By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
(Photo courtesy of Fred Brown)
Batavia, NY— The New York Sire Stakes returns to Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Aug. 19) and will feature two short draws of 2-year-old pacing fillies who will compete for a total purse of $104,000.
The first race has a field of four vying for $51,500 with two heavy morning line favorites, Annie O and Clear Choice.
Annie O (Huntsville-Rapunzel Blue Chip) is the hot horse coming in, having won her last two races and both in NYSS action. After winning in 1:53.4 at Tioga Downs in a lifetime best clocking, Annie O came right back and destroyed the field at Monticello Raceway, winning by seven lengths in 1:55.2. She is currently third for points and earnings in her NYSS division behind Cowboy Candy and Fendilicious, neither of whom are entered here on Wednesday. She looks to extend her win streak to three and has a very solid shot to do that.
Annie O will be driven by Leon Bailey for trainer Andrew Stafford and will start from post four.
That win won’t come easy though, as she will be heavily tested by Clear Choice (Courtly Choice-Jenna’s Delight), who has two victories in the NYSS Excel Series, where she took a lifetime mark of 1:53.2 at Vernon Downs. But she has yet to win at the top NYSS level. However both of those NYSS starts were against Cowboy Candy and included a very solid second place finish at Tioga, where she was race-timed in 1:52.1. Clear Choice should be positioned well in this race for a maximum effort.
Braxton Boyd will drive Clear Choice from post two for trainer Blake Macintosh.
The second group has five starters racing for $52,500 and once again has two fillies that appear to have an edge, although only one of the five starters have won a NYSS race this year.
Phast Phyliss (Huntsville-Robin J) is that one, having scored a NYSS victory at Buffalo in her first lifetime start. She has landed checks in her subsequent three outings, including a second to Cowboy Candy at Monticello and a third to Annie O at Tioga. She’s not facing either one of those this week and has a great chance at gaining her second win.
Phast Phyliss has Leon Bailey aboard for trainer Cameron Capone and has drawn post three this week.
Too Pink To Pass (Huntsville-Soft Wind Hanover) is winless overall this year, but does show a large effort at Vernon, where she paced in 1:51.3 in a second place finish to Fendilicious in a NYSS event. Since then, she finished fifth at Tioga and was scratched sick at Monticello in her most recent engagement, so this will be her first start in 19 days. She too has drawn easier than her recent starts and that makes her one to watch as well.
Too Pink To Pass will be driven by Lauren Tritton for trainer Shane Tritton and will go behind the gate from post two.
There are also three $20,000 NYSS Excel Series events on the card, programmed as races two, four and six.
The New York Sire Stakes events are carded as race eight and ten with estimated post times of 7:20 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. respectively.
Post time for the first race at Batavia Downs on Wednesday is 5:00 p.m.