A lightning-fast track and 80 degree temperatures greeted the New York Sire Stakes two-year-old pacing fillies at Batavia Downs where two divisions offering a total of $109,000 in purses, along with important points needed to make the NYSS final, were up for grabs on Wednesday night (Sept. 16).
Prohibitive 2-5 favourite Dime A Dance didn't disapoint her backers as she put on a show in her $54,500 division, winning in definitive style and setting a world record for a two-year-old pacing filly over a half-mile track.
Dime A Dance (Roll With Joe-Hat Dance Hanover) took off the pace fourth and watched as No Clouds Bluechip (Kevin Cummings) and American Ivy (Mark Macdonald) duked it out for the lead in a fast :26.4 quarter. From there, the field remained stagnant until the :56 half when Mother Of Art (John Cummings Jr.) pulled first over from third and Dime A Dance (Matt Kakaley) took cover second-over behind her.
The group picked up the pace with a :28.4 third panel, but that wasn’t fast enough for the eventual winner. Dime A Dance swung three-deep at that station and circled the field to clear and pull away by three lengths in an impressive and uncontested victory in 1:52.4.
The time was a new world record for two-year-old pacing fillies, besting that of Isabella Blue Chip's 1:53.1 at Delaware, Ohio in 2006. It was also a new track record for Batavia Downs, smashing the old standard of 1:54.2 set by Sassa Hanover just last year.
“She’s definitely one of the better fillies this year," said Kakaley. "She was just awesome tonight; she could have paced faster."
The win was the third in eight starts for Dime A Dance ($2.90) and it pushed her earnings to $101,513 for owners Our Horse Cents Stable, Blue Chip Bloodstock and J&T Silva Stables. The filly is trained by Ron Burke.
In the first $54,500 division, Encore Deo hung on down the lane for a close victory over Art Critic.
Wishy Washy Girl (Ray Schnittker) took a quick, early lead before yielding to Encore Deo (Matt Kakaley) before the quarter that went in :28. The field remained single-file to the half in :57.1 before the heavily favoured Upside Surprise (Mike Micallef) pulled from fifth to start her outside trek.
Upside Surprise got to third and hung and couldn’t gain anymore as the leader took the field to three-quarters in 1:25.4. Positions stayed the same to the top of the stretch and Encore Deo was riding a short lead when Art Critic (Jim Morrill Jr.) swung inside the fading Wishy Washy Girl and came up the pylons. The two battled in deep stretch with Encore Deo just hanging on by a nose in 1:55.1.
“I wanted to try her on the lead tonight," said Kakaley. "At three-quarters, I thought I was going to win, but it got a little close there at the end."
The win was the second in eight starts for Encore Deo ($13.40) and the winning time was a new lifetime mark. The winner’s share of the purse pushed her earnings to $56,578 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Jason Melillo and Lawrence Carr. Burke mentors the filly.
There were also two divisions of the $15,000 NYSS Excelsior Series on Wednesday.
The first split was won by Major Millie (Art Major-Gravity) in 1:57. The filly is trained by Erv Miller and was driven to the victory by Kakaley. Major Millie ($9.10) is owned by KDM Stables Corp.
The second stanza was won by Milky Way Rae (American Ideal-Aurora Borealus) in a swift 1:55.3. She is trained by Tracy Brainard and was driven by Jim Morrill Jr. Milky Way Rae ($3.90) is owned by Fortunate One LLC.
(With files from Batavia Downs)