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Batavia, NY — Sent off at 50-cents to the dollar in the featured $9,500 pace for fillies and mares at Batavia Downs on Monday (Feb. 3), Oaxacan Dream N (Big Jim) lived up to the hype on a rainy night over a sloppy harness racing track with an impressive gate-to-wire win, which was her first of 2025.
Dave McNeight III made it quick and simple as he sent Oaxacan Dream N to the front off the gate and laid down measured fractions of :29.5, :59 and 1:29.2 to three quarters, where she held a 1-¼ length lead over the pocket-sitting Scenic Adventure (Kevin Cummings). With no other legitimate threats coming from behind, Oaxacan Dream N rounded the last turn and entered the stretch before pacing away to a 1-½ length win in 1:59.1.
OAXACAN DREAM N REPLAY
Oaxacan Dream N ($3.00) is owned by Vogel and Wags Nags and trained by Maria Rice.
That was one of the few highlights of the night for chalk bettors on Monday as conditions seem to dictate that price plays were where the speculator’s smart money should have gone.
The run of overlooked victors started in the first race with Matticulous GB (2:00.4, $14.40) and continued with Fireworks Flash (2:02, $11.60), Sake Bomb (1:59.1, $28.40), Bugatti (2:01.3, $27.60), Celia Bayama (2:00.2, $54.50) and closed out the card with Justine (2:03.3, $56.60), who was eighth and last at the half, tipped three-deep at three-quarters, came off the far turn five-deep and still seventh before bolting to the line a winner by a nose in a photo. Celia Bayama and Justine teamed up to provide a late daily double that returned $1,430 for a $2 wager.
Several horsemen had multiple wins on Monday. Drivers Kevin Cummings and Joe Chindano Jr. each scored a hat trick while trainers Chris Petrelli, David Russo and Sam Smith all had two wins apiece.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Thursday (Feb. 6) at 3:00 p.m. and there will be a pair of carryovers for the betting faithful. First there will be a $1,374 carryover in the Pick-5 in race one and later, a $2,885 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta in the 13th race.
Free full card past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
