Batavia: Kane Memorial, NYSS highlight excellent Saturday card

On Saturday (Aug. 22), Batavia Downs will once again host its signature race, the $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace, which annually draws some of the best Open class pacers in North America. And the 2026, 20th edition of this major local race is no exception.

With a full field of eight horses going behind the gate, the one who most probably will be sent off as the public’s choice has also drawn post one.

Twisted Destiny was one of the best 3-year-old pacing colts in the country last year, posting the fifth fastest mile (1:48) and 14th highest earnings ($402,986) of any second-year pacer in North America. Winning multiple Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, the Messenger Stake at Yonkers and finishing third by only a neck in The Adios at The Meadows, all contributed to those earnings and was accrued while facing the best in his class on a week to week basis.

As he transitioned to facing older horses this year, Twisted Destiny acclimated very well. He has raced in the Borgata at Yonkers, the Send It In at Harrah’s Philly and the Graduate at The Meadowlands through the first part of this year and only missed one check in all those engagements.

In July, his training base of operations was changed from Chris Ryder on the east coast, to Virgil Morgan Jr. in the midwest, and he has not missed a beat in the process. Since arriving in Ohio, he won two straight races at Scioto Downs, including his seasonal mark of 1:49 3/5. He finished second in his last start at Scioto in 1:49 1/5 and moves from two recent outside draws to the pylon position for this race and will certainly be a tough-out here.

Virgil Morgan Jr. has assigned the second leading dash driver at Batavia, Shawn Gray, to pilot Twisted Destiny for this outing.

Another top competitor in the field is Howlenthehills, who is no stranger to Batavia Downs. The New York-bred gelding raced at The Downs at both 2 and 3-years-old in the New York Sire Stakes, winning there his second year in 1:53 3/5. Since then, he too has had a decent run against older pacers with most of his action being based at Yonkers. Last year he saw stake action in the Jurivanski at Flamboro and the Gerrity at Saratoga, where he finished second both times. This year he raced in the Borgata at Yonkers where he scored a win, two seconds and two thirds in the preliminary rounds before drawing post eight in the final and despite that, still only got beat six lengths.

Matt Kakaley, who has won three previous Kanes, will steer Howlenthehills for trainer Travis Alexander and start from post four.

Travis Alexander won the 2024 Kane Memorial with Desperate Man, who Kakaley drove.

Another trainer that is no stranger to the Kane is Hall of Famer Ron Burke, and he will be starting Rick Wink in this year’s edition.

Rick Wink has spent his entire career in the midwest and was an Ohio Sire Stake star at two. Besides that series, he also saw Grand Circuit action at three in The Adios, the Milstein at Northfield Park, The Hempt at Pocono Downs and the Monument Circle at Hoosier Park, all facing the top sophomore pacing colts and geldings in North America. Like Twisted Destiny, Rick Wink has moved to the older competition for the first time this year and also competed in the Jurivanski at Flamboro. But he has mostly thrived on a steady diet of Open class competition at Both Miami Valley and Scioto Downs.

Rick Wink has drawn mid-pack, post five, and will have local legend Kevin Cummings, who is responsible for two Kane wins, at the lines as assigned by Burke.

Burke has won the Kane five times. Three times with the legendary Foiled Again and once each with Atta Boy Dan and Dorsoduro Hanover.

Horses with local connections will also be competing in the Kane this year and look to be the first with that distinction to win it in 15 years.

Lanjo Lee has been a familiar face in the Batavia Winner’s Circle for a couple of years now and has already won the top class here twice this meet, including a 1:53 4/5, 2-3/4 length Open win in week one back in July.

Livonjaxandqueens competed in the Kane last year and has won multiple Opens at The Downs over the past several years. This season, he has been a resident at Tioga Downs where he has won three Opens in his last five outings with this year’s best clocking of 1:50 2/5 taken just two weeks ago.

Lanjo Lee will start from post three with Kyle Cummings driving for trainer Tammy Cummings and Livonjaxandqueens drew post six and trainer Jim Rothfuss has driver Ridge Warren between the wheels.

