Batavia To Host Sires Stakes Sunday

Published: August 6, 2017 11:58 am EDT

Two competitive fields of three-year-old pacing fillies will be on hand at Batavia Downs to compete for $58,800 per division in the New York Sire Stakes on Sunday afternoon (August 6) and the track record of 1:52.4 may be challenged.

Clear Idea (American Ideal-Glass Maker) has shipped into Batavia on the strength of a five-race winning streak and looks to be the one to beat in her division. She has won seven out of her last nine starts including four NYSS events. She took a lifetime mark of 1:50.4 in an overnight at Harrah’s Philadelphia on July 7 and has banked $152,333 for her efforts this year. Trainer Blake Macintosh has assigned Jody Jamieson to drive and he will start from Post 1 as the early favourite at 6-5.

Tequila Monday (American Ideal-Margarita) finished third in the hard-fought Fan Hanover Stakes at Mohawk back in June that went in 1:49.4 and then came right back in another Grand Circuit event, the Lynch at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs. There she chased fast fractions from the outside and still finished only seven lengths off. With two NYSS wins under her belt, she heads in with a total of five victories this year and $201,711 in earnings. Former western New York trainer Chris Oakes has called on Matt Kakaley to steer. The duo has drawn Post 5 and have been listed at 2-1.

Roaring To Go (Art Major-Lionness Hanover) is heading in off of a season’s-best effort of 1:52.4 in a gate to wire romp in a NYSS event at Yonkers Raceway on Friday (July 28). It was her first win of the year and certainly an eye-opener. She also raced in the Fan Hanover and Lynch, where she finished second in the consolation of the latter. The filly is versatile and seldom misses the board. Dan Rawlings will drive for trainer Kevin Lare. The filly has been assessed as the 3-1 third choice early and will start from Post 6.

In the other $58,800 split, Candlelight Dinner (American Ideal-Time N Again) will head in very sharp off of a barn change to trainer Tracy Brainard. After a solid qualifier in June, the filly did not perform well in her first three starts. However, last week at Yonkers she tracked a moderate half and then flew home in :56 (last quarter in :27.2) to finish third in 1:53.1 by less than a length in a NYSS event. Brainard has tapped local favourite and perennial NYSS leading driver Jim Morrill Jr. to drive and they are listed as the 9-5 morning line favourite from Post 2.

Marquesa Seelster (Rock N Roll Heaven-Mistreos) has won three of her last six starts, but none of them have come in NYSS races. It seems her best game is on the lead and having Post 1 in a short field here may give her the opportunity to attempt that strategy. Trainer Jennifer Davis has put the ‘Downs’ defending dash winner, Drew Monti, up to drive and they are listed at 2-1 on the morning line.

The NYSS events have been carded as Races 3 and 4. There are also three $15,000 divisions of the Excelsior ‘A’ series on Sunday, carded as Races 6, 7 and 8.

Post time for the first race is 1:15 p.m.

(Batavia Downs)

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