The 12th annual $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational pace will be held on Saturday (October 18) and the star-studded group of Open class performers competing is led by Ron Burke stablemates $1.7 million winner Aracache Hanover and Easy Again.
The race is named in honour of the former chairman of the Western Regional Off Track Betting Corporation (WROTB) and his vision for a defunct racetrack. In 1998 Robert Kane saw the opportunity for WROTB to keep harness racing alive in western New York and convinced the group to purchase the shuttered Batavia Downs. He then worked diligently for four years to obtain a racing license from the state of New York in order to re-open the track in 2002.
With the improvement of the live racing product and the multiple expansions of the gaming floor in the years since the acquisition, what was once an empty building is now the pre-eminent attraction in all of Genesee County, and that is due to the vision of Robert J. Kane.
The race has played host to many great horses over the years, including the six million dollar man, Foiled Again, who has won it twice. But it was also won by one of this year’s entrants, and he set the all-time track record for pacers there when he did it.
Aracache Hanover (Dragon Again-Armbro Cachet 1:48.1 $1,726,616) was a multiple stakes winner at two and three, including the $525,000 Confederation Cup. As an aged horse, he has been one of the most consistent free-for-all pacers in North America. He comes into this race off two consecutive wins at Yonkers Raceway and looks to be the one to beat. Although he is owned locally in Clarence Center, NY by Bill Switala and James Martin, he has only ever raced at Batavia Downs once before – that was in when he won the 2011 Kane Memorial and set the all-time track record of 1:51.1. Aracache Hanover is 3-1 second choice on the morning line and will be driven by leading Batavia driver Kevin Cummings.
Easy Again (Dragon Again-Kuklapanandollie 1:50.1 $712,381) came into the Burke stable 10 months ago and immediately turned into a win machine. Since that time he has 11 victories in 26 starts and posted a lifetime mark of 1:50.1 at Scioto Downs while banking $264,360 in purse money. He currently has four wins out of his last seven starts, although he finished eighth last week. That was because he got parked the entire mile at Yonkers against Open handicap company. North American leading dash-winning driver Aaron Merriman will make the trip to the oldest lighted harness track in America to steer Easy Again who has been installed as the morning line favourite at odds of 5-2.
Also in the race is $1.8-million winner Bolt The Duer (Ponder-Wonderbolt 1:47.4 $1,801,995). Bolt The Duer won the $500,000 Adios and the $415,000 Messenger Stakes at three and has faced the toughest older pacers each week ever since. This year he has battled Sweet Lou, Foiled Again and Captaintreacherous, just to name a few. Last week at Pocono Downs he drew the rail after six consecutive outside posts, only to get locked in behind a stalled horse while the eventual winner was pacing away. He brings ability and back class to the Kane and will be heard from for sure. John Cummings Jr. and his aggressive driving style will be in the bike for trainer Peter Foley.
Aslan (Mach Three-Skyview 1:49.2 $207,377) will be scoring from the outside. He does not have the lofty stakes resume or million-dollar earnings of some in the field because he was lightly raced at two and three. Although, he does have a lot of speed, and it would appear that he is coming into the Kane in his best condition ever, based on his performance at Pocono Downs on September 20. He just got beat a neck in 1:47.3, and that clocking is two seconds faster than his lifetime mark taken in 2013. Plus, Aslan is handy – he can leave or he can come from behind. Ronnie Wrenn Jr., who is currently second in North America in dash-winning drives, will be at the lines for trainer Tony O’Sullivan.
Here is a look at the entire field:
(Post – Horse – Driver – Morning Line Odds)
1 – Wazzup Wazzup – Drew Monti – 8-1
2 – Easy Again – Aaron Merriman – 5-2
3 – Bolt The Duer – John Cummings Jr. – 4-1
4 – Aracache Hanover – Kevin Cummings – 3-1
5 – Apprentice Hanover – Anthony McDonald – 7-2
6 – What The Sheik – Dave McNeight III – 12-1
7 – Aslan – Ronnie Wrenn Jr. – 6-1
The Kane Memorial Pace has been carded as the seventh race of the night. The program also includes the $12,500 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot, a $10,000 horses and geldings Open pace and a $10,000 mares Open pace.
First-race post time for the evening is 6:35 p.m.
(Batavia)