Here is the complete field as drawn:

1 Twisted Destiny - Shawn Gray - Virgil Morgan Jr.

2 Congressional - Kevin Wallis - Kevin Wallis

3 Lanjo Lee - Kyle Cummings - Tammy Cummings

4 Howlenthehills - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander

5 Rick Wink - Kevin Cummings - Ron Burke

6 Livonjaxandqueens - Ridge Warren - Jim Rothfuss

7 Full MetalJacket - Leaon Bailey - Andy Gardner

8 Star Casino N - Colin Kelly - Jared Bako

The Robert J. Kane Memorial is named for the former chairman of the board of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (which owns and operates Batavia Downs and Gaming), Robert J. Kane. Kane, worked on the board for 26 years and in 1998 saw the value in purchasing the track that had been shuttered for three years after having its license revoked. The facility has gone through a complete turnaround since then and WROTB has developed the property into the premier entertainment destination in Genesee County, as well as all of Western New York.

The first edition of the Kane was held in 2002 and it has compiled a long list of champion horses that have come to Batavia to compete over the years. They include three-time winner and all-time highest money earner in the history of the sport, the $7.6 million dollar man Foiled Again. Other winners include Dosudoro Hanover, Bolt The Duer, Atta Boy Dan, Kenneth J, One More Laugh, Aracache Hanover and Captain Albano, who last year set the all-time track pacing record of 1:50 1/5 winning the stake.

The $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace is programmed as race 10 and is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. post time.

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The New York Sire Stakes will visit Batavia Downs for the sixth time this year on Saturday (Aug. 22) night and will feature nine 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings who will start for their chance at $114,900 in total purses.The group will compete in two fields, with one being a non-betting event before the first regular race of the night.

The main event will be race six and go for $58,000 with three pacers so close in recent resume, it’s hard to separate them when you break down the race.

Knoxville (Huntsville-Let’s Fall In Love) is the second highest points (170) and purse ($192,820) earner among all NYSS 3-year-old pacing males behind only Fragment, who is not competing this week. Knoxville has only missed the board one time this year in his 10 starts with four wins, three seconds and two thirds, that have helped him amass those earnings. Knoxville took his lifetime mark at Vernon Downs in June when he won in 1:50 3/5 in a NYSS race and finished second in that same time at Tioga Downs while chasing Fragment in his 1:49 3/5 win.

Knoxville has drawn the pylon position to start here and will have Matt Kakaley onboard for trainer Ray Schnittker.

Aries Blue Chip (American Ideal-Fox Valley Shaker) has been on an absolute tear since June, with four wins in six starts with a second and a third, but is stepping up to the major league for the first time after competing in the Excel series. There he won two straight races, one in 1:50 3/5 at Tioga Downs, and finished second by a neck in that same class at Yonkers, race timed in 1:51 3/5. Although he will make his first NYSS start here, he certainly looks like he is more than capable of winning.

Aries Blue Chip starts from post two for trainer Deborah Daguet, who has assigned Leon Bailey for the trip.

Hunting Glory (Huntsville-Southwind Prima) got off to a bit of a slow start this year, but has really rounded into form recently. He just won his first NYSS race last week at Yonkers where he tripped-out to an impressive 1:52 victory over the half-mile track while beating Knoxville, who cut the mile. If he comes back to that mile, he will be a player for top honors here.

Hunting Glory has post three and trainer Robert Cleary has put Ridge Warren in control for the mile.

The second group is the non-betting event and they will go for a $56,900 purse.

Unraced at two, Cooperstown Boy (Huntsville-Twinsburg) has one NYSS win that came in his last outing at Yonkers where he scored in 1:52 2/5 while beating Fragment. He won two starts before that in Excel action at Tioga with a 1:51 4/5 lifetime best effort. He’s got three wins and two seconds in his last five starts and just seems to be hitting his stride at the right time of the year. He will be formidable in this contest.

Cooperstown Boy has drawn post three and trainer Jared Bakos has tapped Colin Kelly to drive.

Unmatched Wisdom (American Ideal-Above Average) is a seven-time winner in 2026, including six in a row to start his year. But only one of those coming in NYSS action. That was an impressive 1:52 1/5 win in the mud at Saratoga Raceway in May, setting a lifetime mark. Since then, he has one win in Excel action at Goshen Historic Track in 1:54 4/5 and three more NYSS starts that only produced one third.

Unmatched Wisdom is trained by Chuck Connor Jr. and will be driven by Leon Bailey from post four.

There is also a $20,000 NYSS Excelsior Series event on the card, programmed as race seven.

Post time for the first race at Batavia Downs on Saturday is 5:00 p.m.

-edited releases (Tim Bojarski for Batavia Downs)