The New York Sire Stakes return to Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Aug. 7) and will feature 2-year-old male pacers that will go in two divisions for a total purse of $105,000. The 12 pacers will feature two undefeated leaders in the NYSS as well as both holding national ranking.
Travis Alexander’s Thirsty Thursday (Huntsville-Tequila Monday) and Jared Bakos’ Fast Choice (Courtly Choice-Fashion Guru) are mirror images of each other. They are both undefeated with two wins in two lifetime starts that both came in NYSS action with identical best winning times of 1:54.3. And this has them both tied in first for points (100) and earnings ($77,300) in their NYSS category so far this year. Their earnings currently also have them tied as the fifth richest 2-year-old male pacers in North America. And finally, neither one of them raced last week in the NYSS contest at Monticello Raceway.
Since both are undefeated, they have obviously never gone head to head in a race yet and that will be the case once again on Wednesday.
Thirsty Thursday will be in the first $52,500 division and has drawn post two for regular driver Matt Kakaley and the competition will be looking to hand him his first loss.
Courts On Fire (Courtly Choice-Ashlee’s Spitfire) has not missed the board in three career starts, having finished one-two-three in NYSS action to this point. He took his lifetime mark of 1:55.3 just last week at Monticello in a convincing 2-1/4 length romp as the heavy favorite. He is currently third for points (87) and earnings ($54,183) and will look to improve that position here.
Blake Macintosh has Greg Merton aboard from post three.
Meltdown Monte (Huntsville-Sage N) is winless this year but has finished third in two NYSS starts. He has shown to be quite versatile in those two outings and drawing post one will definitely help his chances.
Tyler Buter will steer for trainer Scott Di Domenico.
Fast Choice will start from post one in the second $52,500 split with Doug McNair at the lines. He is coming off a scratch last week at Monticello but will look to regain his momentum against some tough competition.
Silent Weapon (Huntsville-D D Delightful) has hit the board in all three of his lifetime starts and is coming off a 6-1/2 length, 1:54.4 runaway victory at Monticello in NYSS action. He certainly looks like he has just hit his stride and will be more than formidable in this race.
Matt Kakaley will steer for this other Alexander-trained entry and will start from post four.
Groovin Will (Roll With Joe-Who Moved The Rock) won his last start in Excelsior action at Monticello and it was an impressive 1:54.1 lifetime best. He makes the leap to the NYSS here, but does it off the best race of his life and he should be considered a threat.
Trainer Blake Macintosh has Greg Merton between the wheels, who piloted him to victory last week.
The NYSS are carded as race six and eight. There are also three $20,000 Excelsior events programmed as race two, four and 10. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.
