It was not your average night at Buffalo Raceway on Friday: Post time was put back about one-half hour due to torrential rains that hit the Hamburg area at 6:15 p.m. (EDT), making the track sloppy.
When racing resumed, veteran reinsman Jim Morrill, Jr. put on a driving clinic, which included a win behind the undefeated filly Madam Countess -- Morrill’s third win of the night and win number 3,999 of his career.
Madam Countess is a 3-year-old daughter of Art Major, who did not race as a 2-year-old but who is now a perfect seven-for-seven this year for owners MJG Racing Stables and Louis Willinger. Leaving from post three in the field of seven, Madam Countess ($2.30) settled in third as the eventual second place finisher, Delightful Diva (Howard Okusko, Jr.), set all the fractions, :30, :59.4 and 1:30. A :28.2 last quarter-mile put Madam Countess one length ahead at the wire. Lislea Isabella (Matt Kakaley) came in third. “She was just awesome tonight,” owner Mike Gulotta, who also bred her, said. “Her next start will be in the Lismore at Yonkers. At two she was really small. We don’t like to start our horses too early, and our decision to wait has worked out just perfect.” Trained by Erv Miller, the winner’s share of the $31,465 New York Sire Stakes purse boosted Madam Countess’ lifetime earnings to $169,594. In the very next race, Morrill hit number 4,000 aboard Aquilea in the $31,465 New York Sire Stakes for trainer Jim Martuscello. It was the sixth win of the year for Aquilea ($10.80), sired by Bettor’s Delight, who is owned by Wize Advisors LLC, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. When asked for a comment on win number 4,000, Morrill, a man of few words simply said, “I couldn’t have done it without my lovely wife, Molly.” The other New York Sire Stakes division winners were Majored In Love ($2.80), for driver Alan Wallace; Riverbank Hanover ($5.20), for reinsman Sam Schillaci; Diva Delight ($16.00) for driver Keith Kash, Jr.; JK Majorette ($5.10), for driver Stephane Bouchard; and Hannah Isabel ($3.00), for driver Jim Morrill, Jr., who had six wins on the night. Racing will resume on Saturday, with first post scheduled for 6:30 P.M. Six divisions of New York Sire Stakes, worth approximately $35,000 each, will be up for grabs. Fans may enjoy fine food and drinks while playing their favorite horses: Call the clubhouse reservation Line at (716) 646-6109, ext. 60149 to reserve a table. An operator will be available on Monday, from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. (Buffalo)
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