The New York Sire Stakes arrives at Batavia Downs for the first time this season on Friday night, and it will feature two-year-old trotting fillies that will race for over $100,000 split into three divisions.
First-race post time for the 12-dash program is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. There will also be three $12,800 divisions of the Excelsior Series for two-year-old filly trotters.
The group of talented juvenile trotters will also bring in an array of driving stars to Batavia, including Hall of Famer Cat Manzi and Jim Morrill Jr. Also making their way to town will be the likes of Gates Brunet, Jim Marohn Jr., Steve Smith, Jim Meittinis and former Western New York regulars Ray Schnittker and Jeff Gregory
The first race on the card will be a $34,577 division of the NYSS. Flyhawk Falina has been installed as the 2-1 favourite in the field from Post 2 for driver/trainer Dan Daley. Flyhawk Falina is a Cash Hall filly out of Nowerland Nanette. She posted a wire-to-wire win in the NYSS at Buffalo Raceway on July 3 and has been in the money in three out of four career starts.
The fourth race on the program has a field of seven going postward in another NYSS dash which will feature local favourite Crediama who is owned by the Purple Haze Stable LLC of nearby Fairport, N.Y. Crediama has been tagged as the 4-1 morning-line second choice. She won by a nose her last time out (Tioga Downs, August 3) over Beauty Of Gray in 1:57.4. Crediama is a Credit Winner filly out of Mama B.
Ruby Ruby Who is a major danger. She enters with first and second-place finishes in her last two starts in the NYSS. Jeff Gregory will be aboard the 3-1 morning-line favourite.
The final NYSS division (Race 7) looks very competitive. The favourite is Avalicious (3-1 on the morning line) who will start from Post 5. She turned in a 1:58.2 mile her last time out (at Tioga Downs) when she finished a game third. She will be driven by Chris Lems.
The main threat could come from the rail, where Beauty Of Gray will start for driver Jim Mettinis. As mentioned earlier, Beauty Of Gray was nosed out by Crediama last time out and is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line.
Another contender, Share My Secret, will start from Post 7. She scored a victory in 1:59.3 at Tioga Downs on August 3 and has been assessed as early odds of 7-2.
With expected nice weather on Friday and the racing strip being lightning fast during the first three weeks of the season, the track record of 1:59 set by Dreamy Dawn in 2010 could be in jeopardy.
In the three Excelsior Series, also for two-year-old filly trotters, Brookside Lily in the third race, and both Jesse T and Trish in the sixth race all come to town riding two-race winning streaks.
Driver/trainer Ray Schnittker delivers Baby Shaq in the ninth race, the final Excelsior race of the night, and is the 5-2 early favourite from Post 7. Baby Shaq has already competed in both the NYSS and Excelsior Series, but is looking for her first win.
(With files from Batavia Downs)