by Todd Haight, marketing coordinator, Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — Hitwiththeladies, who races in the overnight featured 10th race on Friday night (September 5) at Batavia Downs, can only sit back and watch as some extremely talented colts and geldings converge on Western New York to take a crack at his 2:02, 2-year-old trotting track record when they compete for $193,761 in New York Sire Stakes purses.

Among the 22 freshman trotters completing is the unbeaten Donttellmywife. A son of Malabar Man-Nowerland Sweet T, he comes off a 2:00.1 track record performance at Monticello after tying the track record at Tioga Downs the start before that. Jeff Gregory will be in town to drive for trainer George Ducharme. Donttellmywife is a perfect five-for-five with $101,322 in seasonal earnings.

“He’s just a very nice horse that does everything right,” Gregory said. “He was a little green behind the gate in his first two races but has turned into a professional.”

Gregory added he was comfortable at the wire in his track record performance at Monticello and would like to save something for next week’s Night of Champions Final but “the field came up extremely tough. I’m happy for the owners; they’re really nice people.”

The gelding was re-named Donttellmywife after one of the owners didn’t tell his wife that he had purchased part of the horse.

Coming off a spectacular Saturday night at Mohawk when he won the C$1 million Metro and two Breeders Crown races, Brian Sears will be at the Downs to pilot Calchips Brute for trainer Trond Smedshammer. Calchips Brute (Credit Winner-Petite Serenade) is a two-time winner in five lifetime starts and has earnings of $57,000. Sears is currently second in North America in purse earnings with over $12 million and is tenth in wins with 366.

Also competing in what should be a very continuous ninth race will be Judge Joe. The Credit Winner-Judge Judy colt has won four times in five starts for trainer Doug Ackerman. His son, D.R. Ackerman, will be in the sulky. Judge Joe has earned over $87,000 so far this year. This division has a purse of $64,187.

The Downs will present two other Sire Stakes races on Friday night. Race seven has a purse of $64,187 and race 11 has a purse of $65,387. The first of 12 races gets underway at 7:05 p.m.