$75,000 Kane Memorial features on big Batavia card

Batavia, NY — This Friday (Aug. 26) Batavia Downs will present a special card of live harness racing that will feature both colt and filly 3-year-old divisions of New York Sire Stake trotters who will compete for $232,700 in purses. But the card will also feature the renewal of Batavia Downs signature stake, the Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace.

Not held in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid, the Robert J. Kane Memorial returns this year with its 17th edition and is the richest ever offered with the new enhanced purse of $75,000.

With the draw now complete, the 2022 field has an all-star cast including the $549,000 Borgotta MGM and $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie winner Funatthebeach N, top Open pacing mare and the only female in the field, the locally owned Gia’s Surreal, recent 1:47.4 Pocono winner American Courage, and current 1:49.3 Plainridge Park track record holder Moonshine Kisses. The eight-horse field has combined earnings of just under $5 million

Here is the full field for the race.

1. Funatthebeach N (Somebeachsomewhere) Jordan Stratton Jeffrey Gillis

2. Gia’s Surreal (So Surreal) Wally Hennesy Jim Graham

3. American Courage (American Ideal) Matt Kakaley Travis Alexander

4. Semi Tough (Somebeachsomewhere) Wally Hennesy Ron Burke

5. American Dealer N (American Ideal) Joe Bongiorno Linda Toscano

6. Splash Brother (So Surreal) Tyler Buter Ray Schnittker

7. Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) Jay Randall Jackie Greene

8. Wild Wild Western (Western Ideal) Jim Morrill Jr. Norm Parker

The Robert J. Kane Memorial is named for the former chairman of the board of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (which owns and operates Batavia Downs and Gaming), Robert J. Kane. Kane worked on the board for 26 years and in 1998 saw the value in purchasing the track that had been shuttered for three years after having its license revoked. The facility has gone through a complete turnaround since then and WROTB has developed the property into the premier entertainment destination in Genesee County.

The first edition of the Kane was held in 2002 and has compiled a long list of champion horses that have come to Batavia to compete over the years. They include three-time winner and all-time highest money earner in the history of the sport, the $7.6 million dollar man Foiled Again. Other winners include Dosudoro Hanover, Bolt The Duer, Atta Boy Dan, Kenneth J, One More Laugh and Aracache Hanover, who set the all-time track record of 1:51.1 winning the stake in 2011.

The $75,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial will go as race nine on Friday’s card with an approximate post time of 8:40 p.m. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m. Free full past performance programs for all live race nights at Batavia Downs can be downloaded by clicking here and under the “live racing” tab.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs