Two-year-old trotting colts and geldings are set to invade Batavia Downs this Wednesday afternoon (August 8) to compete in two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes.
Both fields are very evenly matched, and appear to offer some real value betting opportunities on the card.
The NYSS dashes have been carded as Race 2 and Race 6. Post time for the first race will be at 5 p.m.
In the first $54,500 division, Chip Chip Conway (Conway Hall-Get Chipped) is the morning line favorite. He will come into the dash off of two strong outings. After having made breaks in his first two NYSS starts, trainer Gary Messenger added trotting hopples and the gelding qualified back fine. Since then he has won in a lifetime-best 1:58 at Tioga Downs, and finished second by a head to fellow starter Thunder after having been parked for the better part of the mile and still closing in :28.3. Regular driver Jim Taggart Jr. will be back in the bike once again.
Thunder (Conway Hall-Cr Oh Suzanna) had some issues of his own, as he made a bad break two races ago. However, last week at Saratoga he seems to have righted the ship, as he trotted a strong mile in 1:59.2 to gain his first lifetime and NYSS win. Scott Zeron, who drove Thunder last week, will be in the bike for trainer John Butenschoen.
JNR Express (Conway Hall-Yankee T L C) has trotted back-to-back miles in 1:57.2. He first did it at Tioga, where he finished second. Last week he chased a 1:55.4 track record performance by Gimpanzee at Saratoga and finished a respectable fifth. He has picked up the NYSS leading money-winning driver, Jim Morrill Jr., and looks to be a player again for trainer Jessica Okusko.
Captain Krupnik (Conway Hall-Salt Hill Brigid) has yet to win a race, but the colt didn’t make his first lifetime start until July 9. He has continued to show improvement week to week under the tutelage of trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt, and with an inside start set for Wednesday, there is an opportunity for a big effort.
The second $54,500 division has even more variables to consider than the first; and will feature the second, third and fourth highest point-getters in the series in competition against each other.
Morning line favourite Labadee AS (Conway Hall-Smith Hall) has two consecutive open-length wins in Excelsior ‘A’ action, but will move back up to the top tier for the Wednesday race, which will be the first time he has been in a NYSS event since July 9. Andy Miller is set to pick up the lines for trainer Anette Lorentzon for this outing.
Our White Knight (Crazed-Psychotherapist) has finished second in all of his four lifetime races. He got away well last week and became forwardly placed early, which helped his good closing ability to be more effective at the end of the mile. With an inside post this week, look for a similar situation with driver Scott Zeron up. John Butenschoen trains the gelding.
Horns For Three (Credit Winner-Swoosh Hanover) is somewhat of an enigma. He started the year by winning a NYSS race while free-legged before he made a break at Monticello the following week. Trainer Ed Hart added trotting hopples for the next start, but Horns For Three broke with them on as well. Horns For Three then qualified with the equipment on again at Monticello on July 24 and won by 10 lengths over a ‘sloppy’ track (he then won his next start at Saratoga as well). He will come into his Wednesday assignment with the hopples on. Kevin Cummings is scheduled to drive.
Cavill Hanover (Muscle Mass-Cr Calendar Girl) went two for two in NYSS action out of the gate before running into Gimpanzee and a buzzsaw 1:55.4 mile at Saratoga. He took his 1:56.4 mark at Tioga Downs, and that is the best time of any other competitor in the race. Cavill Hanover can race either on the front or from behind, and that decision will more than likely be made by trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt behind the gate.
There are also three $15,000 divisions of the Excelsior ‘A’ series on the card, and they have been carded as Races 5, 8 and 9.
(With files from Batavia Downs)