Batavia Downs hosted the $3.3 million New York Sire Stakes Night of Champions on Saturday, Sept. 6, with Fragment's track record performance highlighting the eight $416,667 divisions.
Fragment, trained by Per Engblom, turned heads when he scorched the Batavia oval in 1:52.1 for driver Jason Bartlett and shattered the track record for two-year-old pacing colts by one-and-two-fifths seconds. And it was one of four stakes wins for Bartlett, who also had one second and one third in his seven NYSS drives.
Knoxville (Mark Macdonald) was first to the front as the heavily favoured Fragment was content to take the garden trip. The pace was solid, with quarters of :27.1 and :56 before the top two horses began to separate from the rest heading to three-quarters in 1:24. Knoxville still had the lead entering the last turn, but Fragment pulled out and blew right by him, kicking away from his rivals at the top of the stretch. From there, Bartlett sat chilly as Fragment tugged him to the line on top by 6-3/4 lengths in 1:52.1, which was also one-fifth of his lifetime mark. Hunt Off the Press (Tyler Buter) was second over Knoxville.
“He’s so quick when he gets a trip like that," said Engblom. "He’s a real professional off a half like that. I was feeling pretty confident when I saw the half time come up and the other ones were kind of struggling to keep up, it was our race to win. I knew he was fast enough and he did it with plugs in, so we had a little bit left."
The win was the sixth in eight starts for Fragment, who has now earned $501,110. The son of Huntsville-The Show Returns is owned by Engblom Stable LLC and Douglas Sipple. He was bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm, Michael Robinson, and South Mountain Stables. The win price was $2.42.
Bartlett also piloted Hempt Memorial winner Dandy Ideal, who won his seventh straight race in the final for sophomore pacing males. The heavy favourite took his time getting to the front and settled there passing the :27.3 quarter. From there, he was in full command and cruised to the half in :57.3. Things started to heat up when Courts On Fire (Yannick Gingras) moved first-over and into second past three-quarters in 1:25.4. Dandy Ideal felt the heat and stepped it up as he turned for home and torched a :27 flat final panel to win by two lengths in 1:52.4, which was two-fifths of a second off the track record. Courts On Fire finished second, followed by Thirsty Thursday (Tyler Buter).
Dandy Ideal ($2.10) is seven-for-12 this year for trainer Hunter Oakes. The gelding, bred by Stephen Dey III and Dandy Farms Inc., has earned $1,044,601 lifetime with 12 victories in 22 starts. The gelding is owned by Susan Oakes, Thaddeus Wier and Alan Johnston.
“He makes my job easy," said Oakes. "He has a lot of class and has been a lot of fun to race this year. Jason has done a phenomenal job with him all year as well."
Bartlett's other winner, The Last Martini, kicked off the driver's grand slam with a victory in the three-year-old filly pace final. The Last Martini strolled to the front before the quarter in :28.1 and then backed the half down to a pedestrian :58.1 as Fansville (Jordan Stratton) sat in the pocket. As they made their way up the backstretch, Strutsville (Ridge Warren) made a first-over move and got next to Fansville at three-quarters in 1:26.2, but not the leader. The Last Martini shook off that challenge on the turn and entered the stretch looking strong. Stratton tipped Fansville, and she came on like a freight train, drawing alongside The Last Martini in deep stretch. The two fillies hit the wire together, and the photo revealed The Last Martini hung on by a head in 1:55. Mrs Cheese (Kakaley) completed the ticket.
The Last Martini ($2.62) recorded her fifth win of the year in 11 outings for trainer Jared Bako and owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein, Ont. The Huntsville-Martinique filly, bred by Crawford Farms LLC, is now nine-for-21 lifetime with $1,301,373 in earnings.
“It was tight, I was nervous," said Bako. "She’s not the best on the front, she’s more of a stalker and she loves to chase horses down. So when she hit the lead I was a little nervous. She’s been battling some issues all year but she's a great horse."
Liberty Style made it three straight wins as she won the two-year-old pacing filly championship and was Bartlett's second NYSS winner. She left from post seven and settled in third while leader Odds On Enigma (Tim Tetrick), battled the parked-out Odds On Monetary (Matt Kakaley) hard to the half in :57 and three-quarters in 1:26 while Liberty Style was fourth and completely locked in on the pegs. Odds On Monetary tired on the last turn, and as they entered the stretch, Savage Cindy (Tyler Buter) left the pocket for the stretch drive. That left the passing lane wide open for Liberty Style, who shot right through and pulled ahead by 1-3/4 lengths at the light in 1:55. Savage Cindy was second, followed by Odds On Enigma.
