Ake Svanstedt has not raced often at Batavia Downs, but he will be well represented there in the New York Sire Stakes on Wednesday (July 26), as his four starters are all morning line favorites in their respective divisions. Five splits (Races 2 through 6) of NYSS two-year-old trotting fillies will battle during what is the track’s opening night.
In what looks to be the fastest of the divisions (Race 6), Svanstedt’s 8-5 early favourite Plunge Blue Chip (Muscle Mass-Dunk The Donato) has been installed as the early choice. She has gone undefeated in two starts this year (she won by open lengths in each outing). After having recorded a gate-to-wire, 2:00 win at Buffalo Raceway (which set a new track record for age, sex and gait), she came right back with a mirror effort at Yonkers Raceway, as she won by nine lengths in a lifetime-best 1:59. Svanstedt will do the driving from Post 1.
Plunge Blue Chip’s main rival will be Lima Novelty (Chapter Seven-No Pictures Please), who is also two-for-two this year – both of her wins have come on the front end. In her last start at Yonkers, Plunge Blue Chip set a lifetime standard of 1:59.2 in handy fashion. Trained by Linda Toscano, the 2-1 Lima Novelty will start from Post 2 and will be driven once again by Jason Bartlett.
In the first division, Svanstedt will drive Fury Road (Muscle Mass-Bar Ballad) from Post 2. The duo has been listed as the 2-1 early favourite. Fury Road chased Supergirl Riley (Muscle Mass-Crown Laurel) at Yonkers last week in a near-track-record time of 1:57.3 (she finished second by two lengths). Electro Pump (Muscles Yankee-Cardio Pump), who will start from Post 7, is the only filly in the race that has recorded a win this year. In her only lifetime start, Electro Pump eked out a nose decision at Yonkers in 2:00.4. Mark MacDonald has picked up the drive for trainer Casie Coleman and is listed at 4-1.
The second division will feature Nifty Norman’s Lucky Rainbow (Credit Winner-Lady Rainbow), who has been listed as the 2-1 morning line favourite. Lucky Winner was an easy four-length victor in her last start at Yonkers and is the lone filly to hit the win column in the second division. She will start from Post 1. Missus Mia Wallace (Credit Winner-Upscale) recently put in a stellar effort at the Meadowlands in the Kindergarten series over a ‘sloppy’ track. She finished fourth in a mile that was clocked in 1:56.3. She will be making her first start on a half-mile track on Wednesday. Trainer Homer Hochstetler has Jim Morrill Jr. up and they are listed at 3-1 from Post 5.
Svanstedt has the 2-1 choice in the third division with Natalie Hanover (Chapter Seven-Nanticoke Hanover) from Post 2. After having won her first lifetime start at Buffalo, she couldn’t catch a strong Lima Novelty at Yonkers last week, although she put up a great effort in defeat.
Oooteeny (Credit Winner-Lindys Head Nurse) recently trotted a ‘perfect’ mile at Buffalo, as she won in gate-to-wire fashion in 2:03.4 with a 1:01.1 back half. Last week she held her own, as she chased a runaway winner and was race-timed three seconds faster than her first start. She will be driven by Mark MacDonald. Jim Campbell trains Oooteeny, who will start from Post 7 and has been listed at 3-1.
And in the fourth division, Lucky Ava (Lucky Chucky-Ava Marion) will round out Svanstedt’s quartet. The filly has once again been favoured at 2-1. She will start from Post 5. She has two wins from two starts this year and will be competing against a field that is winless, collectively. White Cheetah (Muscle Mass-Wheely Quick) had to deal with Post 7 and a lot of road trouble at Yonkers last week, but still put in a solid effort, as she finished second to Plunge Blue Chip. She will move inside to Post 3 on Wednesday and will be teamed up with Mark MacDonald. The Paul Kelley-trained filly has been listed at 4-1 on the morning line.
There are also four $15,000 divisions of the Excelsior ‘A’ series (Races 7 to 10). The card will open with a $6,800 Excelsior ‘B’ tilt in Race 1.
Post time for the 13-race card is 6 p.m.
(With files from Batavia Downs)