Shawn McDonough had an extraordinary night at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Nov. 6), notching six wins, including a driving grand slam and a training double. One of the night's most impressive performances came in the $15,278 distaff pacing feature, where McDonough guided Celia Bayama to an unexpected victory at odds of 54-1.
Despite having won just two starts prior, Celia Bayama was largely overlooked by punters, but the mare proved them wrong with a thrilling late rally. Starting from sixth, she watched as Forgot Thewallet A (driven by Dave McNeight III) set a brisk pace, reaching the quarter in :27.1 and the half in :56.2. As the race progressed, Its Corona Time (Joe Chindano Jr.) mounted a strong challenge, eventually taking the lead at three-quarters.
Celia Bayama, who had been trailing, surged into contention four-wide around the final turn. While Its Corona Time held a two-length advantage, Celia Bayama fought back in the stretch, edging past the leader to win by half a length in 1:55.2. The victory, worth $111.50, marked her fifth win of the year and was part of a successful night for McDonough and trainer Chris Petrelli.
McDonough’s other victories included No More Sweets (1:59.3, $7.60), Mcvera (1:55.3, $11.40), and Gracious Triumph (2:00.4, $3.60). No More Sweets and Gracious Triumph are both trained by McDonough.
Live racing continues at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Nov. 6), with post time at 6:00 p.m., featuring a $1,209 carryover in the Pick-5 and a $414 carryover in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta.