FINGER LAKES OPENS GATES FOR 47TH SEASON

                      
FARMINGTON, N.Y. – The 47th live racing season at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack got underway with Fifty Seven G  winning the feature race on the opening day card. 4,521 fans watched the 4-year-old gelding upset Johnie Bye Night, the odds-on favorite of the Alpha Handicap, by one length.

The Karl Grusmark-trainee seized the early lead under jockey Omar Camejo and withstood a late challenge by the 2006 “Horse of the Year” to win the overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up. It was the sixth victory in the 25th career start of the $131,605 earner, who completed the four and one-half furlong dash in a final time of :52.86.

He was the second choice in the wagering and paid $6.50 and $2.70. Johnie Bye Night settled for second and returned $2.10. Show wagering in the eighth race was cancelled.

The day started with a tribute to former Finger Lakes announcer Ross Morton. Prior to the first race there was a dedication of the new Ross Morton Memorial Winner’s Circle. Following the ceremony, the running of the first race was silent.

Both Chris Englehart and John Davila, Jr. were honored for their respective 2007 titles after the second race.  Chris Englehart won his fifth consecutive trainer title and seventh overall in 2007 with 117 victories. Englehart has 2,192 victories in 10,622 career starts, amassing a total of $16,531,027 in lifetime earnings. 1,975 horses saddled by Englehart have visited the Finger Lakes Winner’s Circle.

With 158 victories in 2007, John Davila, Jr. won the Finger Lakes jockey title for the eighth time in his career. The 44-year-old from Juncos, Puerto Rico was the leading jockey for the sixth consecutive year, establishing a new Finger Lakes record. He surpassed Kevin Whitley who won five straight jockey titles from 1986 to 1990.

 Davila had a successful start to the 2008 season, riding three winners on the opening day card. One of those victories was aboard Smokin Sue, an Englehart trained horse in the sixth race.

Finger Lakes will offer live racing in April three days a week with dark days of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. First race post time will be at 1:10 p.m. everyday. Fridays will be added to the schedule beginning May 2, and Saturdays included starting May 11.