place and show checks respectively.
Owned by Mike Ventura and trained by Jim McNeight, it was
the first win in 2020 for Catch The Wave. The 8-year-old gelding has now
produced $168,884 in lifetime earnings.
In one of the $10,000 Class A events saw Santana Beach
(David McNeight III) go gate-to-wire in posting an easy 2-1/2 length decision
over Southwind Torque in 1:56.3, the fastest mile of the young meet thus far.
Setting fractions of :30.0, :59.0 and 1:28.0, a 28.3 last
quarter by Santana Beach, took the starch out of the rest of the field.
Southwind Torque managed to hold on for second with Obo Hanover (Kevin Cummings
rounding out the top three.
Santana Beach (Santanna Blue Chip-Beachs Luck) is an 8-year-old
gelding owned by Jason Newell and conditioned by Richard Roth. The victory
upped his career winnings to $141,063.
The other Class A pace, Carlos Danger (Ron Beback Jr.) sat
the pocket, took the lead, then held off a fast charging Casimir Oops by a half
length in 1:58.1 to register the $14.60 win. China Dream (Billy Davis Jr.) took
the show position.
Co-owned by the Decker's Corner Stable, the Decker's Gate
Stable and JC's Get R Done Stable, it was the first victory of the campaign for
the 7-year-old gelded Carlos Danger (American Ideal-Natchtoches) The score
upped his lifetime bankroll to $198,137.
Ray Fisher Jr., Davis Jr. and McNeight Jr. all doubled in
the sulky. Roth, Jim McNeight and Maria Rice had a pair of training wins.
Racing will resume on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. with a
13-race program scheduled. There will be a $1183 carryover in the Pick 5 which
begins in the second race.
