Photo of Howmac Dancer with driver Renaldo Morales III.
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
A late-comer to the party, Renaldo Morales III headed to Genesee County upon the completion of the Tioga Downs meet and since arriving has become one of the hotter drivers in the area. On Saturday (Nov. 23) he continued to streak as he won four races, including both pacing features at Batavia Downs.
In the $12,500 Open I Handicap Morales put Howmac Dancer right on the point and led the entire race by open lengths. After setting easy fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.2, Morales let Howmac Dancer out a notch in the far turn and the gelding roared away down the lane, opening up a 3-½ length lead in a :28.1 final quarter to win in 1:53.3.
It was the sixth win at Batavia Downs and eighth of the year for Howmac Dancer ($6.10) who is owned by the Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. James Clouser Jr. trains the winner.
Then in the $11,000 Open II pace, Morales did an about-face and took In Runaway Bay N off the gate and sat a snug fourth on the pegs through the first half. From there he pulled second-over behind Southwind Onyx (Kyle Cummings), followed that cover to the three-quarters where Southwind Onyx took the lead from Lots Of Loving (Denny Bucceri) and then ran that one down in the stretch to win by 1-½ lengths in 1:55.2.
In Runaway Bay N ($4.30) is owned by Mark Jakubik and trained by Angelo Nappo.
Morales completed his Grand Slam behind Weekend Atnannies (1:56, $8.10) and Cee Pee Panic (1:58, $2.70).
Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Nov. 27) with pot time at 6 p.m. This will be the final Wednesday of live racing this year.
