Funknwaffles, 2016's New York Sire Stake (NYSS) two-year-old champion, is back in the state to defend his title in 2017 looking better than ever and he will lead a fine group of three-year-old male pacers into Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon (July 30) to battle over a total of $118,300 in purses.
Funknwaffles (American Ideal-Hatsoff Hanover) won eight out of nine starts last year, earning $257,284 in purses. He capped off his Empire State run by winning the $225,000 NYSS final at Yonkers Raceway, setting a new track record of 1:52.3 for age, sex and gait.
This year he has started out on fire, winning all three NYSS events he’s entered as well as racing in Grand Circuit events including the $500,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs where he finished second to Fear The Dragon in 1:49.3.
This year Funknwaffles has already earned $222,699 on the strength of his seven starts and just registered a new lifetime mark of 1:50.4 at Saratoga Raceway last week, which was also a new track record for three-year-old male pacers.
Trainer John Butenschoen has named “The Captain” Corey Callahan to drive once again and the heavy 3-5 morning line favourite will start from post six in race four which goes for $39,900.
There will be some stiff competition for the favourite in this race from Geez Joe (Roll With Joe-Beach Bretta) as he comes into the contest a picture of consistency. After being lightly raced at two, the time he was given to develop has definitely paid off for his connections this year.
Geez Joe has won four of his last six starts, finishing second in the other two. He took a lifetime mark of 1:51.2 at Vernon Downs in an Excelsior A contest on June 18 and just missed tying it at Saratoga Raceway last week in the same division going 1:51.3. He has amassed $57,050 in winnings this year on the strength of 11 outings and steps up to the NYSS from the Excelsior A for this event. Marcus Miller will once again be in the bike behind Geez Joe for his father, Erv Miller.
Being overlooked at 6-1 from post five is Talent Soup (American Ideal-Tessa Hanover). He has two fast-timed seconds in NYSS action this year, but it’s the races around those you must pay attention to. Talent Soup has faced the best three-year-old pacing colts and geldings in North America in the Rooney at Yonkers Raceway and the Hempt at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs. Unfortunately he drew bad posts in both and was chasing 1:49.2 and 1:47.4 miles. He was race-timed in 1:50.1 and 1:49.1 in those events and those are big-time performances, period. He just finished second in 1:51.4 in the NYSS at Saratoga and he is ripe for an upset for driver Billy Dobson and trainer Bruce Saunders.
In the first $39,200 division, In A Single Bound (Roll With Joe-Armbro Bianca) has been racing like Superman this year having already won six out of nine starts and being a perfect four-for-four in NYSS action and that has inflated his bankroll to $90,588.
Last week, In A Single Bound cut the mile that eventually led to the track record set by Funknwaffles. And although he finished third in the race, In A Single Bound had nothing to be ashamed of as he did all the heavy lifting and was still only beaten by two lengths.
Monica Krist trains In A Single Bound and has assigned his regular driver Billy Dobson to run the show again this week and they have drawn post one and are listed at 2-1.
Also in the race is Pointomygranson (American Ideal-Sangaal) who although is winless this year, set the track record of 1:53.2 for two-year-old geldings at Batavia Downs last year in NYSS action. He knows this track well and is in a perfect position to play spoiler for his trainer Chris Ryder and driver Brett Miller.
And the final $39,200 split looks to be a pretty evenly matched affair with a slight nod going to Serious Major and Chip Walther.
Serious Major (Art Major-Seriously) took a 1:50.3 mark at Hoosier in an overnight event before starting in NYSS action this year. There he scored a first and second in two consecutive starts before entering the Ron Burke stable on July 1. Since then Lasix was added before a front-end try that fell short in his last outing. This horse has ability and back class and will get support at the windows. Jim Morrill Jr. picks up the lines for Ron Burke and will leave post two at 9-5.
Chip Walther (Art Major-Bittersweet Terror) was qualified twice after a break in his first NYSS attempt at Buffalo and he’s come back from that schooling in good order. He has since finished second in an Excelsior A race at Yonkers and he won last week in a NYSS event at Saratoga in 1:53.1. This horse took a mark of 1:50.3 and made $126,655 last year and he now looks to be on a path to have similar success. The Marcus and Erv Miller team will start Chip Walther from post five at 2-1.
There are also two $15,000 divisions of the Excelsior A series on the card in race one and seven.
Post time for the first race is 1:15 p.m.
(with files from Batavia)