by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — The 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings invade Batavia Downs on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 8) to compete in two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for the $109,000 in purse money up for grabs.

Both fields are very evenly matched, offering some real value betting opportunities to the card. The NYSS are carded as races two and six with post time for the first race at 5 p.m.

In the first $54,500 division, Chip Chip Conway (Conway Hall-Get Chipped) is the morning line favorite and comes in off two strong outings. After making consecutive breaks in his first two NYSS starts, trainer Gary Messenger added trotting hobbles and the gelding qualified back fine. Since then he has won in a lifetime best 1:58 at Tioga Downs and finished second by a head to fellow starter Thunder, after being parked the better part of the mile and closing in :28.3. Regular driver Jim Taggart Jr. will be back in the bike once again.

Thunder (Conway Hall-CR Oh Suzanna) had some issues of his own, making a bad break two lines down. However last week at Saratoga he seemed to have righted the ship after going a strong mile in 1:59.2 to gain his first lifetime and NYSS win. Scott Zeron, who drove him last week, will be in the bike for a chance to have him double up in here for trainer John Butenschoen.

JNR Express (Conway Hall-Yankee T L C) has trotted back-to-back miles in 1:57.2; first at Tioga where he finished second and last week when he chased a 1:55.4 track record performance by Gimpanzee at Saratoga and finished a respectable fifth. He picks up NYSS leading money winning driver Jim Morrill Jr. and looks to be a player again for trainer Jessica Okusko.

Captain Krupnik (Conway Hall-Salt Hill Brigid) has yet to win a race but the colt didn’t make his first lifetime start until July 9. He has continued to show improvement week to week under the tutelage of trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt and with an inside start here, the opportunity for a big effort is at hand.

The second $54,500 division has even more variables to consider than the first and has the second, third and fourth highest point-getters in the series competing against each other.

Morning line favorite Labadee AS (Conway Hall-Smith Hall) has two consecutive open-length wins in Excelsior “A” action but moves back up to the top tier for this race, which is the first time he has been in a NYSS event since July 9. Andy Miller picks up the lines for trainer Anette Lorentzen for this outing.

Our White Knight (Crazed-Psychotherapist) is a perfect four-for-four finishing second, both lifetime and in NYSS action. He got away well last week and became forwardly placed early, which helped his good closing ability to be more effective at the end of the mile. With an inside post this week, look for a similar situation with driver Scott Zeron up. John Butenschoen trains the gelding.

Horns For Three (Credit Winner-Swoosh Hanover) is somewhat of an enigma. He started the year winning a NYSS race free-legged before making a break at Monticello the next week. Trainer Ed Hart added trotting hobbles for the following start, but he broke with them on as well. Horns For Three was qualified with the equipment on again at Monticello on July 24 and won by 10 lengths over a sloppy track and then won his next start at Saratoga as well. He comes in here with the hobbles on and picks up Kevin Cummings for the drive.

Cavill Hanover (Muscle Mass-CR Calendar Girl) went two-for-two in NYSS action out of the gate before running into Gimpanzee and that buzz saw 1:55.4 mile at Saratoga. He does have a 1:56.4 mark at Tioga Downs this year and that is the best time of anyone else in this race. This horse can race either on the front or from behind and that decision will more than likely be made by trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt behind the gate.

There are also three $15,000 divisions of the Excelsior “A” series on the card that go as races five, eight and nine.