Hamburg, NY – Whichwaytothebeach knew which way to go to get to Buffalo Raceway’s winner’s circle on a beach weather Saturday afternoon (July 5) after posting a resounding five-length victory in the $16,000 Open Pace.
He beat Melanion N in a dazzling 1:52.3 over the fast track.
With the temperature hovering in the mid 80s and along with humidity, it was ideal conditions for a big effort and Whichwaytothebeach provided just that. Arriving from Woodbine/Mohawk Racetrack, Whichwaytothebeach proved to be too much for his rivals from south of the Canadian border.
The opening quarter mile was just a taste of things to come as Annapolis Hanover blasted off to a :27 first stanza. Davey Day Trader came along in the pocket with Whichwaytothebeach tagging along in third.
With a half going in :55, Whichwaytothebeach (Jim Morrill Jr.) came first over heading down the backstretch the second time and reached the three-quarter mark in 1:24.
Turning for home, Whichwaytothebeach enjoyed a 2-1/2 length advantage and poured it on while the rest of the field was now in surrender mode. Melanion N (Drew Monti) rallied for second-place honors with Lyons Surfing (Kyle Swift) arriving in time for third. Whichwaytothebeach paid $3.70 to win.
Owned by Gino Toscani and trained by Garry Merner Jr., it was the third victory in 18 attempts on the season for the 7-year-old Whichwaytothebeach (Somebeachsomewhere-Swinging Beauty). The win pushed his seasonal bankroll to $54,769 and to a healthy $897,564 lifetime.
Monti continued on his torrid pace as he put another five victories in the bank while Morrill Jr. had three and Joseph Chindano Jr. two. Brandon Presto topped the conditioners with three victories while Merner Jr. collected two.
Racing will resume on Wednesday afternoon (July 9) with a 14-race program set. The New York Sire Stakes returns with the 2-year-old colts and geldings colliding in a pair of $55,000 (approx.) races. There will also be a $20,000 Excelsior event for the young men to open the program which begins at 2:30 p.m.
For more information including the latest news, upcoming promotions, entries, results and race replays, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.