On Wednesday, July 21, Buffalo Raceway’s final 2015 installment of New York Sire Stakes races will kick off the track’s closing week.
The last day of racing this year at the Hamburg half-mile oval (located at the Erie County Fairgrounds) is Sunday, June 26.
The two-year-old colt and gelding trotters will compete in two divisions. Each division carries a purse of over $51,000.
A select field of four will head to the gate in the opening division. Rose Run Ransom (Crazed-Bring It On Lindy) is the early even-money choice for driver John Plutino from Post 3. After having broken stride at the start in his last outing, Rose Run Ransom rebounded nicely and finished a solid second in the $37,556 NYSS race at Yonkers Raceway on July 13.
Uncle Dan (Conway Hall-Risk Seeker) could be the main threat after having won a $15,000 Excelsior 'A' race at Yonkers on July 13 in 2:02.2. Jim Morrill Jr. has gotten the call on Uncle Dan and is tagged at 9-2 on the morning line from Post 4.
The second division has a definite western New York flavour, as the unbeaten Dayson (Conway Hall-Nervey's Taurus) headlines the field. He has been perfect in all four races, two of which were in the NYSS and the other two in qualifiers.
Dayson, locally owned by Margaret Butler of Cattaraugus NY and Amy Butler of West Valley, NY, won by two and a quarter lengths at Yonkers on July 13 and took a one and a half-length decision in 2:00.1 at Saratoga on July 2 (both were $37,556 NYSS events).
He's been over the Buffalo Raceway half-mile track as well. He notched a 17-length victory in 2:05 in a 'baby' race on June 16. The Howard Okusko-trained Dayson will have Jeff Gregory in the sulky for the first time and has drawn Post 2 and is the heavy 3-5 morning line choice.
Former western New York regular John Cummings Jr. is scheduled to bring in Gremlin Wilson (Sand Vic-Savanah Montana). They set the pace in their last start in the NYSS at Yonkers on July 13 before stalling out in the stretch to finish third.
Chargin Cadet (Conway Hall-Arabella Hall), a $75,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase last year, has been nibbling for a victory. He finished third in a pair of NYSS races for trainer and former western New Yorker Ray Schnittker. He'll get the services of Jordan Stratton in the sulky from Post 5.
The Dan Daley entry of Smalltownthrowdown (Cash Hall-Anas Promise) and Royal Bachelor (RC Royalty-Becca) have drawn Post 1 and Post 3, respectively, but need to be on their best behaviour at the start. Both Smalltownthrowdown (Daley) and Royal Bachelor (Morrill Jr.) were each off stride in the beginning of their tries, which put a damper of their chances.
There will also be three divisions of the Excelsior 'A' series on the 12-race card, along with two Excelsior 'B' division races.
First-race post time is 5 p.m.
(Buffalo Raceway)