The horses that missed the cut for the $1.8 million that will be up for grabs in the New York Sire Stakes Night of Champions finals will convene at Batavia Downs on Friday evening (Sept. 21) to compete for the $320,000 in purse money available in the NYSS consolation races.
Eight $40,000 divisions will head postward (the first is will be a non-betting race with a 5:20 p.m. post time). The other NYSS dashes have been carded as Races 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 10. Post time for the first betting race will be at 6 p.m.
Supergirl Riley (Muscle Mass-Crown Laurel) is the early 6-5 favourite in the three-year-old filly trot and comes into the dash as the highest money earner competing in any of the consolations with $221,589 on her card.
Supergirl Riley appears to be at the top of her game after having won the $180,000 Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs in a lifetime best 1:54.3 over a ‘sloppy’ track. She then matched that mark last week, as she won a $50,000 Kentucky Sire Stake race at the Red Mile. And not to be overlooked was her start at Yonkers Raceway in the Hudson Trot final, where she finished second by a nose in 1:53.1 to Plunge Blue Chip.
Supergirl Riley is one of six entries for trainer Erv Miller in these consolations and Marcus Miller will be in the bike as usual.
Im The Muscle (Muscle Mass-Lady Bling) headlines the three-year-old trotting colts and geldings and a quick look at the form explains why he’s 8-5 morning line choice.
After joining the Rene Allard Stable in July, Im The Muscle rattled off five straight wins, the last of which was a four-length romp in 1:55.2 at Batavia Downs in the rain. In his last start at Yonkers, he finished third behind Yonkers Trot winner Six Pack and the top point-getter for the division, Helpisontheway. The $40,000 tilt has to be considered class relief after that start and he should take advantage of that with Jason Bartlett up for the ride once again.
The three-year-old colt and gelding pacers should be a very interesting race, as all eight of the starters competed at Batavia Downs two weeks ago in the final leg of their division this year.
Ideal Feeling (American Ideal-Feelinglikeastar) won his split by six lengths in 1:52 after toying with the field the whole mile. He has since won again in an overnight at Tioga Downs in 1:52.2 by three lengths. He has faced Courtly Choice twice this year and knows what it takes to be the best. Jason Bartlett is back up and drew Post 3 at 2-1 for trainer Mike Deters.
Topville Olympian (American Ideal-Our Sophia) went off the heavy favourite at Batavia last time out and started out the mile with a quick :55.3 half. But he faltered late and his failure to get any points knocked him out of the NYSS final and into the consolation. If he regains the form he had in the $500,000 Messenger final at Yonkers and most of the races before that, he will be a major player in his $40,000 dash. Trainer Chris Oakes has Tyler Buter up and they are rated as 3-1 on the morning line.
Mach N Cheese (Betterthancheddar-Mach You And Me) was a winner in his Batavia outing, as he took his 1:53.4 lifetime mark in the process. Jersey Jim (Artiscape-Jersey Pearl) scratched from that Batavia start, but has since finished third at Saratoga in an overnight in 1:51.3, and Cheese Melt (Betterthancheddar-B So Lucky) comes in off a tightener at Harrah’s Philly where he ran away in 1:51.1, which was a new lifetime mark.
The early Pick-5 wager (which runs from Race 1 through Race 5) includes four of the NYSS consolation events and has a guaranteed pool of $3,000 for Friday. It is part of the USTA Strategic Wagering pool.
The Batavia Downs early Pick-5 on Friday is also the USTA Play of the Day on the Harness Racing Fan Zone.
(Batavia Downs)