Liberty Style ($13.16) more than doubled her lifetime earnings with the win and now shows $408,219 on her card. The Andrew Stafford-trained filly, bred by Stephen Dey III, is now five-for-eight. Stafford co-owns the daughter of American Ideal-Fly In Style with Bonnie Benson.
AI got back in the win column as he capitalized on a pocket ride to win the freshman colt trot final. Titans Mischief (Matt Kakaley) quickly took the lead while AI dropped into the two-hole for the journey. With the field in single-file formation, Kakaley grabbed leather on Titans Mischief through splits of :29.4 and 1:00, but then stepped on the gas to three-quarters in 1:28.3 with AI glued to his helmet. When they entered the stretch, Yannick Gingras tipped AI off cover, and the colt powered his way past Titans Mischief to win by a half-length in 1:57.2. The fast-closing Chapter Geo J (Jason Bartlett) was third.
“I would have liked to cut it, but we were trotting pretty fast going into the turn and Matty [Kakaley] had the horse to beat so I had to respect him," said Gingras. "I figured if my horse was good I’d have a shot to beat him out of the two-hole. Once he was moving there wasn’t really an anxious moment. He felt really good in the post parade today and he gave a great effort."
AI ($5.98) won his fifth race in eight starts and pushed his bankroll to $449,753. He is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services Inc., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The Chapter Seven-Image Of Bee colt was bred by Steve Jones.
Sharp Seven rolled to victory in the final for rookie distaff trotters for driver Jeff Gregory. Overalls (Jordan Stratton) took a quick and commanding lead and motored through the quarter in :28.3 and to the half in front by 7-1/2 lengths in :57.4 with Sharp Seven a gapped second. As the trotters made their way onto the second circuit, Overalls’ lead began to diminish as Sharp Seven got into gear on the outside and was gaining with every stride. As they passed three-quarters in 1:27.3, Sharp Seven took the lead on the outside, cleared on the turn, and then held off a fast-closing Jula Hot To Chill (Braxton Boyd) to win by a length in 1:58.3. Overalls finished third.
Sharp Seven ($3.34) tallied her fourth NYSS win of the year and raised her bankroll to $492,126 in eight outings. George Ducharme trains the daughter of Chapter Seven-Lookin Sharp for Purple Haze Stables LLC. The filly was bred by Frederick Hertrich III.
My Debt Collecter capped off her stellar NYSS campaign with a seventh series victory in the three-year-old trotting filly event. She settled in third as Pink Bomb (Scott Zeron) set fractions of :28 and :57.2 to the half. Buter right-lined My Debt Collecter as the race moved towards three-quarters, and the filly took the lead on the outside passing that station in 1:27.1. My Debt Collecter then trotted home to win by a half-length in 1:57 over Royal Mission (Brett Beckwith). Sundays Brunch (Drew Monti) took the show spot.
“I was happy to take the trip when Zeron’s horse left, although she’s good on the front too," Buter said. "[My Debt Collecter] is super to drive and [trainer] Nifty [Norman] has done a great job with her, and she’s raced well all year."
The victory was the third straight and eighth of the year in 13 attempts for My Debt Collecter ($2.90), who is 11-for-21 lifetime. She races for owners David McDuffee, Melvin Hartman, and Little E LLC, who bred her with Herb Liverman. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Magic Presto has raked in $1,015,572.
Happy Jack B captured the final for sophomore male trotters. He got away third behind defending champion Variegated (Bartlett), who methodically made his way to the front passing the :27.1 quarter. While Global Twist (Tim Tetrick) sat between them in the lineup, Variegated slowed the half to :57.4 before heading onto the backstretch and to three-quarters in 1:26.4. That’s where Ake Svanstedt put Happy Jack B into play, sending him out from third and making his way alongside the leader as they went through the final turn. When they turned for home, Happy Jack B continued to gain ground and passed Variegated in deep stretch to win by a length in 1:55.3. Seven Layer (Zeron) completed the triactor.
With his second win of the year in nine appearances, Happy Jack B ($4.72) improved to four-for-17 lifetime and increased his earnings to $628,016. Bred by Winbak Farm, the Chapter Seven-Exotic Form colt is owned by B Nasstrom Holding Inc., Wolfgang A Stable Inc., and Joe Sbrocco And JAF Racing.
(With files from Batavia Downs)