by Todd Haight, for Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — Chippewa Street closed with a rush to take her New York Sires Stakes race in 2:01.1 on Friday (September 8), which dropped the track record for 2-year-old filly trotters by over a full second at Batavia Downs Gaming.

A total of $143,040 in New York Sires Stake purses were up for grabs in six divisions during the racing program. A very large crowd was on hand at America’s oldest lighted harness track because of a special Jim Morrill, Jr. bobblehead giveaway to honor his 2005 accomplishments.

Batavia Downs Photo

Ray Schnittker piloted Chippewa Street to a new track record at Batavia.

A daughter of Credit Winner, Chippewa Street, with Ray Schnittker in the bike, erased the former mark of 2:02.4 set by Armbro Blush in 1984. Going off at boxcar odds of 25-1, Chippewa Street only had one horse beat as the field passed three-quarters in 1:30.2, but she kicked into another gear and stormed down the center of the track to pull the upset. She returned $52.50 to win. Winning for the third time this season in 10 tries, Chippewa Street, who raised her lifetime earnings to over $37,000, is owned by Schnittker, Stephen Demeter, Herbert Burns III and the Blue Chip Partners, and is trained by Paul Doherty.

Race four was the second $23,840 division for the 2-year-old trotting fillies. This one was over quickly as Won An Done, a daughter of Conway Hall with driver Brian Allen in the sulky, went right to the top and never looked back, winning by five lengths in 2:01.2. John Stark, Jr. is the trainer for owners Edmund Smith and Eloise Luchsinger.

Division three came with some controversy as the original winner, the Conway Hall filly Amelia Hall with Ken Oscarsson, was disqualified and placed fourth for interference. Placed first was another daughter of Conway Hall, Speed Talker and Brian Allen. Winning for the first time this season for owner Hutt Racing Stable, Speed Talker returned $67.50 and started off the biggest trifecta of the season which paid over $5,416.

Completing an all-Sires Stakes pick-3, race six saw another Conway Hall filly, Tessel, sit a perfect two hole trip and explode down the lane to win by over four lengths in 2:02.3 for driver William Bailey. Owned by Paul and Pauline Nower and Calvin Lasher, and trained by Jack Bailey, she returned $7.60 going off as the second choice in the wagering.

The traveling road show known as the New York Sires Stakes returned to the racetrack in race eight. Two horses were right there at the finish and after a long review the judges ruled it was simply too close to call and in fact it was a dead heat for win. Involved in the dead heat were a pair of Conway Hall fillies, Lady Conway, owned by Purple Haze LLC, trained by Howard Okusko, Jr. and driven by Jim Morrill, Jr., and Aiken For Clay with trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer and winning owners Al Libfeld, Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband. The time of this mile was 2:02.2.

The sixth and final division was race ten, and on a night of upsets it was a Credit Winner filly, Nowerland Lightnin, who pulled off another shocker, scoring at odds of 18-1, when she followed second over cover to win by three-parts of a length in a mile of 2:02.1. The win by “Lightnin” gave owners Paul and Pauline Nower two Sires Stakes victories on the evening and gave driver William Bailey a driving double as well. Trained by Adam Capizzano, she returned $38.60 to win.

Final New York Sire Stakes races of the season

Saturday night (September 9) concludes New York Sires Stakes action for this season at Batavia Downs. Four divisions worth over $33,000 each, including one non-betting race which will be raced at 7:05 p.m., highlight the 13-race card.

With Jim Morrill, Jr. out of town driving at Saratoga Raceway on Saturday night, former Meadowlands regular Howard “Pacing” Parker comes out of retirement for the evening to take his place on many of his regular drives. The first of 12 pari-mutuel events gets underway at 7:35 p.m.

In addition to great live harness racing Batavia Downs Gaming offers the best of simulcast racing and video gaming. The gaming floor is open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily.