HAMBURG, N.Y. --- Best Ears was sent off as the heavy 3-5 favorite in the $10,500 Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night (July 5) and he proved he was the 'best' with a neck decision over Western Alumni in 1:54.2 over the fast track.
Scoring from the rail, Best Ears (Shawn McDonough) played 'give-and-go' with Western Alumni and set the fractions with times of 29.0, 58.1 and 1:26.4.
In the stretch, it boiled down to a two-horse race with Best Ears ($3.30) begging for the finish line late and was able to hold off the late drive of the pocket-sitting Western Alumni (Jim McNeight) by a diminishing neck. What The Sheik (David McNeight III) took the show position.
Best Ears (Shark Gesture-Extreme Dream) is a 5-year-old gelding who is owned by Joseph Amico and is trained by Frank Mastrodonato. It was the fifth win in 24 starts this season for Best Ears and pushed his 2014 earnings to $32,992 and $216,397 lifetime.
Racing will continue on Sunday afternoon with a 12-race card slated for 1:05 p.m.
by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway