Possible stars of the future, two-year-old colt and gelding pacers converge on Batavia Downs Casino when New York Sire Stakes action continues on Wednesday night (August 1).
Wednesday's 13-race program, which gets underway at 6:25 p.m., features three NYSS legs worth more than $36,000 each and five divisions of the Excelsior series worth more than $12,000 each.
Flipper J’s freshman 1:54.4 track record set in 2010 and tied by Forever Just in 2011, both with Jason Bartlett in the bike, could be in jeopardy. Cowgirl Hall lowered the bench mark for three-year-old trotting fillies (1:57.2) when the New York Sire Stakes made its first local start of the season here this past Saturday night.
The NYSS kicks off in race two when a short but select field of New York breds square off for purse money of $36,900.
Drawing post five is the Artiscape-Lo Gophobia colt, Framed Art. He comes off a 1:53.4 track record performance at Saratoga Raceway with Mark MacDonald at the controls. Trainer Andrew Stafford gives MacDonald the return call.
Installed as the 5-2 morning line favourite is the Art Major-Classical Yankee colt, Doctor Butch. He comes in off a 1:54 score at Saratoga with Tim Tetrick in the sulky. Doctor Butch briefly held the record at Saratoga until it was broken later on the program by Framed Art. Trainer Linda Toscano hands over the lines to Jim Morrill Jr.
Goshen track record holder (1:56.3), Thirty Two Red, was a prohibitive favourite in his Saratoga leg, but he made a costly break at the start and was eliminated. That was the son of Bettors Delight-Sakura Hanover’s first defeat after NYSS wins at Monticello and Buffalo. Ray Schnittker is the trainer/driver.
The field also includes Dealmaker, second to Framed Art at Saratoga, and the Ron Burke trainee Royce Blue Chip.
NYSS action continues in race five, when a field of six will line-up for $37,600 in purse money.
The Bettors Delight-Flibbertigibbet colt, Swift As A Shadow, who drew the rail, starts out as the 5-2 favourite. Once again trainer Linda Toscano will call on the services of Jim Morrill, Jr. Swift As A Shadow’s lone career win came at Monticello when he paced his back half in :56.1, to score in 1:56.4, in his first New York Sire Stakes engagement.
Three colts and three geldings do battle in the third and final $37,600 NYSS division, carded as race seven. This could be a race handicappers may be shopping for some value.
Im Banksy (Art Major-Delightfully Yours) begins as the 2-1 favorite. He ships in off a 1:53.4 score at Pocono but has never raced on a half-mile racetrack. Jim Morrill Jr. drives for trainer Fred Grant.
Trainer/driver Patrick Lachance sends out a very dangerous colt in Sir Cary’s Z Tam. The son of Bettors Delight-Yankee Celebration had the misfortune of coming first over against the talented Doctor Butch at Saratoga and before that, finished behind the same rival and another top colt, Thirty Two Red, at Monticello.
The five Excelsior races go off as races one, three, eight, 10 and 12.
(Batavia Downs)