It will be a New York Sire Stake double-header at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Aug. 24) night when both colt and gelding and filly divisions of 3-year-old trotters take the track to compete for a total purse of $233,300.
The fillies go first for a purse of $115,600 and Sister Mary Maude (Credit Winner-Perfect Mass) leads the way.
Sister Mary Maude is the current leader for points (200, tied with R Melina) and earnings ($206,600) in her class, numbers that were driven by two NYSS victories and nine board hits from her nine starts this year. One of those wins provided a new lifetime mark when she trotted in 1:56.3 at Monticello Raceway in July. Four of Sister Mary Maude’s second place finishes this year came to R Melina, who is currently the second richest ($340,109) and second fastest (1:51.1) 3-year-old trotting filly in North America and she is not in this race.
Trainer Ron Burke has Joe Bongiorno in the bike, starting from post one.
Sadbirdstillsing (Chapter Seven-Fade Into You) has only one win this year, but it was in a NYSS race at Yonkers. However she has been very busy in other stakes action including the Empire Breeders Classic where she finished third, and the Hambletonian Oaks eliminations where she finished fourth. Her last start was a third in the NYSS at Saratoga and she looks ready to be a contender here.
Regular reinsman Jason Bartlett will be aboard from post two for trainer Tony Alagna.
Senorita Palema (Chapter Seven-Tosca) was the NYSS 2-year-old champion last year but has yet to win a race in 2024. That being said, she has also been racing very well against Grand Circuit fillies in the Del Miller, Hambletonian Oaks and Continentalvictory.
Senorita Palema has post five with Tyler Buter aboard for trainer Ake Svanstedt.
The colts and geldings will vie for a purse of $117,700 with Fly By (Chapter Seven-Fly Angel Fly) listed as the early choice.
Fly By has two NYSS wins this year, the fastest mark in this race this year (1:53.3 at Tioga) and the highest overall earnings ($149,732) in this field. He has also seen action in several Grand Circuit events including the MGM Trot, Zweig and Muscle Hill, where he garnered checks in all three.
Alagna and Bartlett team up again with Fly By who has drawn post five.
Keep Asking (Chapter Seven-Sensibility) won six times in 2023 including the $150,000 final of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes. This year he has only one win, but also has a pair of seconds and a third and all came in NYSS races, placing him second for points (108) in this division. Keep Asking is in a good spot here and may be able to start stacking more wins to add to this year’s total.
Tyler Buter will drive from post six for trainer George Ducharme.
Super Duper Cooper (E L Titan-Pink Power) has one NYSS win as well, but also hasn’t missed a check and that puts him second for earnings ($84,508) in this division. He took a new lifetime mark of 1:55.1 at Mohegan Sun Pocono earlier this year and he looks like he’ll be a factor here.
Trainer John Butenschoen has Jim Morrill Jr. up to drive and they drew post seven.
There are also four $20,000 Excelsior trots on the card.
Another feature on the card is the $100,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace with some of the best older Open male pacers in North America. Saturday’s card has a total purse valued at over a half million dollars and has the capacity to produce a new all time track record.
The New York Sire Stake events are carded as races eight and 11. The Excelsiors will go as races four, six, seven and 12. The Kane is race 10. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.
Free full card past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.
