by Todd Haight, marketing coordinator, Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — Big Stick Lindy, Shaq Is Back and Margarita Man won their respective $56,590 divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Wednesday night (Sept. 2) at Batavia Downs Casino. All of the winners are trained and were driven by for former Batavia Downs regular Ray Schnittker.

Paul White photo

Shaq Is Back scored in 2:01.1, the fastest time among the three NYSS splits.

The fastest of the three divisions was race six as the Credit Winner colt Shaq Is Back cruised to a wire-to-wire, nine length score in 2:01.1. Out of the Victory Dream mare Vivica Hall, Shaq Is Back notched his third win of the season for owners Givemecredit Stable. He has more than $74,000 in lifetime earnings.

Shaq Is Back was getting a serious challenge from the Dream Vacation gelding Kona (Brad Kramer) as the field turned for home but when he made a costly broke Shaq Is Back was left with an insurmountable lead.

Margarita Man raised his record to five wins in six lifetime starts when he trotted to a comfortable 3-1/4 length gate-to-wire score in 2:02.3. The Malabar Man-Margarita Miss gelding raised his bankroll to almost $80,000 for the Margarita Man stable.

Big Stick Lindy started off the trifecta of NYSS races by taking advantage of the rail and an early miscue by favorite RC Serpent to go coast-to-coast to win by a diminishing neck in 2:02.4. The Conway Hall-Peace A Pie colt is owned by the contingent of Schnittker, KR Breeding, Steven Arnold and Jerry Silva. This was Big Stick Lindy’s second career win, which raised his earnings to more than $58,000.

“They’re all good horses,” Schnittker said in the winner’s circle after his hat trick of Sire Stake winners.

The three NYSS wins gives the Schnittker barn an excellent chance of having three horses in the September 26 Night of Champions finals at Vernon.