49TH SEASON UNDERWAY AT FINGER LAKES
Contact: David Mattice
Publicity Dept.
585-924-3232 x234
FARMINGTON, N.Y. – The 49th live racing season at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack got underway with Goes winning the first race of 2010. The 8-year-old gelding finished the four and one-half furlong distance in a time of :54.11.
Goes was guided to the one length score by jockey Ezequiel Perez. The victory ended a long drought for the Texas-bred. His previous visit to the winner’s circle occurred on May 16, 2008 at Churchill Downs.
Trainer James Acquilano saddled four winners on the opening day card. Octoposse went gate-to-wire to win the fourth race and Maggie’s Miracle rallied to take the fifth race.
Smokin Warrior cruised to a three and three-quarter length victory in the seventh race for Acquilano’s third win. The bay gelding’s four and one-half furlong time of :52.98 was the quickest of any horse on opening day.
My Moms Sugar Halo won the ninth race to complete a successful day for Acquilano. The 4-year-old gelding was guided to the six and one-quarter length victory by jockey Pedro Rodriguez. Rodriguez rode three of the four winning horses for Acquilano.
Chris Englehart and John Davila, Jr. were both honored for their respective 2009 titles after the running of the third race.
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. Among the top 100 earning trainers in North America last year, Englehart finished sixth for overall wins with 226.With 168 wins, John Davila, Jr. won the jockey title for the eighth consecutive year. Davila broke Kevin Whitley’s record after finishing the season as Finger Lakes’ top rider for the tenth time.
Finger Lakes will continue to offer live thoroughbred action on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday in April before moving to a five-day week with the addition of Thursday on May 13. The gaming floor featuring nearly 1,200 slots is open 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily. Admission and parking are always free.
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