by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — Chelsea’s Chance took full advantage of a strong front-end bias at Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon (July 29) as she went gate to wire in the $8,000 Open II trot, stopping the clock in 1:56.1 and breaking the track record for aged trotting mares of 1:56.2 set just last year by Skyway Priss.

Paul White photo

Chelsea’s Chance set a new track record of 1:56.1 on Sunday afternoon at Batavia Downs.

Chelsea’s Chance (Billy Davis Jr.) left from post one and never looked back. She set fractions of :28.2, :58 and 1:26.3 as a gapped leader before turning for home with Davis high-lining and a two-length advantage that she held to the wire.

The win time of 1:56.1 also equaled her own seasonal mark taken earlier this year.

It was the seventh win of the year and second consecutive victory at Batavia Downs for Chelsea’s Chance ($3.40) who is owned and trained by Sabrina Clevenger.

The top billed trot of the day was the $10,000 Open Handicap trot and front end speed prevailed once again. Tioga Downs invader Dragin The Wagon (Ray Fisher Jr.) took the lead and dictated fractions the enitre way. Without any movement for most of the mile, Icanflylikeanangel (Billy Davis Jr.) made a bid past the five-eighths and pushed Dragin The Wagon around the final bend.

But Fisher kept Dragin The Wagon live enough to hold Icanflylikeanangel at bay yet didn’t allow the pocket-sitting Empire Earl N (Drew Monti) any room to get out in the stretch and hung on to win by a half-length in 1:57.4.

Dragin The Wagon ($6.30) is owned by Cary, David and Michael Cantelon and is trained by Jeff Byron.

Drew Monti led all drivers on Sunday with three wins that included Beechwood Wayne who scored his 57th lifetime victory.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday afternoon (July 30) with a nine-race card that kicks off at 5 p.m.