HAMBURG, N.Y. --- Now they are even. After Classic American N ($3.90) suffered a heart breaking nose setback last week to Western Conquest in Buffalo Raceway's $11,500 Open Pace, he returned the favor on Saturday night (July 14) by pinning a demoralizing head loss on the hard charging Western Conquest in 1:56.0.

Photo by Steve Roth
Classic American N (#1) squeezes out win in Open Pace.

 

For the second consecutive week, the Open Pace was reduced to four entrants with Best Ears and Sir Ziggy's Z Tam both scratched due to illness. So that left a quartet to battle it out over the good track.

 

This time around, Classic American N got the upper hand early and set the tempo as Western Conquest had to give chase. With fractions of :28.4, :58.0 and 1:27.2, it ended up being a repeat of last Saturday's race between the two.

 

In the lane, Classic American N (Billy Davis Jr.) managed to stay in front as Western Conquest made a late surge but ran out of real estate. Focus Power (Drew Monti) took the show position.

 

Co-owned by the Nick Surick Stable LLC and the J L Benson Stables, Inc. and trained by Sabrina Clevenger, it was the fourth win in 21 starts for Classic American N (American Ideal-Classic Vicolo). The victory increased his seasonal bankroll to $32,270 and $271,455 in his career.

 

Ray Fisher Jr. had four trips to the winner's circle with Davis Jr. getting three and Monti a pair. Trainer Russell Bratt had three victories.

 

Buffalo Raceway will start its final week of racing this year on Wednesday at 5 p.m. with a 10-race program slated. It will be the last appearance in 2018 for the New York Sire Stakes at the Hamburg half-mile oval with the 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers in action.

 

For more information including the latest news, upcoming promotions, simulcast schedule, race replays, results and entries, go to www.buffaloraceway.com