Three millionaires entered in $100,000 Kane Memorial Pace at Batavia
At 8h58, on August 22, 2024 • By Tim Bojarski, Batavia Downs
The finest group of pacers ever assembled to compete at Batavia Downs will go to post in the $100,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace on Saturday (Aug. 24). The top-flight field of eight have a combined lifetime earnings of just under $6.5 million and include millionaires Hellabalou, Covered Bridge and Desperate Man.
Hellabalou ($1,446,071) won the $457,000 MGM Borgata final at Yonkers Raceway in April and is coming off a lifetime best 1:48.3 effort at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Aug. 4. He is also currently the second richest older male pacer in North America.
Covered Bridge ($1,344,523) is the defending Kane Memorial Pace champion after winning this race in 1:52 at The Downs last year. He comes into this race — as he did in 2023 — after winning the C$100,000 Gold Cup and Saucer at Red Shores in 1:50.4, making him a two time champion there as well. Covered Bridge is also the winningest horse in this field with 51 career victories.
Desperate Man ($1,270,279) was the 2021 North American Cup winner in his lifetime best 1:49.3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park where he defeated Bulldog Hanover, Perfect Sting and Abuckabett Hanover. Earlier this year, he won all four of his legs in the MGM Borgata before finishing third in the $457,000 final. Since then he has owned the Invitation at Yonkers where he’s won his last four starts there, including his last two outings coming into the Kane.
Here is the complete draw with post positions:
1 – Buzzsaw Russ – John De Long – Melissa Essig
2 – Coaches Corner – Jason Bartlett – Per Engblom
3 – Desperate Man – Matt Kakaley – Travis Alexander
4 – Rocknroll Runa A – Larry Stalbaum – Larry Stalbaum
5 – Covered Bridge – Jordan Stratton – Jeffrey Gillis
6 – Typhoon Banner N – Joe Bongiorno – Joe Bongiorno
7 – Hellabalou – Jim Morrill Jr. – Ron Burke
8 – Natameri – Jason Bartlett – Jessica Okusko
Saturday’s card will also feature the New York Sire Stakes 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters and 3-year-old filly trotters who will each go one division for purses totaling $233,300 and four $20,000 Excelsior trots. With the overnight features, the 15-race card purse value is over $500,000.
The Kane Memorial will go as race 10 with post time at 9 p.m. The NYSS events are carded as races eight and 11 with post times of 8:20 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.
