by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — With only two nights of racing left in the 2016 season at Batavia Downs, the competition for top horsemen of the meet has been decided.

Drew Monti is the dash winning driver of the meet and JD Perrin is the dash winning trainer of the meet.

Drew Monti

Monti currently has 114 wins at Batavia Downs and is two ahead of Jim Morrill Jr., who began his winter break a short while ago. He also has 89 seconds and 79 thirds with $621,716 in earnings. For the year, Monti has won 217 races and earned a single year career best $1.2 million in purses.

This is the first ever driving title won by Monti and at just 22 years of age, makes him one of the youngest drivers ever to accomplish this in western New York.

Monti has been driving full time for the last four years while attending Canisius College to attain his degree in economics. Despite the long hours required for these endeavors, Monti excelled both in school and at the track.

His four-year career totals to date show 688 wins, 644 seconds and 694 thirds on the strength of 4,885 starts and just under $3.7 million in purses.

Paul White photos

JD Perrin

JD Perrin has now won the training crown for a third straight year at Batavia Downs. Perrin sent 44 horses to the winner’s circle, six more than Maria Rice who did not enter any horses at Batavia this weekend. Perrin also had 44 seconds and 34 thirds. These efforts helped his students put $255,338 in the bank this meet.

Overall in 2016, Perrin has won 151 races with 103 seconds and 83 thirds with $716,319 in purses. It’s also interesting to note that his starts, wins and purses won were all career high numbers.

Although Perrin doesn’t drive much anymore since turning his attention to training full time upon arriving in western New York in 2012, he did manage to get eight starts in the bike this year with one win for his efforts.

Perrin’s career training numbers show 723 wins, 561 seconds and 460 thirds out of 3,377 starts and $3.1 million in earnings.

Monti and Perrin will be honored in a winner’s circle presentation at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Dec. 17) during the races.

Here are the current top five drivers and trainers of the 2016 Batavia Downs meet:

Drivers
Drew Monti — 114 wins
Jim Morrill Jr. — 112 wins
Ray Fisher Jr. — 92 wins
Kevin Cummings — 75 wins
Dave McNeight III — 67 wins

Trainers
JD Perrin — 44 wins
Maria Rice — 38 wins
Gerry Sarama — 34 wins
Dave McNeight Jr. — 30 wins
Priscilla Mooney — 24 wins