by Jeff Rizzo, marketing intern, Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — With the 64th season of live racing underway at Batavia Downs Casino, this Monday evening (August 2) will mark the beginning of the $1 million New York Sire Stakes season, featuring 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

The 12-race card will feature six divisions of the talented 2-year-olds, each with a purse in excess of $20,000. The current track record of 1:55.2 for freshman pacers, held by Forensic Z Tam, who scorched the Genesee County oval back in 2006 with Patrick Lachance at the controls, could be in serious jeopardy.

“This is the best crop of pacing colts we have seen in recent memory,” track analyst Todd Haight said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the track record is broken. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if the current record is broken more than once.”

Mike Lizzi photo

Jason Bartlett, one of the top drivers in the sport of harness racing, will be at Batavia Downs Casino on Monday night.

The stakes action kicks off in the first race on the card, which is a very contentious event with three promising freshman pacers entered. The morning line favorite, part of a George Teague, Jr. entry, is Reflection Of Blue who ships to Batavia off a win last week at Monticello. Reflection Of Blue is a royally bred colt by Bettor’s Delight out of world champion Rainbow Blue, who earned $1,428,934 in her career. Jason Bartlett gets the drive on Reflection Of Blue. The 29-year Bartlett is currently eighth in all of North America with 321 wins and third in purse earnings with more than $5.2 million.

Starting from the rail will be Test Of Will with Brian Cross in the sulky for trainer Joseph Spadaro. Also a winner in NYSS action last week, Test Of Will is a bay colt by Art Major-Viking Vengence.

Rounding out the field of notables in the opener is Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam with driver-trainer Patrick Lachance. Also coming off an NYSS win at Monticello, this colt has the speed, pacing his last two miles in 1:56.4 at Monticello and 1:53 at Tioga, respectively. Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam, who will have to overcome the extreme outside post, is by Art Major.

Stakes racing continues into the second race, with a purse of $22,305. The even-money morning line favorite is Thomas J with Bartlett at the lines. Perfect in his NYSS attempts at Buffalo and Monticello, Thomas J is currently tied atop the quest for Yonkers’ Night of Champions with 100 points.

Bartlett speaks highly of Thomas J.

“He surprised us at Buffalo, but is getting better every week,” he remarked when asked about his feelings on Thomas J in anticipation for Monday night’s second race at America’s Oldest Lighted Harness Track. Thomas J, by Artiscape-Perfect Purchase, is trained by Linda Toscano.

The third stakes contest, and the most anticipated of the evening, is the fifth race on the card which features three extremely talented colts. The impressive Wind Me Up, a perfect four-for-four in his brief career, including pari-mutuel wins at the Meadowlands and Tioga, heads to Batavia as perhaps the best colt in the entire division.

Wind Me Up (Bettor’s Delight-Breathe) was sensational in his last start at Tioga, scoring under wraps in 1:52. Two starts back he paced his last quarter in :26.2 en route to a 1:54.4 win at the Big M. Local reinsman John Cummings, Jr. picks up the catch drive. Wind Me Up will start from post eight for trainer Teague, who also sends out Feel Like A Fool as part of an entry.

Feel Like A Fool (Art Major-Fool That I Am) will have the services of Jack Flanigen. Feel Like a Fool heads down the New York State thruway with a 1:53.1 mark set at Tioga.

Occupying the six hole for the fifth race will be Bettors Glass and Bartlett. This colt, by Bettor’s Delight out of Abbey Won, just missed in his first start under the lights in a NYSS contest in track record time at Buffalo. Toscano is the conditioner.

According to Bartlett, “Bettors Glass is handy on a half-mile track and is a really fast colt. He is probably one of the best NY bred colts out there.”

The seventh race on the card features more talented NY bred colts. The morning line favorite at 5-2 is Flipper J (Art Major-Dolphins Can Talk) with Bartlett scheduled to drive. He is the leading money winner of all the young colts in contention this Monday evening, earning in excess of $28,000 this season. The large bankroll has come from two wins in his last two races, including a NYSS score at Monticello, where Bartlett drove the young colt to an 11 length victory, and a triumph in a $25,339 Tompkins-Geers stakes at Tioga in 1:55.

Bartlett says he managed the 11 length victory at Monticello easily.

“He has been getting better the last couple of weeks. He is a big colt but gets around a half-mile track very easily,” remarked Bartlett.

The final stakes race of the evening is the 11th race on the card. Bartlett has the drive on the 2-1 morning line favorite Major Way (Art Major-Feminine Ways), who is also perfect in NYSS action at Monticello and Buffalo this season. Major Way is also tied for first, along with Thomas J, with 100 points in the quest for the September 25 NYSS final.

Despite his size, Bartlett is confident in the colt.

“He’s just a little fella, but you can do anything you want with him. Small tracks like Batavia help him a lot,” said Bartlett, speaking of Major Way who will strive to be a perfect three-for-three in NYSS contests this season.

Be sure to come out to Batavia Downs Casino this Monday to catch all of the New York Sire Stakes action. Post time is 6:40 p.m.