Hamburg, NY — Rose Run Ranger ($10.60) usually finds success on the front end but he had no trouble in reversing his role to the closer on Saturday night (May 25) and it paid off with a win in the $12,000 Class AA pace at Buffalo Raceway.

Rose Run Ranger stunned the feature field at Buffalo Raceway with a 1:55.1 score. Steve Roth Photo

The front-stepping Fireyourguns (Mike Caprio) returned to action after a year layoff and immediately went to his typical spot, setting the pace. While Rose Run Ranger settled into sixth and last, Fireyourguns posted splits of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:25.4 in coming off the sidelines.

But driver Ray Fisher Jr. and Rose Run Ranger started their drive to the front down the stretch the first time and eventually rolled past Fireyourguns in the lane. They took a 2-1/4 triumph in 1:55.1 over the good track. China Dream (Billy Davis Jr.) was third.

Co-owned by the Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, the 6-year-old gelded Rose Run Ranger (Major In Art-A And Gs Finest) is trained by James Clouser Jr. The victory moved his 2019 winnings to $37,885 and $112,861 in his career.

In the $11,500 Class AA pacing event, Western Passage ($7.60) relinquished the lead to Littlebitaclass just before the opening panel but rallied in the stretch to capture the 1-1/4 length victory in a seasonal best 1:54.0.

Littlebitaclass (Monti) played give and go with Western Passage and set the fractions of :28.2, :57.1 and 1:26.1. But at the top of the stretch, driver Kevin Cummings tipped to the outside with Western Passage and used a :27.3 last quarter to secure the win over Littlebitaclass. Upfront Countryboy (Ray Fisher Jr.) rallied late to take third place.

Western Passage (Sportswriter-Ever Western) is owned by the Finocchario’s Dream Stable and is trained by Mike Ohol. The victory upped his season earnings to $23,791 and $229,275 lifetime.

There were a pair of $10,000 Class A paces on the undercard. Manceiver (Cummings) went wire-to-wire and held off A F F Bigdaddy (David McNeight III) by a length in 1:54.3 to notch the $7.70 decision in the first bracket. 

The other division went to Western Conquest ($4.90) as Fisher Jr. guided him to an easy 1-1/4 length win over Next Success (Davis Jr.) in 1:55.3.

Shawn McDonough led the way for the drivers with three wins while Fisher Jr., Ron Beback Jr. and Cummings each had two victories. 

Racing will resume on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. with a nine-race program to be presented. There’s a $285 carryover in the Pick-5 that begins in the second race.

For more information including the latest news, race replays, results, entries, upcoming promotions and simulcast schedule, go to www.buffaloraceway.com