Photo: Bioness takes the lead, driven by Kevin Cummings.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
International trotting came to Batavia Downs on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 6) as the French-bred Bioness shipped in and captured the $15,000 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot.
The Downs annual signature invitational trot is named for the longtime Western New York trainer/driver Brian Schroeder whose specialty was breaking and racing diagonal-gaited Standardbreds. Schroeder passed away on Oct. 11, 2007 after a lengthy illness.
Schroeder conditioned and raced some of the best trotters of his era at Batavia Downs as well as on the Grand circuit. Aside from all the races he won in western New York, Schroeder’s career highlights included competing in the 1993 Hambletonian with Collier St Joey and finishing second with Financial Paige in the Breeders Crown 3-year-old filly trot at Woodbine in 1995.
Leaving from post eight, Bioness (Kevin Cummings) made his way to the top and settled in past the quarter in :28.1. With no opposition Cummings backed the next panel down to :29.4 and looked confident on the point. As the race made its way into the third turn, Southern Palms (Shawn McDonough) pulled first-up from fifth and started the rim trek in a slow, methodical fashion.
When the group hit the three-quarters Bioness had opened up a two length lead while Southern Palms made his way to second, but still with much work to do. At the top of the lane Bioness looked home free, but McDonough was working his horse hard and getting favorable results. Southern Palms came flying down the lane while Bioness really needed the line. With both drivers in full swing, Bioness hung on by a head to win in 1:57.
"The plan was to go to the front from the start and when I got there he felt fine the whole mile. He was game holding that other horse off at the wire but he was all in at that point," said Cummings after the race.
Bioness ($5) scored his fourth win in 14 starts this year and the purse pushed his earnings to $101,688 for 2018. Northfork Racing Stable owns Bioness who is trained by Chris Oakes. The winner was greeted in the Purple Haze winner’s circle by many friends and family of Brian Schroeder.
Bioness (Sam Bourbon-Quiradelle D’hilly) was purchased and imported this spring through the French-American Trotting Club (FATC) program developed by the Standardbred Owners Association of New York. The 7-year-old gelding competed in three legs of the FATC series at Yonkers in August before winning the $120,000 final, going the mile and one-half in 2:58.
After having a three-week sabbatical, Bioness qualified at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:54.3 before shipping to Batavia for this engagement.
