HAMBURG, N.Y. --- It may have been damp and dreary night at Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday (Jan. 18) but Wanna Rock N Roll, driver Larry Stalbaum and trainer Kim Asher sure did brightened the night with some superb efforts.

 

After going wire-to-wire last week, Wanna Rock N Roll ($2.80) and driver Drew Monti used the same tactic to discard her five rivals in 1:59.0 over the sloppy track to take the $10,000 open pace for the mares.

Photo by Steve Roth
Wanna Rock N Roll wins fifth straight race on Wednesday.

 

The victory was the fifth consecutive for Wanna Rock N Roll. The 6-year-old mare (Rocknroll Hanover-Cams Leading Lady) closed the 2016 campaign with three in a row at Batavia Downs and now is a perfect 2-for-2 to start the year at Buffalo Raceway.

 

Stalbaum, in the meantime, is getting to know track photographer Steve Roth very well as he found the winner's circle seven times on Wednesday night while Asher enjoyed five victories.

 

In what looked like an instant replay of last week's victory, Wanna Rock N Roll fired off the starting gate and was in command by the time the field reached the backstretch the first time. Setting the splits of 29.3, 59.0 and 1:29.2, Wanna Rock N Roll received minor encouragement from Monti in the stretch and held off runner up Aritzia Hanover (Ben McNeil) by a non-threatening half length. Who Says That (Shawn Gray) took the show spot.

 

Owned by Rose Campbell and trained by Steven Kiblin, Wanna Rock N Roll now has $10,000 in the bank this year and $242,477 lifetime.

 

Also during the 11-race program, David McNeight III scored a pair of victories in the bike while trainer David Russo had a double.

 

Racing will continue at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night with the first post scheduled for 5 p.m.