By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Harness racing’s stars of tomorrow may very well be on display Wednesday when 2-year-old New York Sire Stakes filly trotters take center stage on opening night at Batavia Downs Gaming.
The 13-race program features five divisions of the top-level sire stakes, each with a purse of more than $21,000. There also are four divisions of the New York-bred Excelsior A series (each with a purse of $15,000) and one division of the Excelsior B series ($6,800).
First-race post time is 6 p.m.
With big money on the line and top stables sending multiple fillies to the gate throughout the night, some of the sport’s top drivers will be at the track.
Jason Bartlett, who ranks third in the country in victories and is the runaway leader at Yonkers Raceway, will drive in nine races. Mark McDonald has drives in eight races.
A trio of standout youngsters highlight the New York Sire Stakes events. Lucky Ava has breezed to victory in her first two starts in the series, winning at Buffalo Raceway on June 30 and then on July 18 at Yonkers. Ake Svanstedt drives, trains and is part of the ownership group that includes Meadowlands chairman of the board Jeff Gural. Lucky Ava drew post five in the fifth race.
The sixth may very well provide the best to-the-wire finish of the five NYSS events as Plunge Blue Chip and Lima Novelty look to make 3-for-3 in their careers. Svanstedt drives and trains Plunge Blue Chip and drew the rail, while Bartlett will be aboard Lima Novelty in post two for trainer Linda Toscano.
Of course, there is no such thing as a sure thing in horse racing, especially when fairly inexperienced 2-year-old filly trotters are racing on a half-mile track. Handicappers can take some comfort in knowing many of the horses already have raced twice on half-mile tracks.
A word to the wise from a handicapping standpoint: Arrive early and watch warmups between races (for example, horses in the fourth race usually warm up after the first race or after second, and so on). Also, examine horses scoring down after the post parade to see how (or if) they trot through the first turn.
The “local” horses comprise the final three races on the program, with a solid field of seven assembled for the $10,000 filly and mare open pace. Sportsmuffler, It’s A Miracle and Classy Lane Rose figure to be the betting favorites.
* * * * * * *
What’s new at the Batavia Downs? Post times; they’re earlier. Opening night is at 6 p.m., but then all other Wednesdays have a 5 p.m. post. Batavia wants to take advantage of the open window between the last afternoon thoroughbred track and the evening harness tracks.
“There’s a lot less competition and become a so-called bridge track will enable us to beef up our (wagering) pools,” said Todd Haight, general manager of live racing. “When less tracks are racing, we handle more money.”
Post time on Friday and Saturday is 6 p.m. Sundays are at 1:15 p.m. (July 30 through Aug. 27).
The wagering menu remains unchanged, which means the early Pick 5 (races 1-5) features an all-stakes sequence.
The glamour division of the sire stakes, the 3-year-old colt pacers, comes to Batavia on Sunday.
* * * * * * *
Spot Play Hot Plays
9th race: No. 5 Worthyourattention (4-1 morning line). Jason Bartlett drives for owner/trainer Anette Lorentzon, who is very sharp with trotters. She cruised to a wire-to-wire score in her career debut on July 18 at Yonkers, and figures to be even stronger in career start No. 2.
11th race: No. 6 It’s A Miracle (5-1 morning line). Coming off a first-over trip in the VERY difficult filly/mare open handicap at Saratoga on July 14. Mark McDonald gets the drive, and she should get dream cover to carry her to the lane.
13th race: No. Larjon Laura (5-1 morning line). Makes her second start for driver/trainer Ron Beback Jr. and slides into the race on the also-eligible condition. Solid lines from her previous home of The Meadows, where she faced infinitely better mares.
It was like kindergarden out there tonite. Those 2 year old fillies broke all over the track. The favorites disappeared like snowflakes in July. Too bad, as some of the best drivers in the nation were there tonite.