The New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) three-year-old colt and gelding trotters visited Batavia Downs on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 28) and ended up making a big impression on the track’s record book.
In the first $58,000 division, Winning Shadow (Credit Winner-Sheenas Shadow) came into the race off a new lifetime mark taken at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono last week. At the end of the day, he not only bested that but also broke two long-standing Batavia Downs track records.
Winning Shadow (Mike Simons) went right for the lead and held it mostly uncontested for the rest of the mile. Simons cut some lively fractions, going to the quarter in :27.2, the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:24.3, at which point it was clear a track record was well in reach.
At that last station, the pocket-sitting Clive Bigsby (Jason Bartlett) started to pull and take his best shot at the leader. Coming with him second-over was Cruising In Style (Jim Morrill Jr.), who quickly found himself three-deep and left Voss Volo (Andy Miller) on the pylons behind the leader. Heading into the lane, these horses were three across the track, trying to advance behind Winning Shadow. But Simons was line-driving down the lane and Winning Shadow crossed the wire with authority by a length in 1:53.4.
The winning time was a new lifetime mark for Winning Shadow, a new track record for three-year-old trotting geldings, and a new all-time track trotting record breaking the previous standard of 1:54.3 set by Archangel in 2012 and tied by his son Top Flight Angel in 2017.
“Coming into the race, I was very confident, but scoring down he was a little more aggressive than he usually is and I was a little worried about that. But he handled himself well; he’s maturing fast. He had plenty left, he just keeps getting better and Jake (Huff) has done a great job with him,” said Simons after the race.
Winning Shadow ($10.80) is owned by Our Horse Cents Stable, is trained by Jake Huff and was bred by James Wilhite Jr.
A lightning storm rolled in just before the second $58,000 split, but it didn’t detract from the performance of Im The Muscle (Muscle Mass-Lady Bling) who was the easiest of winners after moving into NYSS action for the first time from the Excelsior “A” ranks.
Perlucky (Trond Smedshammer) was quickest off the gate, but that lead was not held for long. Im The Muscle (Jason Bartlett) who had gotten away fourth, was out and rolling past the three-eighths and took command in front of the stands by the half. Under a tight hold by Bartlett, Im The Muscle opened up a three-length advantage that he maintained up the backstretch and around the far turn. Heading into the stretch, Bartlett was just a passenger as Im The Muscle rambled off to a four-length lead and won for fun in 1:55.2, which tied his lifetime mark set just last week.
Im The Muscle ($2.60) scored his fifth consecutive win and his first career NYSS score. Owned by Rheau Viau and trained by Rene Allard, Im The Muscle was bred by Blair and Erna Corbeil.
There were also two Excelsior “A” races on the card.
Troller (Muscle Mass-Pearls Last Chance) went gate-to-wire in 1:57. Troller ($4.30) was driven by Jim Morrill Jr. for owner-trainer Paul Kelley and was bred by Bonnie Woodward.
Crime Fighter (Chapter Seven-Southwind Cocoa) closed late and just got up to win in 1:58.1. Crime Fighter ($6.60) is owned by Richard Gutnick, William Augustine, Joseph Lozito Jr. and T L P Stables. Gutnick and Augustine bred the winner.
(Batavia Downs)