Batavia, NY – Batavia Downs will open its 2026 harness racing season on Wednesday (July 22) and the New York Sire Stakes will be on hand to add some excitement to that initial card. One division of seven 3-year-old pacing fillies will go postward for a plump purse of $121,800 and that group of gals will include last year’s NYSS 2-year-old pacing filly champion, Liberty Style, who will be putting her three-race winning streak on the line to remain unbeaten this year.
Liberty Style (American Ideal-Fly In Style) was dominant in NYSS action last year, winning four legs and the final right here at Batavia Downs. And since coming back this spring, she has won three straight NYSS events and lowered her lifetime mark to 1:52.3 at Saratoga. She’s spotted well to leave here and looks to add to her totals as a result.
Trainer Andrew Stafford has tabbed the leading dash driver in North America, Jason Bartlett, to drive Liberty Style and they will start from post 6.
Another major contender from this field will be Odds On Monetary (Huntsville-All On Top Hanover) who is another three-time winner this year, including her last two outings where she took a lifetime mark of 1:51.3 at Vernon Downs in an overnight race in June. Last week, Odds On Monetary won her NYSS division at Monticello in 1:53.1, which exactly matched her NYSS win time at Saratoga in May. Last year, the filly won four NYSS races and started in the Breeders Crown elimination against Loua Dipa.
Ridge Warren will drive Odds On Monetary for trainer Travis Alexander and has drawn post 7 behind the gate.
Savage Cindy (Huntsville-Naughty Cindy) should be a player here after racing large in her first NYSS race of the year last week. After winning an overnight at Tioga in 1:52.3 in June, Savage Cindy won an Excelsior event at Goshen in 1:54.4 and then finished second to Liberty Style in her last start by 1-1/4 lengths while pacing in 1:53.1 at Monticello. Last year, Savage Cindy was a NYSS winner and also finished second to Liberty Style in the NYSS final at Batavia. She’s sharp right now and will have her opportunity to turn the tables on the probable favorite.
Jordan Stratton will drive Savage Cindy, who has drawn post 3 on Wednesday, for trainer Cory Stratton.
There are also three $20,000 NYSS Excelsior Series events on Wednesday, carded as races three, four and five.
Post time for the first race is 5 p.m. (EDT).
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. Then you can watch all the races live as they happen for free on the Batavia Downs YouTube page.