HAMBURG, N.Y.--- After a two-race hiatus from Buffalo Raceway, Lutetium returned and stamped his mark as the best trotter currently on the grounds with an easy 3-1/2-length victory over Big Baller in the $10,500 Open Trot on Friday night (May 2).
Lutetium ($4.00) recently took a two-race tour to eastern New York, winning at Vernon Downs and taking a solid fourth place finish at Saratoga Raceway. But he returned home and made it four straight victories over the Hamburg half-mile oval by going wire-to-wire in 1:58.3 on the fast track.
Assigned the eight spot, Lutetium and driver Kevin Cummings went right to the lead in typical fashion and put up times of 28.3, 58.3 and 1:29. It was all over at the top of the stretch as the the 7-year-old gelding enjoyed a two-length edge and was in cruise control down the lane.
Big Baller (Ron Beback Jr.), who sat the garden spot the entire mile, finished second while Heartsaregonnaroll (Jim McNeight) took the show position.
With the victory, Lutetium has now won five times in 11 starts in 2014 for owner Colleen Girdlestone and trainer Mark Laidlaw. The win pushed his seasonal earnings to $30,290 and $216,396 lifetime.
A 13-race card will go post at 6:40 p.m. Saturday night at Buffalo Raceway.
by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway