by Tim Bojarski, Batavia Downs Media Relations

Batavia, NY — Possibly the finest overall field of Open pacers to ever set hoof on the Batavia Downs racing surface will come together for the 13th annual Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace on Saturday night (Oct. 3).

The card will offer $220,950 in total purses, the second highest amount in the history of the track behind Sept. 9, 1988, the night that featured the only Breeders Crown to ever be contested at the Downs. Some $321,656 in total purses were offered that night.

A newly-crowned world record holder, two millionaires and one of the grittiest top-end pacers in the northeast lead an all-star field to post in pursuit of the $50,000 purse and possible new all-time track record.

Ben Holton photo

Atta Boy Dan is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Robert J. Kane Memorial.

Installed as the morning line 5-2 choice is Atta Boy Dan (Western Terror-Dropitlikeitshot) who is from the powerful Ron Burke Stable. This 6-year-old gelding has three Open wins at three different tracks in his last four starts. His mark of 1:49.1 was taken at The Meadows on July 8 and was one of six sub-1:50 mile wins he has registered this year. He has 15 wins in 2015 and is 24 out of 27 in the money. Leaving from post one, Jim Morrill Jr. will be driving Atta Boy Dan for the first time since June 15, 2013, when he guided him to victory in 1:50.1 at Pocono.

New world record holder Royal Heart (Royal Art-BJ’s Sunrise) is the second choice at 3-1 and lines up next to the favorite in post two. Royal Heart made history last week at Saratoga Raceway when he toured that facility in 1:50, which was a new lifetime mark for the 4-year-old gelding and equaled the mark for fastest 4-year-old pacing gelding ever over a half-mile track. He comes into this event razor sharp, looking to register his tenth win of the year. Trainer Jose Godinez has given Drew Monti the driving duties and looks to benefit from some pretty stiff front-end speed.

Doctor Butch (Art Major-Classical Yankee) enters this race on the heels of finishing two lengths behind Mach It So and Foiled Again (who won the Kane Memorial twice) in 1:51.1 in the $150,000 Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway. This 5-year-old horse has seven sub-1:50 wins this year including three timed in 1:48.1 (his lifetime mark), 1:48.2 and 1:48.4. He also paced in 1:48.2 twice while finishing third. All the 1:48 miles were at the Meadowlands. In all, Doctor Butch has nine wins and purses totaling $214,165 for the year. Lifetime he has won just over $1 million in purses. Trainer Linda Toscano has Jim Marohn Jr. in the bike and they will leave from post five listed at 7-2.

The second millionaire in the race is Luck Be Withyou (Western Ideal-Trim Hanover) and he comes into this race on a bit of a roll. Luck Be Withyou has faced the toughest Open pacers all year and the highlight of the campaign was definitely his victory in the $500,000 Ben Franklin Pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on July 4, when he went coast to coast in 1:49, beating the heavily favored State Treasurer. In August, he was shipped to Canada to compete at Mohawk and raced in the tough Preferred company there. But after several disappointing starts he was shipped back to the States, where he has caught fire once again. He has since won back-to-back starts at Pocono in 1:49.1 and 1:50.2. Trainer Chris Oakes brings Luck Be Withyou in with much momentum and has Batavia Downs’ driving leader, Kevin Cummings, at the lines. Cummings and the seven-time winner will leave from post eight, preliminarily rated at 5-1.

The entire field is as follows:

1. Atta Boy Dan-Jim Morrill Jr.-5-2
2. Royal Heart-Drew Monti-3-1
3. Aslan-Shawn McDonough-8-1
4. Fireyourguns-Mike Caprio-7-1
5. Doctor Butch-Jim Marohn Jr.-7-2
6. Frankies Dragon-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-10-1
7. Cobble Beach-John Cummings Jr.-15-1
8. Luck Be Withyou-Kevin Cummings-5-1

The current all-time pacing track record at Batavia Downs is 1:51.1 set by Aracache Hanover in 2011, which was taken when he won the Kane Memorial Pace that year.

There is also an outstanding undercard on Saturday night’s 12-race schedule. The $12,500 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot has Ron Burke’s Tall Cotton shipping in from The Meadows to take on local favorites BZ Glide and Lutetium. And two $50,000 divisions of New York Sire Stakes consolation races for 2-year-old trotters will feature eight fillies and eight colts and geldings going postward. Post time for the first race is 6:35 p.m.