Morrill remains hots, win five more

Batavia, NY — Harness racing driver Jim Morrill Jr. remains flaming hot at Batavia Downs after winning five more races on Saturday night (Nov.6). He scored with Thedoginthefight (1:56.1, $2.90), Ginger Tree Lerue (1:56, $3.20), B’s Yankee (1:55.3, $2.60), Warrawee Shipshape (1:58.2, $2.70) and Ohio Prince (1:55.3, $4.10).

Morrill is the runaway winner of the dash driving title this year at Batavia, already sporting a gaudy 104 wins, 58 ahead of the second place Kevin Cummings. Morrill is also currently the seventh best percentage driver in North America with a UDR of .392 for the year.

He didn’t have five wins Saturday, but the two that driver Dave McNeight III, aka “Triple Sticks”, did have came at the right time. McNeight won both the pacing feature with Mississippi Rabbit and the top trot with Lougazi and each victory occurred after getting away last off the gate.

First came the $13,500 Open I Handicap pace where Mississippi Rabbit scored his second straight top class victory. Matticulous GB (Larry Stalbaum) fought hard with Art Scene (Jim Morrill Jr.) for the lead but got it and took the field through splits of :27 and :56.3. At this point Mississippi Rabbit was last and seven lengths behind. As the race passed the five-eighths, Stratosphere (Drew Monti) pulled first-over from fourth and Mississippi Rabbit accepted his cover.

Stratosphere drew even with Matticulous GB at three-quarters and the two paced in time around the last turn. At the top of the stretch, Stratosphere took the lead but Mississippi Rabbit was now three-wide and rolling. Heading for the line there were four horses across the track with a shot at the “W” but Mississippi Rabbit was doing the best work and he flew home to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.1.

Mississippi Rabbit ($29.80) claimed his eighth win of the year and bumped his income up to $91,090 for owner Rocco Stebbins. Joe Skowyra trains the Illinois-bred gelding by Richess Hanover.

MISSISSIPPI RABBIT REPLAY

Then later in the $13,500 Open I Handicap trot, Lougazi (Lou’s Legacy) scored his second win in his last three starts off a spirited stretch drive. Last weeks’ winner Mugshots Bro (Shawn McDonough) took his best shot again after getting the lead and walking to the half in :59.1. At that point Lougazi had just pulled from last and flushed cover from Barn Hall (Mike Baumeister) who was making his way up the rim.

Mugshots Bro was still trotting freely on the lead but the outer flow reached him at three-quarters and everything tightened up from there. Around the tuen Barn Hall and Mugshots Bro were battling for supremacy and cutting breeze for Lougazi and coming off that bend, McNeight tipped Lougazi and gave the trotter his head. Lougazi was in full flight down the lane and marched smartly to the wire where he won by one-half length in 1:56.4.

Lougazi ($4.50) scored his 41st lifetime win and crossed the $300,000 mark in lifetime earnings, now with $303,486. Mary Warriner owns the Ryan Swift trained trotter.

LOUGAZI REPLAY

When live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Nov. 10) there will be two carryovers on the betting menu. First in the Jackpot Pick-6 in race five, there is a carryover of $1,508 and then later in race 10, the Jackpot Super Hi-5 has a carryover of $13,769.

Free full past performance program pages for all live Batavia Downs races can be downloaded at bataviadownsgaming.com under the live racing tab where they are always available for every live racing night at Batavia Downs.

And if you can’t attend the races in person, you can still watch a live stream of the entire night’s action on the Batavia Downs Youtube channel.

Post time for the first race is 5 p.m.

For full race results, click here. 

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs