A $23,931 carryover and a $75,000 guaranteed pool through the USTA Strategic Wagering Program generated a massive $79,508 in new money for Batavia Downs' Pick-5 wager on Wednesday, Nov. 13. This led to a total pool of $102,701, producing the largest mutual payout in the track's history, dating back to 1940.
The sequence started with the heavy favourite, Raylan Drew ($3.10), winning the first race. However, the odds shifted dramatically in the subsequent legs, with long shots dominating. La Always Amartini ($15.20), Mason Street ($68.50), Batting Stats ($9.60), and Venue ($22.20) completed the winning combination of 2-5-4-4-1, returning a staggering $41,412 for a 50-cent wager.
Despite the surprising victories in three of the first four races, savvy Batavia Downs punters managed to cover all but two of the numbers in the fifth race, resulting in two winning tickets being sold.
The excitement continued with the $11,000 fillies and mares feature race, where Won Surreal Deal (Drew Monti) led from start to finish. With splits of :28.3, :58.1, and 1:26.4, Monti kept his charge on the front end, pulling away in the final stretch for a 1-1/2 length victory in 1:54.3, capped by a sharp :27.4 final quarter. The win marked the second in three starts and the seventh victory of the year for Won Surreal Deal ($13.80), owned by Parsimonious Racing Stable and trained by Jeff Sorenson.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday, Nov. 15, with post time at 6:00 p.m.