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Wednesday’s (July 24) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs and Running Aces.

Merton and Mungillo team up for five wins at Batavia

Batavia, NY — It was a big night for driver Greg Merton, trainer John Mungillo and the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester on Wednesday at Batavia Downs.

Paul White photo

Bad As Billy gave the tandem of Merton and Mungillo their fifth win of the night.

If Western New York racing fans weren’t familiar with Greg Merton they certainly are now as he guided home six winners on the Wednesday program including a perfect five-for-five for trainer John Mungillo.

“I’ll be here every Wednesday night,” Merton said. “Then after Tioga closes I plan on racing here on weekends as well.”

In the featured $8,500 Filly and Mares Open Pace, Keep It Fair made it two straight victories in the top class for distaff pacers in Western New York as she cruised to a convincing two length win over Patsy’s Luck in 1:57.2 over a fast track. She had won the Fillies and Mares Open at Buffalo Raceway last week and now has visited the winner’s circle in three of her last four starts.

Keep It Fair, driven by Merton, took the lead just before the quarter-pole, playing give-and-go with Patsy’s Luck. Keep It Fair then set sail the rest of the way, posting the fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28.4 in registering the comfortable victory. Patsy’s Luck (Fern Paquet, Jr.) kept pace for second while Terror Rising (Kevin Cummings) and Puff Mommy (Shawn McDonough) were third in a dead-heat.

Sent off as the 1-2 favorite in the field of six, Keep It Fair returned $3.10 for the win, her ninth in 22 starts this season. The 7-year-old mare is owned by Angelo Schifano and trained by John Mungillo. The victory moved her seasonal earnings to $44,239 and to more than $300,000 lifetime.

The other big winner on the second program of the 2013 season at the Downs was the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. In addition to the $3,000 raised from the sponsorship of all 12 races, several horsemen, led by Black Magic Stable and Empowered Racing, made healthy donations. All the drivers in race 10 donated their five percent commission. The entire staff of the race office, along with several Western OTB employees and racing fans, all pitched in to bring the total raised to close to $6,000.

— Brian Mazeruk

Running Aces
Salutation Hanover, one the the best bred and richest trotters ever to campaign in Minnesota, flashed his back class on Wednesday night to capture the $9,500 Open Trot at Running Aces in 1:56. It was just the eighth start of 2013 for the son of Andover Hall, but his third win and first in Open company. He now has amassed 25 career victories and lifetime earnings of $646,490. Nick Roland steered Salutation Hanover, who is owned by Dr. Patrick Graham and trained by Brett Ballinger. Hit It Hard (Luke Plano) was second with Shelby County (Lemoyne Svendsen) third in the featured race. Drivers Rick Magee, John DeLong and Luke Plano each scored doubles on the program.