FINGER LAKES CONCLUDES 2009 MEET
Contact: David MatticePublicity Dept.
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NEWS RELEASE
FARMINGTON, N.Y. – Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack concluded its 48th year of live racing on Saturday afternoon with jockey Gabriel Suarez sweeping the late daily double.
Suarez guided Come on Over to a neck victory over Good Law in the eighth race. The top two finishers of the Closing Day feature ran as a coupled entry representing the barn of trainer James Aquilano. Come on Over completed the one mile and 70 yard route in a time of 1:43.95.
Suarez also took the final race of the 2009 meet aboard Carts Dream for trainer Jonathan Buckley. He won 31 races for this year for Buckley including the $50,000 George Barker Handicap and the $50,000 Leon Reed Memorial Handicap with Mr Windjammer. Suarez finished the season in ninth in the Finger Lakes jockey standings with 63 wins.
RECORDS, MILESTONES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Chris Englehart won his seventh consecutive trainer title and ninth overall in 2009. He saddled 158winning horses to break the record for most single season victories by a Finger Lakes conditioner. The 54-year-old Canandaigua, N.Y. native crushed his own mark of 141 victories that he achieved in 2006.
Englehart is presently sixth in the 2009 North American trainer standings in the category for most wins.
John Davila, Jr. secured his tenth career Finger Lakes jockey title to break the record held by Kevin Whitley. Whitley was the top rider at Finger Lakes nine times during his career. Davila won four stakes this season and finished the meet with 168 wins.
Trainer James T. Wright saddled the 1,000th winner of his career on Sunday, May 17. Forever Beauty scored a three length victory in the day’s fifth race to give Wright the milestone win. Wright began training at "The Thumb" in 1977 and has resided in the Finger Lakes area throughout his career.
All top three finishers of this year’s $50,000 Susan B. Anthony Handicap were from the barn of trainer Michael S. Ferraro. Bob’s Dylan defeated stablemates Afleet Alexandra and Sweet Lorena in the stake that was run at Finger Lakes on June 14. It was not the first time that Ferraro accomplished the feat. He also completed a sweep of the $20,000 General Sullivan Stakes on July 4, 1981 with Fio Rito, Sea Bourne and D. J’s Nitecap.
FINGER LAKES REMEMBERS
The meet began on a tragic note with the loss of Tin Cup Chalice. The 2008 Finger Lakes "Horse of the Year" was euthanized after being injured in a collision with another horse during morning workouts on opening day.
The 5-time stakes winner owned by Scott Van Laer and trainer Michael LeCesse was officially inducted as the 18th member into the Finger Lakes Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place after the running of the sixth race on July 11. He won the award for top New York-bred 3-year-old in 2008 after winning all three legs of the Big Apple Triple, including the $150,000 New York Derby at Finger Lakes.
The $868,680 earner remains the only 3-year-old ever to complete the sweep.Finger Lakes Racing Official Francis Hanks passed away on Saturday, November 7. Hanks served as Paddock Judge for the last eight seasons after working numerous years at the starting gate. Before he was an employee at the Western New York track, Hanks had a career as a jockey and rode at numerous small circuit tracks. A memorial ceremony to honor Hanks was held in the Winner’s Circle before the running of the first race on Monday, November 9.
Finger Lakes will remain open during the winter months for simulcast wagering with up to seven tracks per day. The gaming floor, with nearly 1,200 slot machines, is open 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., daily.
