Batavia Downs will host two-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 14) when the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) return for their fifth of nine 2019 stops. The two divisions will compete for a combined $107,000 in purses.
The first leg (carded as race four) goes for $53,000 and has Cash Roll (Roll With Joe-Rockonomics) installed as the 2-1 morning line favourite.
Cash Roll has won three of five starts this year—two of which were in NYSS action—and currently sits second in points and fourth in earnings. She took her lifetime mark of 1:56 last month at Yonkers in a gate to wire, four-and-a-half-length romp in the mud. The noted speedster draws post one for this race with Scott Zeron slated to drive.
Merga Hanover (American Ideal-Magic Starlight) has a similar career path to Cash Roll. She also has three wins to her credit, two in the NYSS, is third in earnings and fourth in points and also likes to race on or near the lead. Matt Kakaley will sit in the bike from post 6.
If the pace between those two gets hectic, The Fun Marshall (So Surreal-Hallmark Hanover) could be close to pick up the pieces. The Fun Marshall did not get her year off to as fast a start as her opponents, but she certainly made a statement on July 11. After sitting a garden trip, she closed down the lane to score a lifetime-best victory of 1:55.4 at Yonkers over a sloppy track. The Fun Marshall starts from post two with Billy Davis Jr. in tow.
In the second $54,000 division, Racine Bell (So Surreal-Tys Artist) brings a stellar resume to post and has been instilled as the morning-line favourite at 5-2.
Racine Bell is the top money earner among her peers and is also tied for the top in points. She has three wins in six starts, has not missed the board all year and comes into this race off a career-best-tying 1:56.1 win at Yonkers. Her regular driver Jason Bartlett will be in town to drive once again and they will start from post seven for this event.
Turnthefrownaround (Roll With Joe-Knockout Pout) is the second choice at 3-1 but appears to be a real wild card. Although she has the fastest win time of this group this year with a 1:53.3 victory over the five-eighths mile track at Tioga Downs, she has also made two breaks at Monticello and Yonkers, both of which are half-mile tracks. She will be on a half Wednesday at Batavia and will have to mind her manners to succeed. Matt Kakaley has been assigned the drive and he start that task from post 5.
Major Battle (Art Major-Savhorsrideacowboy) makes her first NYSS start but recent form shows her potential. Although she has exhibited gate speed in her first lifetime start, her last start shows her strong closing ability after she got away eighth by 15-lengths at Mohawk and paced the final five-eighths of a mile parked-out and closing to finish second in 1:53.3. Jim Morrill Jr. picks up the drive and the pair will start from post four.
There are also three $15,000 divisions of the Excel “A” series on the card. Post time for the first race is 5 p.m.
(Batavia Downs)