There are two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies scheduled for Batavia Downs this Wednesday night (September 18) and each race looks to be a stark contrast from one another.
Suplemental Income looks like she could dominate her field of seven. She enters having won three of six career races and will face six rivals that have just a lone victory between them from 40 career starts. In the second division, it definitely looks more competitive on paper, as all entrants have tasted victories at least once, including Sweetnsinful and Rain Cloud Hanover, who have combined to win eight of their 13 races.
The opening division, worth $52,506, will head to post for the second race. Suplemental Income (Bettors Delight-JK Getupngo) is the morning-line favourite at 5-2 for driver Jason Bartlett. The current front-running style of Suplemental Income will be enhanced after having drawn the rail. Her last appearance was a wire-to-wire job in a $78,929 NYSS event at Yonkers Raceway on August 27 in 1:56.1. Suplemental Income has won $115,550 in her brief career and has been in the money in all six starts.
The main threat could come from Bettor Business (Bettors Delight-Trick Business) who will start from the two post for driver Ray Schnittker. Despite being winless in seven career outings, Bettor Business seeks the upset as she has hit the board in five of those and bankrolled $53,045.
The seventh race will feature a field of six going for $51,506 and is headlined by Sweetnsinful and Rain Cloud Hanover.
Sweetnsinful (American Ideal-Ali Badali) is the 2-1 morning-line choice and will score from the five post for driver Jimmy Whittemore. She comes in having won three of her last four starts, all in the NYSS, including a 1:52.2 mile on September 6 at Vernon Downs where she beat Rain Cloud Hanover by one and a quarter lengths. Before that, she notched a one and a quarter length victory over JK Molly at Yonkers in 1:55.1 on August 28. Sweetnsinful has been in the money in five of her six starts and has earnings of $106,771.
But Sweetnsinful will have to deal with Rain Cloud Hanover (Art Major-River Hanover) and Jim Morrill Jr. Rain Cloud Hanover is a five-time winner from seven appearances in 2013, but just one victory has come in NYSS competition --- that was on August 27 when she posted a 1:55.4 win at Yonkers Raceway. But she then suffered a defeat to Sweetnsinful on September 6 at Vernon Downs as previously mentioned. Rain Cloud Hanover will start from the two post and has the red-hot Morrill in the sulky.
Morrill has scored six-baggers in each of his last two appearances at Batavia Downs, including last Saturday night. He just completed a clean sweep of all three legs of NYSS races worth $78,000 each at Yonkers Raceway on Monday.
The longest current Batavia Downs' track record will be on line as the pacing fillies will try and top the 1:55 set by Paulas Best back in 2006.
There will also be two $12,600 Excelsior Series dashes sprinkled in among the 12-race card. There will also be a non-betting $12,600 division of the Excelsior, and that will go off at 5:50 p.m. Also, the $8,500 Filly and Mares Open Pace is scheduled.
The Guaranteed $3,000 Pick-4 wager, sponsored by the United States Trotting Association Strategic Wagering Program, the Western New York Harness Horsemen's Association and Batavia Downs, will begin in the third race.
The program will get underway at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Time-Warner Cable, Channel 98 in Rochester and surrounding areas.
(Batavia)