A look back at the 2024 Buffalo Raceway season

HAMBURG, N.Y. — “It was a nice meet overall,” Buffalo Raceway General Manager Jon Cramer said as he reflected back on the recently completed 2024 harness racing season.

“Our handle was down slightly for the season, both on and off track,” Cramer stated. “Our promotions were well received, especially on opening and closing nights as well as our Dine N Derby Party.”

There were plenty of highlights during the campaign with six track records being rewritten. Cramer said, “The horses are just getting faster, and I think our track resurfacing last off season helped also.”

Double Class and driver Jim Morrill Jr. broke the 4-year-old trotting gelding mark with a 1:56.2 on July 13 then a week later on July 20, topped his own freshly set standard with a 1:56.1 tour around the Buffalo Raceway half-mile oval.

Biscoe established a new all-age trotting mark for a stallion as well as the 4-year-old record with a 1:55.3 for driver James McNeight Jr.

In the New York Sire Stakes, pacer Boston Rocks put down a 1:52.2 clocking which broke the old barrier for the all-aged and 3-year-old colts.

The year end awards saw Power And Grace being named the Trotter Of The Meet. The 8-year-old mare (Holiday Road-Mark Of Honour) is owned by Hartel Maintenance Inc., Lormer McClure, Brett MacDonald and Reg Higgs. Trained by Ronald MacDonald, she won six out of 15 races at Buffalo, earning $58,820.

Egomania took home Pacer of the Meet honors. After sweeping all three legs of the Spring Up Series, the David Russo trainee then captured the finals. Owned by Anthony Barone, Egomania won six of 14 attempts and had over $47,000 in winnings.

Samuel Smith took home his second consecutive Trainer Of The Meet award after registering 60 wins through Friday and nearly $500,000 in purses.

Kevin Cummings won the Buffalo Raceway driving championship with 97 victories and $772,186 in purse earnings. Since 2019, Cummings has either finished second or third but finally clinched that elusive title.

In other statistics, the inside post captured 182 victories in 641 starts while the post time favorite winning percentage at the track for the year was 45.87 percent.

Cramer stated that the 2025 live racing season is expected to return in early March.

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by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway