Titanic effort from Golden Kronos

Batavia, NY — Tioga Downs transient Golden Kronos shipped into Batavia Downs on Sunday (Aug. 8) and took all the cash after winning the $11,250 Open Handicap harness racing trot and in near track record fashion.

Drew Monti put Golden Kronos, a son of Chapter Seven, on the engine and let the big gelding take it from there. After strolling to the half in a pedestrian :59.1, Winning Legends (Justin Huckabone) left the garden spot and started to hurry Golden Kronos heading into the second circuit. The leader sped up the third quarter to 1:27.4 with the help of the rim-rider’s attack but still rounded the last turn with conviction.

Turning for home Winning Legends was still alongside, but Golden Kronos had lots of leg left and out-muscled his challenger by 1/4 length at the line in 1:55.4, which was only 2/5th’s of a second off the track record for aged trotting geldings set in 2015 by Lutetium (1:55.2).

GOLDEN KRONOS REPLAY

It was the fourth win in the last five starts — three of those in Open class — and seventh win overall of the year for Golden Kronos ($6.80) who is owned by Michael Pozefsky, William Pozefsky and Myron Ekstein. Stanley Zombick Jr. trains the winner.

The $10,000 Open II trot saw Loyal Fox Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) Take an early lead and then dictate all the fractions from there. After hitting the half in :58.1, Credit List (Justin Huckabone) pulled first up and pushed the issue beyond the three-quarters pole.

But Loyal Fox Hanover eventually rebuffed that challenge along with a late one from the pocket-sitting CR Blazing Beauty (Kevin Cummings) to win by ½ length in 1:56.3, which was a new seasonal mark for the winner.

LOYAL FOX HANOVER REPLAY

With a win and a second in only two starts since February, Loyal Fox Hanover returned $19.40 for owners Vogel and Wags Nags Stable, Team Rice Racing and Adelphi Bloodstock. Maria Rice trains the 4-year-old gelded son of Andover Hall-Lady Luck Hanover.

Monti and Morrill both added another win each to lead all drivers this day with two victories as did trainer Jennifer Giuliani.

There were a plethora of pool carryovers to contend with during the card on Sunday where one got paid out, and two did not.

The $5,000 guarantee on the Pick-5 wager brought in $6,268 of new money for a total pool of $7,870 and provided a healthy payout of $1,575.75 for a 50-cent wager on the winning combination of 2-7-1-6-3.

On the other hand the Jackpot Pick-6 in race five was not hit and will offer a carryover of $1,049 and the Jackpot Super Hi-5 in the 10th race was also not hit and will have a carryover of $1,323. Both of these carryovers will be available when live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Aug. 11). Post time for the first race is at 5:00 p.m.

For full race results, click here.

by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs