The New York Sire Stakes returns to Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and will feature two short fields of two-year-old pacing fillies who will compete for purses totalling $104,000 USD.
The first race has a field of four vying for $51,500 USD with two heavy morning line favourites, Annie O and Clear Choice.
Annie O (Huntsville-Rapunzel Blue Chip) is the hot horse coming in, having won her last two races and both in NYSS action. After winning in 1:53.4 at Tioga Downs in a lifetime-best clocking on July 31, Annie O came right back and destroyed the field at Monticello Raceway, winning by seven lengths in 1:55.2 on Aug. 10. She is currently third for points and earnings in her NYSS division behind Cowboy Candy and Fendilicious, neither of whom are entered here on Wednesday. She looks to extend her win streak to three. Annie O will be driven by Leon Bailey for trainer Andrew Stafford and will start from post four.
That win won't come easy though, as she will be heavily tested by Clear Choice (Courtly Choice-Jennas Delight), who has two victories in the NYSS Excelsior Series, where she took a lifetime mark of 1:53.2 at Vernon Downs on July 19. She has yet to win at the top NYSS level; however, both of her NYSS starts were against Cowboy Candy and included a very solid second-place finish at Tioga, where she was race-timed in 1:52.1. Braxton Boyd will drive Clear Choice from post two for trainer Blake MacIntosh.
The second group has five starters racing for $52,500 USD and once again has two fillies that appear to have an edge, although only one of the five starters have won a NYSS race this year.
Phast Phyllis (Huntsville-Robin J) is that one, having scored a NYSS victory at Buffalo Raceway in her first lifetime start on July 8. She has landed cheques in her subsequent three outings (all NYSS), including a second to Cowboy Candy at Monticello and a third to Annie O at Tioga. She’s not facing either one of those rivals this week as she aims for her second win. Phast Phyllis will have Leon Bailey aboard for trainer Cameron Capone and has drawn post three this week.
Too Pink To Pass (Huntsville-Soft Wind Hanover) is winless overall this year, but does show a large effort at Vernon, where she paced in 1:51.3 in a second-place finish to Fendilicious in a NYSS event. Since then, she finished fifth at Tioga and was scratched sick at Monticello in her most recent engagement, so this will be her first start in 19 days. She too has drawn easier than her recent starts and that makes her one to watch as well. Too Pink To Pass will be driven by Lauren Tritton for trainer Shane Tritton and will go behind the gate from post two.
Post time for the first race at Batavia Downs on Wednesday is 5 p.m. The New York Sire Stakes events are carded as race eight and 10 with estimated post times of 7:20 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. There are also three $20,000 USD Excelsior Series events on the card, programmed as races two, four and six.
(With files from Batavia Downs; photo of Annie O from a previous win at Tioga Downs)